Last Saturday and Sunday, the Temecula Winegrowers Association held its Temecula Wine Barrel Tastings. A multitude of guests showed up for the two day event, tasting fine wines at wineries such as Wiens Family Cellars, Bel Vino Winery, Thornton Winery, Mt. Palomar Winery, Lorimar Vineyards, Fazeli Cellars, South Coast Winery Resort and Spa and many more. Guests were able to sample several wines at each winery, showcasing the best of their wines. In addition, many wineries also tasted wines directly out of the oak barrel, giving people to taste a wine before it is even bottled. And for extra fun, several wineries had live music for listening as you tasted the wines and some even had live bands for dancing.
Each winery also featured some delicious food to keep hungry tasters satiated. Some 20 wineries were featured each day, so 2-day passholders could try up to 40 wineries. The event really showcased the Temecula Valley, with its different wines including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Syrah and Zinfandel on the red side, as well as white wines such as Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurtztraminer. Some wineries, such as Wiens Family Cellars, even offered sparkling wines such as their delicious Amour de L’Orange.
photo essay at bottom of page
Overall, the event showed why Temecula is a great destination for a weekend of wine drinking and tasting. Less then 2 hours from Los Angeles, it is a beautiful area and a great place to enjoy some world-class wines. Events such as this are great to enjoy, but the Temecula Winegrowers Association also has a booklet and map available so you can do your own tours of the area and the wineries.
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- Wine glass at Doffo winery. Photo by Ed Simon for The Los Angeles Beat.
