Enjoy hot cocoa or mulled cider (grown-ups can opt for mulled wine or "special" cocoa) while you take in the twinkling spectacle of Old Town Temecula and award-winning Inland Empire Homes.
Brian loved the bouquet, found it dry and very pleasant and thought it was a great $20 wine. Jan said it was very complex for a rosé and liked it quite a bit. Jake enjoyed the rich flavors. It averaged nearly four out of five stars. Score? Texas 1, skeptics 0.
From Argentina we moved on to Croatia and the 2012 Vinarija Zdjelarevi? Graševina. Tough to pronounce, but easy to drink, It had a soft nose with hints of honey. Another fruit forward wine, I loved its round mouthfeel and flavors of golden delicious apples.
This year competing chefs get to plate their dishes on plates they choose, and she looks forward to seeing creative presentations with locally foraged foods. As she puts it "we are artists, participating in the Culinary Arts."
It's a treat to sit down with her, enjoy her wonderful wines with some bread and cheese and just visit. Sandi doesn't just grow grapes. She has fruit and vegetables galore and more often than not she'll send me off with some freshly picked produce.
As luck would have it, Robert was there and he stopped by to say hello and visit with us while taking a break from the demands of harvest. Server Andrew took great care of our group and concluded our tour with a visit to the member's lounge.
After their humble beginnings with one acre in Bryan that grew to thirty, they own 150 acres in West Texas and altogether there are more than 900 acres that are part of Messina Hof. In the late 80s and early 90s they started winning some major awards.
Another dark red wine, this one also needs time in the glass to open up and show its pretty nose. There are soft flavors of cherry and the tannins are well integrated.
Four of us joined him aboard his airboat and set off for about a 45 minute ride through the Intercoastal. It's clear Drew knows these waterways intimately.