Barreling Around Temecula Wine Country

by Frank Mangio
The rolling hills of Temecula Wine Country were alive with wine lovers at the recent Harvest Celebration and Barrel Tasting, an annual event that I especially enjoy. Winemakers and owners are side by side offering samples from the barrels and recently released bottles, getting first-hand reaction before they go to market.

First stop is the check-in area at one of the first wineries visible on the main entrance, Rancho California Road . This year it was Callaway Vineyard and Winery, where visitors picked up a “treasure map” of how to get to all the 25 participating wineries, what was being tasted and gourmet food samplings. A glass, serving tray and punch card were provided, and away we went first to Callaway.

Callaway is significant since it was Temecula’s first winery, started some 40 years ago. Businessman Ely Callaway saw the future and deliberately ruled out a winery in Napa Valley . Instead, the pioneer in him came out and he built and planted on a Temecula hillside. Present ownership is now emphasizing Mediterranean varietals.

Their selections included the 2005 Special Selection Merlot and the 2005 Winemakers Reserve Chardonnay, with a barrel tasting of the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon.

We then stopped at the tucked-away Disney style setting of Briar Rose Winery. Les and Dorian Linkogle are specializing in small-lot limited production estate reds and whites of the most premium style. You must call ahead to taste, but it is well worth it!

You can always expect the unexpected from winemaker Les, who was offering a barrel sample of a Zinfandel/Barbera blend and the world-famous Briar Rose Wine Lager Beer blend. With a twinkle in his eye, he took me back into the barrel room and together we sampled a 100 year old barrel of Port.
Les Linkogle, winemaker and owner of Briar Rose Winery, toasts his latest wine creation, a Zinfandel/Barbers blend, with Taste of Wine columnist Frank Mangio on the right.

It was sweet and sensuous, like no other port I have tasted. After a lengthy reunion with Briar Rose, we set off for nearby Falkner Winery where owner Ray Falkner was offering his Gold Medal winning 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, another Gold winner, the 2005 Cabernet, and the barrel favorite, a 2007 Merlot.

This estate selection had rich, dark cherry flavors and was beauty in a barrel. Falkner has a “4 for 3” sale going this month where you buy 4 and pay for 3. The winery’s Pinnacle Restaurant is offering a “Holiday Lunch Special” the 27th thru the 29th for $55. a couple including a glass of wine each. Call for reservations and exact hours at 951-676-8231.

On the way to stop number number 4, I noticed a huge new winery in the final finishing stages. The impressive Monte De Oro will open in early December and has an underground barrel room and panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and the valley, retail center, tasting and banquet rooms and outdoor patio. It sits across from La Cereza Vineyard and Winery, owned by my good friends, Buddy and Cheri Linn.

This is a historic Spanish style winery, with such old world favorites as Gold winners Garnacha and Tempranillo, and a cigar bar named after Ermest Hemingway. Their spotlight wine was the first red in the “Girlfriends” series, the Vino Rojo “Red Girlfriends,” a blend of Merlot and Petite Sirah.

Another new creation was the 2005 Ortpo, La Cereza’s late harvest port. Its’ a blend of Petite Sirah and Zinfandel.

Our final stop as we ran out of time was Robert Renzoni Vineyards on the newly named De Portola Trail, south of Rancho California Road. The Renzoni family has a long history in the wine business and a year and a half ago, this vineyard was opened and billed as the true Italian style winery in Temecula. From Pinot Grigio to Sangiovese, the luscious earthy taste of old Italy floods your senses. Today they were offering a 2008 La Rosa, a Rose of Sangiovese, along with a barrel tasting of their 2008 Tempranillo. The food sampling was a 4 cheese Penne Pasta, a fitting capper to a lovely day in Temecula Wine Country.

Wine Bytes
* San Diego Wine Company on Miramar Road has an Opolo Wine Tasting on Sat. Nov. 28 from 11 to 4:30pm fro $20. pp. This is one of the leading wines in the Paso Robles Central Coast. For details call 858-586-9463.

* Vigilucci’s Restaurant in Coronado spotlights a Reynolds Family Winery Tasting on Tues. Dec. 1 at 6:30pm. Sommelier Mike Powers presides over 6 wines with rustic appetizers, for a $20. fee. RSVP please at 619-522-0946.

* Wiens Family Cellars in Temecula is planning a holiday Reception and Shopping Night Wed. Dec. 2 from 6 to 8pm. Free Admission. Wine and light refreshments served. Bring an unwrapped toy for a worthy charity. Call 951-694-9892.

*The new Paon Restaurant and Wine Bar in Carlsbad has the Conway Family Wines in for a Wine Dinner on Mon. Dec. 7 from 6 to 9pm, with a full “deep sea cool climate” menu. Check for cost at 760-729-7377.

Robert Renzoni Winery Grows Up

article and photo by Frank Mangio
It was only a little more than a year ago that I set foot on a dusty slope on the De Portola Trail of Temecula Wine Country to greet Robert and his father Fred Renzoni at their new Robert Renzoni Vineyards. At that time, they promised true Italian style wine, unlike any others in Temecula. The promise was kept, and then some.

This 12 acre remarkable estate has been busy making no less than 14 wines plus a startup Marinara Sauce, Olive Oil and Wine Vinegar business. The property is surrounded by soaring mountains with the vineyards tucked into hillside acreage with a creek running through picnic grounds. It could be Tuscany or Piedmont in the mother country of Italy .

Robert is a passionate product of several generations of Renzoni winemakers. “My family started making wine in 1886 on the Adriatic Coast of Italy,” he said. “I followed in 3 generations of footsteps in 1989. My family has more years in the wine business than the entire Valley. 95% of the varietals produced here are Italian.” We both sipped his latest triumph, a savory 2006 blend called Fiori Di Fano. “This is our version of a Super Tuscan,” he asserted. “It’s named after my great grandfather’s hometown of Fano , Italy and Fiore means flower. The blend is 40% Cabernet, 38% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot and 3% Cab Franc. It’s our flagship wine, aged 22 months in French Oak.” (Wine club price is $36.)

Robert Renzoni, proprietor of Robert Renzoni Vineyards in Temecula, celebrates his family legacy with each wine he makes.

He went on to say that “we are not feeling the depressed economy. It’s a wonderful experience with the growth of our company. The fruit this year is plentiful and we are even harvesting our first Brunello clone of Sangiovese, we first planted on 2007.” (This grape is considered the highest and best quality in Italy , from Montalcino in Tuscany .)

Another brilliantly produced wine is the 2007 Barbera. This Piedmont style wine is an easy to drink red with a smooth velvet touch to the palate. Robert and his team are producing wines with a lowered alcohol content, in keeping with traditional Italian wines that compliment food, not overpower it.

For summer wine tasting, the new estate Pinot Grigio is best. It has a perfumed fragrance with mild but penetrating floral notes. Wine club price is just $13.50.

The “Vino Famiglia” Wine Club gets the member two special pre-selected Robert Renzoni wines, six times a year, at 25% off the regular winery price. Other nice discounts apply and no membership fee is required. See the winery for full details. Call 951-699-7925 or access the web site at www.robertrenzonivineyards.com.

Summer Wines Are Everywhere In Temecula
This summer, like no other, light and pink summer wines are flourishing as more customers want easy-on-the-palate refreshing varietals. I have noticed two trends this season: white blends, combining several varietals into a winemaker’s proprietary offering; and the increase in rose (ro-zay) varietals, something of a comeback for this formerly overdone process.

In addition to the Robert Renzoni Pinot Grigio, mentioned above. Here are my summer wine recommendations the next time you do a day-trip to Temecula:

Ø Thornton Rose 2007. $22. A blend of 57% Cab Franc and 43% Sangiovese. Fruit forward and lip smacking cranberry, cherry and strawberry. Chill it for best flavor.

Ø Ponte Beverino 2008. $28.95. Beverino means “easy to drink” in Italian. Subtly sweet, try it with a dessert.

Ø La Cereza Viognier 2008. $24.95. We have raved about this Rhone style wine before. Rich, complex and perfumed.

Ø Falkner Riesling 2007. $16.95. Winning recent gold, a delightful pear flavored German style touch of sweet.

Ø Callaway Quartet 2008. $28. Subtle flavors of melon, pear and pineapple from four white grapes.

Wine Reflects the Taste of a Woman

Article and photo by Frank Mangio
I saw it coming shortly after I started covering wine events and writing about wine developments four years ago. At first it was a curiosity, then it was a realization that women were beginning to become the dominant force in the shape of wine events and wine sales. The latest numbers show anywhere between 57% and 60% of the wine buying choices are made by women.

Forget about the stereotype that women only like sweet or light wines and they are hanging around wine bars to giggle and get picked up. I have found that wine intelligence is not gender-bound. Many more women are becoming sommeliers, winemakers and owners of wine businesses.

Surprisingly, Italy’s most revered wineries, and considered one of the oldest and most traditional of wine countries, are handing control over to female members of these legendary vineyards. Antinori, the most famous of these families, now is operated by daughter Alessia who is scheduled to appear at the Four Seasons Aviara on October 7.

Angelo Gaja scaled the heights of winemaking in Barolo country. He now leaves the story to his young daughter, Gaia. Then there is the Banfi wine empire in Montalcino, now in the capable hands of Cristina Mariani-May who was quoted in a leading wine publication as saying “one strength of women is that they’re more prone to open conversation and building relationships; a bonding experience encouraged all the more by wine.”

A typical weekend tasting at La Cereza Winery in Temecula finds women at the bar for their tasty “Girlfriends” lineup of whites and now a Syrah-Petite Sirah blend.

Then there is Karen MacNeil, the author of Wine Bible, the first book about wine that ever made sense to me, who states that “women are more comfortable giving their opinion and giving a longer opinion about a wine than men. They are not keeping score or making it into a challenge.”

Terri Pebley Del Hamer was making a good living as a commercial property realtor some five years ago, when she called on an owner and winemaker in Temecula about listing his 13 acre property. She wound up purchasing what is now Keyways Vineyard and Winery.

At first it was simply an investment but when the winemaker who was leasing the property left town, Terri had to desperately turn to her innate business wisdom to make a go of it. In 2006, she assembled management who happened to be women, and fashioned a winery that emphasized the celebration of women in wine. “I realized that no one was featuring a winery that catered to women and that to my knowledge, I was the only female winery owner in Southern California, she said. “I set out to make Keyways a comfortable place where customers could take their time, stretch out in easy chairs by a fireplace and feel at home. Then I branded a line of wine called Femina Vita, or the life of a woman. I contracted with a Napa Valley artist for relaxed female poses and marketed the wine under such names as: First Crush, Sweet Surrender, Spellbound and Contentment. We offer varietals from Chenin Blanc to the Rhone Blend in Contentment, which earned gold for the 2007 vintage at last year’s California State Fair.”

Keyways now has a wine club just for women called “Brix Chix” and drew over 50 to its first meeting recently. “They came wanting to know more about wine, get inspired, entertained and empowered,” asserted Terri. “We meet once a month and they pick up a bottle of the wine of their choice. A speaker program is in the works.”

As if we need any more proof of wine being in a woman’s world, the #1 wine in the world last year according to the leading trade magazine, Wine Spectator, was Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta, a Chilean 2005 blend. It was made by Andrea Leon…a woman.

Wine Bytes
 Women and Wine are celebrated weekly at Friars Folly in San Marcos. Wednesday nights are “Girls Nights” with wine bottles half price, and Tami Ridley the owner has been known to create wild surprises with live entertainment. Call 760-736-8035 for the latest.

 From Vine to Glass in Oceanside holds its Art and Wine night on Sat. June 27 at 6pm. Entry fee is $10. including appetizers. 760-757-1037.

 Bacchus Wine Market in San Diego’s Gaslamp District has a high-end Premier Cru Burgundy event on Fri. and Sat. June 26 and 27. 7 wines tasted for $35. Call for times at 619-236-0005.

 Vintage Wines on Miramar Rd. in San Diego offers a Sauvignon Blanc tasting on Sat. June 27 from 11 to 3:30pm, from New Zealand to domestic. Cost is just $5. Contact them at 858-549-2112.

 Escondido’s Holiday Wine Cellar has a Grenache event on Mon. June 29 from 5:30 to 7pm. It's a blind tasting, and another for only $5. 760-745-1200.

 3rd Corner in Encinitas brings an Austrian and Australia tasting in on Sat. June 27 from 2-5pm. Fee is $10. for ten wines. $15. more for a 3 course lunch. For more info, call 760-924-2104.

 Falkner Winery in Temecula celebrates its 9th Anniversary with a weekend blast Fri. July 3 to Sun. July 5. Enjoy jazz music, tours and huge discounts. Their Pinnacle restaurant offers deep menu discounts. Call 951-676-8231 for more.

More on Temecula Valley Wines…

by Frank Mangio
Awards keep coming in for the wines of Temecula Wine Country. Examples:

 Double Gold and Chairman’s Award at the ’09 Riverside Wine competition for Maurice Car’rie’s 2008 Sara Bella Blush, a white Cabernet Sauvignon. The winery also got Silver for their ’08 Chenin Blanc and ’08 Riesling. See more at www.mauricecarriewinery.com.

 La Cereza picked up eight medals at the same competition, including a gold for its “Girlfriends” white blend. Visit www.lacerezawinery.com

 Best of Class at the West Coast Wine Competition in Santa Rosa went to Keyways Winery for its ’08 Chenin Blanc and the ’08 White Blend Santa Teresa. More at www.keywayswine.com.

 I was privileged to get an initial release taste of the new Wilson Creek ’07 Viognier, a varietal favorite of mine. It is right up there with the best of the best for this Rhone Valley grape varietal. Brilliantly crafted by winemaker Etienne Cowper, this tropically fruited, exotic wine should not be missed by fans of a summer wine that pops. Bursting with flavor. Check it out at www.wilsoncreekwinery.com.

 Two Best of Class emerged from the Monterey and Pacific Rim competition….Briar Rose with its ’04 Cabernet Sauvignon and South Coast Winery with its ’07 Riesling.


Wine Bytes
 Four San Diego wineries have banded together for a “Passport to a Taste of San Diego.” For just $20. you can visit Hacienda de las Rosas, Orfila, Belle Marie and Bernardo Winery, each with a full wine tasting experience. Go to any of the wineries to purchase. Use until Labor Day in Sept.

 Meritage Wine Market in Encinitas has a Rhone Valley wine tasting Fri. May 29 and a Stars of Spain tasting on Fri. June 5. 6 to 8pm. Call 760-479-2500 for cost and wines.

 The Rotary Club presents the annual Encinitas Wine Festival, Sat. June 6 from 5 to 8pm, at Quail Botanical Gardens. Sample fine wines and beverages from around the world plus dishes and desserts from the finest restaurants in Encinitas. The event benefits local charities. Three ticket options from $100. Look at www.encinitaswinefestival.com.

 Up in Napa, the Vintners Association of 350 members brings you Auction Napa Valley Thurs. June 4 to Sun. June 7. Lots of ways to have a unique and fun time with tastings, auctions and dinners. Look at www.napavintners.com, or call 707-968-4209.

 The Temecula Balloon and Wine Festival takes off Fri. June 5 to Sun June 7 at Lake Skinner in the Winchester area. Mass balloon ascension begins Sat. at 6am. 20 wineries in Temecula will be pouring. 2 day passes for $30. Call 951-676-6713.

Wine and Cigars Pair Well at La Cereza Winery

Article and photo by Frank Mangio
The big buzz in the wine world has been wine and food pairing. A new appreciation of the relationship of a fine wine with a menu item that will bring out its ultimate characteristics has had chefs and winemakers trading flavor ideas, with the diner the big winner. Five course dinners pair up with five elegant wines, from white to the dense bold reds, usually offered with the main course.

Enter La Cereza Winery in Temecula Wine Country with a new idea that’s causing a lot of interest with wine lovers, some of which may surprise you. But first a little background. Buddy and Cheri Linn came from the trade show world and burst on the Temecula wine world a few years ago when they purchased not one but two side-by-side wineries: Maurice Carrie, primarily a maker of white wines, and what is now La Cereza Winery, featuring Spanish reds, but with a niche of fine whites that have taken some important awards in recent competitions.

These two entrepreneurs have changed the landscape of wine in Temecula. They are both gifted in the sense that they understand and act on the next big trend in the industry. When they purchased the wineries, they made sure they secured the services of Gus Vizgirda, a premium winemaker in the valley, and one who could keep up with the innovations of the Linns, which included a move to feature Spanish wines.


Buddy and Cheri Linn at their La Ceraza Winery and Hemingway’s Cigar Bar

Grape varietals like Tempranillo and Garnacha have rocketed in sales and awards with the 2005 Garnacha grabbing gold in the recent Dallas wine competition. The couple have created a Spanish art gallery atmosphere in their tasting room and recently opened Hemingway’s Cigar and Wine Bar, a kind of Havana hideaway atmosphere. Customers can kick back on the soft leather oversize chairs and trade stories at the old world style bar under the portrait of “Papa Hemingway” and Cuban style portraits that characterize the fun of La Cereza.

All this of course leads up to the latest turn by Buddy and Cheri, into the new line of five premium La Cereza Cigars, carefully paired with their wines for maximum flavor and enjoyment.

“Fine cigars with fine wine are finally the missing ingredient to complete wine relaxation and the Hemingway experience,” Vizgirda said.

Buddy Linn added “we searched in several different countries for over a year to find the right blend of tobaccos, while finding the master rollers to create these extraordinary cigars.”

It starts out with the mild “Girlfriends” cigar that matched up with the light and fun “Girlfriends” white wine, popular with ladies at the bar.

The top of the line is the “Presidente,” made in the Dominican Republic and aged for 5 years. The rich earthiness matches up with the winery’s 2006 Tempranillo.

Fine wine, food, art and music have all made their imprint on the bloodline of La Cereza. Now, you can add premium cigars to the pedigree. For more, see www.lacerezawinery.com.

San Diego County Restaurant Week Sets Record
It started with a pep rally featuring San Diego’s Mayor Jerry Sanders, with some 50 participating restaurants in attendance at Tom Ham’s on Harbor Island in January.

The Restaurant Week promotion eventually brought 180 restaurants together countywide for up to 90% increases in diners and sales, attracted by the values of $20. to $40. for gourmet three course dinners.

Chair and co-founder Ingrid Croce of Croce’s Downtown Gaslamp Restaurant said “we’re thrilled that even with the downturn, this promotion was a great success, so much so we are going to bring it back later this year, September 13 to 18.” Visit www.restaurantweek.com for details.

Wine Bytes
Meritage Wine Market in Encinitas announced their next three Friday wine pourings: the Wines of Spain on March 20, Napa Wines on March 27 and French Wines on April 3. Events are 6 to 8pm. Details on pricing at 760-479-2500.

A new wine bar and restaurant has started up in Rancho Santa Fe at the Ciela community, with a daily menu of unique wines and menu pairings. It’s called Decanter. The owner and sommelier is Jayson Knack. He has stocked over 4,500 wines from around the world. Phone is 858-756-9333.

Bacchus Wine Market on G Street downtown San Diego has Italian whites and French reds at their weekly tasting on Fri. March 20, 4 to 8pm and Sat. March 21, 2 to 8pm. $15. pp. Call 619-236-0005.

An Italian wine dinner is the next event at Pala Mesa Resort in Fallbrook planned for Thurs. March 26, starting with a reception at 6pm. Vermintino, Sangiovese and Moscato wines are spotlighted. $69. ea. RSVP at 760-731-6805.

Ferrari Carano, one of the premier Sonoma Wineries is presenting their Taste of Spring Event, Sun. Apr. 5 from 11 to 4pm at the winery in Healdsburg. It’s a wine and food pairing with new vintages of their award winning wines. Includes a tour of the beautiful gardens and barrel rooms.

Admission is $25. and includes a souvenir glass. Call 707-433-6700 or see www.ferrari-carano.com.

A Taste of Wine can now also be seen in the glossy magazine, FINE HOMES AND LIVING. Look for it at news stands in San Diego County.

Fiery Concert Brings New Wine to Temecula

Photo: La Cereza Winery owner Buddy Linn with Benise, the star of the winery’s first concert which was a sellout.

Article by Frank Mangio

La Cereza Winery in Temecula is still buzzing over the bold flamenco style concert by Benise and his bigger-than-life 25 piece band and dancers on August 16th. It was Buddy and Cheri Linn’s first event of this kind and a home run it was!

The opening act by Maston Smith and his wild medieval costuming, electric cello and bizarre dancers sent the crowd into a frenzy.

All this is a prelude to a new wine, created especially for this occasion by the Linns and their eclectic winemaker Gus Vizgirda… the “Benise Private Reserve Sangiovese.” La Cereza is always ahead of the curve with some 33 different wine brands to choose from and this passionate addition adds to the excitement of this Spanish formatted winery.

This wine has a bold flavor with distinctly cherry characteristics, and a slightly pepper, smoky accent. The sangiovese grape is Italian Tuscan originally and winemaker Vizgirda never disrespects that, but the Spanish touches that go into most reds at La Cereza is clearly evident. It pairs nicely with most beef. It’s already picking up medals in several California competitions. Vintage is 2005.

In other Temecula wine news: hats off to Thornton Winery in Temecula Wine Country for hosting a rare Progressive Dinner featuring three award winning winemakers and one top chef together in one event. Kim Wascher of Hart Winery, Gus Vizgirda of La Cereza and Maurice Carrie Wineries and the host winemaker Don Reha of Thornton provided welcome wine conversation for guests, while executive chef Steve Pickell shared secrets about matching Temecula wines with his exclusive cuisine. His menu items are part of the new selections at the winery’s Café Champagne. See them at www.thorntonwine.com.

Wine & Cuisine Gala of the Season is Sat. Oct. 4
Here is a rare event not to be missed. It’s the Circle of Hope Gala to benefit New Haven Youth and Family Services of Vista, at the Tuscan style, custom built Casa di Fede, a private family estate created by Frank and Claudette Mercardante, just south of Temecula, Saturday October 4. A VIP reception begins at 5 pm with cocktails and formal dinner from 6 to 9pm.

I have the privilege of being one of the selected wine presenters, along with the brilliant winemaker Leon Santoro of Orfila Vineyards and Winery. His wines will be exclusive to this high-level luxurious event. Other rare insights will be provided by Chocolatier Michael Antonorsi and featured guest and the Food Network’s newest star, Chef Jeff Henderson.

Henderson’s is a real-life Circle of Hope journey which took him from the streets of San Diego to prison, where he discovered a passion for cooking. Upon release he pursued a career to Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas. He has since published a best selling book and has a movie in the works. A formal Tuscan-inspired dinner will be prepared by Master Chef Carlo Di Gristina, with live music by the Cecilia String Quartet. Tickets for this special occasion are $500. for the cocktails and formal dinner, and $1,000. for the VIP Reception, cocktails and dinner. For a complete summary, call 760-630-4035 or access www.circleofhopegala.org.

Temecula Valley Wines Win Big in SF Competition

by Don McAuliffe

Wines from the Temecula Valley walked off with 12 medals at the first wine competition of the year. Held during the second week of January at the Cloverdale Citrus Fair, the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition 2008 featured wines from nearly every major wine-producing region in the United States.

Among more than 4,200 wines from 1,500 wineries, Stuart Cellars 2006 Syrah ($35) won double gold and best of class in its price category. Falkner Winery’s 2006 Sauvignon Blanc ($16.95) also won a double gold and best of class in its price class.

Ray Falkner of Falkner Winery - Photo Courtesy of Valley Business Journal

Maurice Car’rie’s 2007 Sauvignon Blanc ($12.95) received a gold, a reflection of the region’s emphasis on quality wines. “The Temecula Valley region is proud to have won some of the more prestigious awards at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition,” said Ray Falkner, winery owner and president of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association, which represents more than 60 growers and vintners. “To have two of our wines win Best in Class reflects that the quality of wine produced in Temecula is every bit as good as that of any of the wine regions to the North.”

Also receiving medals were Falkner Winery’s 2006 Viognier ($21.95), 2004 Amante ($24.95) 2004 Meritage ($29.95), 2004 Syrah ($24.95) and 2004 Merlot ($21.95); Stuart Cellars 2005 Tatria ($38) and 2005 Long Valley Red Meritage ($65); La Cereza Winery’s 2006 ($24.95) Viognier and Girlfriends ($16.95) white blend; and VR Winery’s 2006 Gewurztraminer ($14.95)

La Cereza Shines Silver

Temecula, Calif. / Feb. 1. 2008

Wine drinkers seeking to explore new and exciting worlds in the vast cosmos called the wine industry often find themselves overwhelmed by the seemingly infinite amount of wines available to them. Add to this conundrum a whole slew of promotional schemes by labels including point systems, critics’ reviews and shelf talkers…all aimed to assuage possible buyers to purchase their bottle of wine instead of the one next to it. Is your head spinning yet?

Well, just like any other competitive market, wineries have the ability to have their products rated objectively each year during a handful of annual wine competitions. One of largest of which is the annual San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. Located at the doorstep of Napa Valley, wineries that earn medals during this wine competition consider it a huge feat, a right of passage, so to speak, in the wine world.

La Cereza Vineyard and Winery, located in Temecula Valley, is now the proud bearer of that title after winning silver medals in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition for both their Sangiovese and Tempranillo red wines.
Judged next to wines from appellations long-recognized for excellence in red wine-making like Napa, Sonoma and Central Coast, La Cereza considers these awards a great honor as well as a testimony to their desire to produce high-quality wines capable of competing with the best.

The earning of a silver medal for their Tempranillo varietal is especially exciting for the Spanish-themed winery, as this grape is considered to be the quintessential Spanish grape, used to make the world-famous Rioja red wine.
“The choice to produce this wine here denotes the foresight of our winemaker to acquire tempranillo grapes from Guadalupe Valley,“ said Buddy Linn, owner of La Cereza. “This fruit is extremely high-quality and the outcome has been a very consistent and exceptional wine.”

La Cereza’s silver medal award for their Sangiovese is also remarkable, considering it’s the first year that the winery has ever produced this unique Italian varietal.
La Cereza winemaker Gus Vizgirda said he has long been honing in on his winery’s potential to produce excellent wines from Mediterranean grapes such as Tempranillo and Sangiovese.

“We have a very unique winemaking style here in the (Temecula) Valley and particularly at La Cereza,” said Vizgirda. “It’s based on the fact that we have a terroir here that is very similar to the Mediterranean, so although we may not be producing wines like the ones you’ll find up North, we’re confident and proud that we have a style that’s totally different and the quality is just as good.”

La Cereza Announces Sangiovese Release

by Cheri Linn

It was bound to happen eventually; it was never a matter of “if,” but only “when.” In congruence with the winery’s Mediterranean flair and winemaking gumption, and to the delight of its many fans (and hopefully soon-to-be fans), La Cereza is preparing to “up the stakes” with the first-ever release of a Sangiovese wine.

So what is it about this wine that’s causing so much buzz among the folks at La Cereza?

Well, perhaps it was the wine’s immaculate reception during its premier at Temecula Valleys Harvest Barrel Tasting, held November 3 – 4, 2007.

The barrel tasting allowed participating Temecula wineries to showcase their “best of the best” to about a thousand wine drinkers, many of whom had yet to experience some of the hidden gems found only in Temecula. Never to be outshined, La Cereza audaciously introduced a wine that was essentially still in the works at the time; a wine that hasn’t even been bottled yet (creating for many a truly authentic barrel-tasting experience), and had never been released under the La Cereza label.

“We feel that this wine is particularly special, “ said Buddy Linn, owner of La Cereza Vineyard and Winery. “Not only because it’s a new endeavor for us, but because it just tastes so darn good. And now after such a successful reception during the tasting, we’re even more excited about its release.”

Produced by La Cereza’s winemaker Gus Vizgirda and his staff, this earthy, fruit-forward wine is similar in style to many of the Sangiovese wines grown in California.

“It’s a little bigger, a little fruitier than its Italian cousin, “said Vizgirda. “It has aromas a bit more subtle than some other reds, but has a mid-palate loaded with spice, ripe strawberry, blueberry and vanilla, along with some faint floral and violet accents. The acidity is even and balanced and the tannins are very soft and smooth.”

Introduced in California in the late 1800’s by Italian Immigrants, this noble and ancient grape varietal, originally called Sanguis Jovis, the Latin translation for “Blood of Jove,” traces its ancestry back thousands of years, as it is believed to have been cultivated by the pre-Roman Etruscans. Since then, Sangiovese has flourished in Northern Italy’s Tuscan region, known by most wine drinkers as Chianti. Well-suited to southern California’s hot, dry summers, paired with consistent sunny days, Californian wine growers, however, are now beginning to see astonishing results in the production of this grape.

And La Cereza is proud to now be among those ranks.

Folks interested in purchasing La Cereza’s Sangiovese can do so by filling out a pre-order sheet at the winery, by telephone (1-951-676-1711), or at the winery’s website at www.lacerezawinery.com. This wine can be purchased for $18.95.