Temecula Valley, .....Wine Country in southern California?....Yes!!!

So here I was in Orange county last weekend right?...I  had gone to Laguna Beach last Saturday and started wondering what I would do on Sunday.  I found this brochure advertising wineries in southern California in the Temecula Valley and thought hmmmm free wine tasting??? Yup I'm there like a cat on a scratching pole, like a dog on rib bone , like a mosquito on a hot summer day on your arm, like a....well you get the drift...lol...

Anyway off I go heading west on this beautiful sunny day in Cali....It's about 45mins-1 hour drive west of Orange county and the drive out there is nice.  As opposed to when I was driving into Laguna Beach, there is no traffic on the highway, how great is that!...

As I start getting near I check out the thermostat on the car and it is 104 degrees outside...What!!! OMG.....Now, I'm a Miami girl, used to very hot weather but 104 in the dessert??? yikes...it will be like an oven when I get out of the car and the AC.......

I enter the city line of Temecula and head into "Old Town" and I feel I've stepped back into time, the old west!  The main street is called...Main Street!,...how about that! and the buildings and storefronts look like I imagine the old west looked like. Very pretty with the view of the mountains in the back. I park and start my exploration.  and yes it feels like an oven when i get out of the car...Whoa!

I first go to this little cute antique shop full of wonderful old "western" things, and I think,wow... if Kristen were here she would love it!!! So I of course take a picture of the store and send it to her...(Don't you just love modern technology!!)...I don't buy anything but I head out and explore the little side streets full of wonderful shops and restaurants and saloons (i was just about to say cafes but we don't call them that here in the west, they are called Saloon, Ma'am)....ahhh but they do have a Starbucks...of course!

I'm walking along and find this store called the Olive Oil and it's basically the same concept of wine tasting but with different mixtures and flavorings of olive oil.  So I go in.....Ahhh wonders of wonders....the shelves are lined with a large assortment of olive oils and vinegars and spreads and spices, etc. etc.  I am reminded of my trip to Egypt when I was in the Baudoin camp trying out the essences/perfume oils and the walls were filled with perfume oils !!...

I'm instantly asked to try the samples of olive oil and the attendant begins to explain what each of the olie oils have inside.  I start of with one that has a vanilla flavoring, wow!....really good, then  I try one with a citrus base and then one with a special blend of herbs for bread dipping.  They are really really good and the attendant explains what each one is good for..some for frying, some for salads, some for bread dipping.  She also asks me to try some of the balsamic vinegars they have and after awhile I decide which ones I want and other goodies from the store and make my purchases.  I'm wondering how the heck I'm going to pack these into my luggage but she says to me, we can ship these to you and voila life becomes so much easier in an instant....!


Some of my purchases!

 

Tesoro Wine Shop

Off I go in search of my wines now...so i stop at a winery called Tesoro.  It's a very cute shop and as I sit down, Nancy the lovely lady at the counter explains to me the different wines they produce and I begin to sample them.  They have whites, reds and sparkling wine and I decide to begin with a Hibiscus sparkling wine...Ohhhhh my, what a surprise....!  I love it.....

I then go to a white chardonnay, then the reds and by the time I finish, I think I've polished of quite a number of glasses, oh dear! My favorite turns out to be the Hibiscus sparkling wine and a red called Sangiovese. I decide on a few bottles of those and now head of to the vineyards. 

The scenery is beautiful.  Not as a green as you might find in Napa or Sonoma valley but certainly still beautiful and I explore a few of the vineyards. 

There are a good 30+ vineyards and wineries here and some are fairly large and others on a smaller scale. 

I don't take a tour this time as it is a bit late in the day and I'm content with just visiting the wineries and seeing what they have.  No more wine tasting as I do have to drive back but I spend the afternoon walking and exploring the place.  I certainly think its a place I'll come back to even if the weather is very hot....All in all,  a wonderful weekend!



Heading back home!