Temecula Valley - Not Just a Bachelorette Party Destination.
When us Southern California-ans think of spending a day in Temecula Valley, typically what comes to mind is a.) blacking out. and b.) bachelorette parties. I’m not sure how, when, or why Temecula turned into the destination for 25 year old white girls to get shit faced and throw up in bushes, but it did. I recently did a little trip up to Temecula and visited 8 of their wineries to see what this wine country was really all about. Let me tell you.. when it comes to quality wine, Temecula ain’t playing games.
First and foremost, Temecula is beautiful. Vineyards line every road and the calm and quietness of the valley truly makes you feel like you have entered a serene heaven. A serene heaven that includes top notch wine at every location you pop into. I literally cannot think of anything better, can you?
South Coast Winery
Our first destination, as well as where we stayed, was South Coast Winery. If you are planning on getting a hotel in Temecula, stay here. Mark my damn words.. this resort is among one of the nicest I’ve ever stayed at. They have private villas with secluded patios leading out into the vineyards. I honestly could have just stayed in my room the entire time and had a swell time. They also have jacuzzi bathtubs, but that’s besides the point. South Coast Winery produces top quality varietals such as Tempranillo, Petite Sirah, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and their best selling Tempranillo Rosé. All fantastic wines, but what stood out most to me within South Coast was their Sparkling’s. South Coast Winery is among the few wineries in Temecula Valley able to grow Pinot Noir, so they created a stellar sparkling that is 82% Chardonnay and 18% Pinot Noir. Drool city, y’all. If you are visiting Temecula for a weekend, I highly recommend you staying at South Coast Winery and make sure to taste their Brut.
Fazelli Cellars
I love a good Persian wine. So, when I heard of this Persian Winery I knew I had to check it out. Fazelli Cellars is everything you could dream in a wine destination – beautiful location, delicious food, and out of this world wine. I was lucky enough to be hosted for dinner at Fazelli and let me tell you.. 4 courses of absolute unreal-ness. Starting with fried oysters and artichokes, followed by peanut butter pork belly crepes, with a main course of sinfully savory steak. I’m still having dreams about how perfect of a meal it was. And of course, appropriate wine pairings with each course. Mr. Fazelli even graced us with a vintage Cognac to pair with our dessert. Swoon. Fazelli Cellars is a MUST visit.
Robert Renzoni Winery
Another charming winery I visited was Robert Renzoni. We started off with tasting several of their incredible wines including my personal favorite, the Syrah Rosé. A beautifully crafted dry Rosé with notes of lemon peel, strawberries, and floral accents. After our tasting we went into a fabulous lunch hosted by Robert Renzoni himself. Pizza, salad, and an epic charcuterie board were among several Italian inspired red wines. Dreamy. Mr. Renzoni shared stories of how he got started within his winemaking family history and what inspires him to make the upmost quality wine. It was an incredible experience.
Hart Winery
Hart is a family owned winery that started in 1980, making it one of Temecula’s oldest wineries. Their wines include premium estate grown Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Roussane, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Tempranillo. Hart wines are extremely high quality and the overall vibe of the winery itself is incredibly comfortable and ‘homey’. I love family owned businesses that are passed down from generation to generation, and Hart Winery is an inspiring example of such.
Lorenzi Estate
Lorenzi Estate Winery is a 20 year old winery creating exceptional 90pt. reds. Along with their exceptional quality wines, Lorenzi is a passion driven establishment with a cozy yet gothic interior feel. I loved Lorenzi’s use of the color red within the winery, (maybe to match their award winning red wines?) and their logo which features a lion head. Don Lorenzi, head winemaker, comes from generations of Italian winemakers and the use of the lion head as their logo comes from an ancient Italian folklore in which lions would protect winemakers caves. I love the history behind Lorenzi winery, and the wines that are produced from Lorenzi vines are pretty damn tasty too.
Palumbo Family Winery
To be honest, I didn’t actually visit the Palumbo winery itself. But I did something even cooler. I got invited to dinner at the winemakers home. Hell yeah! Definitely had a ‘I made it’ moment. Although I didn’t visit the winery, the Palumbo’s live directly next door and the views of their vines are directly in their backyard. So I got a pretty good feel of the winery’s overall vibe. Nicholas Palumbo, head winemaker, is a super interesting dude. He started out as a chef before he became a winemaker. Which I really dig because that means he cares a lot about food, and you can’t be good at wine if you’re not good at food. Specializing in full bodied reds, as well as some very special single vineyard blends, Palumbo family winery is the heart and soul of what wine should always be.
Thanks for having me, Temecula. You have stepped your game up by miles & miles and I am your new biggest fan. I’ll be seeing you real soon. xx- Arielle