Wine tasting Tuesday July 12th

As yesterday the day was grey of fog from the coast. However it once again just brightens up with the breakfast served at Loma Vista B&B and chef Dean.

Swiss muesli with apple, raspberry, blackberry and peach, just wonderful and so was the “American” pancakes with Canadian syrup, strawberry and blueberry in addition to the San Diego special sausage.

After done our homework, we could head out walking to our first wine tasting for the day, 100 yards down the road at Thornton winery.

Looking for an early lunch, guess what it ended up with a Champagne Flight through 4 sparkling wines.

Starting with the Thornton 2004 Brut Reserve Natural, produced in the same way as the traditional French method in producing a fine sparkling wine, the method champenoise process, is used exclusively in producing the Brut Reserve.

The natural version of the Brut Reserve is finished without any sweetening dosage and is the perfect wine for those discerning drinkers who truly like it “dry”.

Next was the Thornton 2004 Brut Reserve. This highly acclaimed California sparkling wine is among the top wines produced in California. Blended from the best Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Pinot Noir, this special Cuvee was assembled and finished in 2010. This icon shows delicate apple and toasted yeast aromas in the nose brought out by the fine bubbles in the glass.

The new Non-Vintage Brut is a blend of primarily Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc, giving it a crisp fruit characters while taking on a clean and straightforward yeast flavor from the lengthy tirage time. The additional of a small amount of Pinot Noir helps to round out the wine, giving it complexity and uniting the white varietals.

However we did find the Thornton Non-Vintage Blanc de Noirs put into a buying position. A rich and complex sparkling wine made entirely from the classic Pinot Noir grapes. With a hint of color from minimal skin contact, it has aromas of rich melon fruit and toasty yeast, with abundant citrus and apple characters in the mouth.

Finished the “FLIGHT” we needed an appetizer before we headed along to next winery! So having a cheese platter along with Thornton 2008 Rosé, great cheese with honey and walnuts, apricot and grapes, what could be better. The Rosé combines two amazing varietals, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese to create a distinctively rich and fruit forward Rosé. A ruby red color leads to brilliant flavor of cranberry, cherry, strawberry and plum. We have both just rediscovered the Rosé based on Sangiovese and what could be better. Curries to know if we find it other places than in Temecula!

Just across the street, and I MEAN just across the street and 100 yards up the hill we find Calloway.

Yes for those who know Golf it is related, but I am sure I will keep them separate. Play golf now wine tasting, or the other way around.

I do not want to go into the details, but they blended nicely into our expectation and understanding of the wine from Temecula Valley is to meet our wishes for both white and red in addition to the port, yes I must say the Port we tasted in the end just was heaven.

As long as we had the appetizer before we was ready for late lunch.

Starting with Ceviche “Mixto” with Ahi, Octopus, Claims, Mussels & Blue Crab for Laila and Shaved Prosciutto Flatbread with Zucchini, Fenel, Baby Tomato and Basil for me with recommended wines, even we did find out for our own taste that we changed the wine.

For the main enter Laila got Crispy Duck Salad with Organic Spinach, Blackberry, Roasted Mushroom & Butternut Squash with Sherry Walnut Dressing, and I the Veal, Beef & Ricotta Meatball Parmesan with Rigatoni “Agli Olio”, Capers & Arugula. The Meatball was enough for me and they could have done a better job in cleaning the spinach leaves.

But it was great food, making us ready passing the hill down to our last wine tasting for the day at Europe Village.

Their tasting room that lay along Rancho California Rd and La Serena way, easy to find even if you do like us strangers climb the hills from Callaway to take a short cut and not the risky road.

Tasting started with two white, their Pinot Grigio and their Chardonnay. Next the red, name no comment: Libido and Tampranillo. In the end what fall into my taste as perfecto, the Muscat Canelli.

It is buy here as well, and that we will be back in addition to see how their estate develop, I am sure, nice girls behind the counter for serving. In addition my guess will be in addition to be my request to the owner, get yourself together and have a lunch place with Chef Dean running the party.

I can’t wait to be back.