Grape Escapes


November 01, 2009



By Jean T. Barrett 
reprinted from: Westways  November/December  2009
http://www.calif.aaa.com/westways/Pages/1109-grape-escapes.aspx

Temecula Valley
The Temecula Valley has come a long way since my first visit to the area 20 years ago. The seeming disaster of the Pierce’s Disease blight, which killed 40 percent of the region’s grapevines in the 1990s, proved to be an opportunity to replant with varietals better suited to Temecula’s unique growing conditions. The wines I tasted there on a recent trip were better than ever.

Most of Temecula’s wineries lie along Rancho California Road about four miles east of Interstate 15, which makes it easy to visit several tasting rooms in a morning or afternoon. But don’t miss the winding De Portola Wine Trail, home to a handful of smaller wineries and several private horse farms. (You can pick up a wine country map at the first winery you visit.) Most Temecula wineries don’t offer picnic grounds, probably because they’ve gotten into the food-service business in a big way. But there are a number of very good options for lunch. Mount Palomar Winery has a particularly attractive outdoor eating area and a deli, Taverna, where you can buy sandwiches, as well as wines to wash them down. On De Portola Road, Leonesse Cellars has an outdoor café overlooking the vineyards. Other well-regarded restaurants at Temecula wineries include Carol’s Restaurant at Baily Vineyard & Winery, the Smokehouse at Ponte Family Estate, and Callaway Vineyard & Winery’s open-air Meritage Restaurant.



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