Tag: winery events

August Winery Events

There’s no shortage of fun things to do in Temecula Valley Wine Country this summer.  The grapes love summer and so do we! From grape stomping events, wine making workshops, movies among the vines and evening concerts, we’ve got something for everyone.  Here are just a few events from which to choose.

Baily Vineyard & Winery

Sangiovese Saturdays at Carol’s
Saturdays in August
11:30a-3:00p
Live music and wine specials.

Dog Day Sundays
Every Sunday
11:30a-2:30p
Bring your well-mannered pooch to lunch!  Live acoustic entertainment.

Estate Club Private Wine Tasting
Thursday-Sunday
11:00a-2:30p
Tours and vertical tasting of library Boudreaux reds.
Call for reservations: 951-972-9768.

Briar Rose Winery

Sip Into Sunset
Friday, August 1
5:30p-9:00
Live music, food & wine.
Call 951-308-1098 to make reservations.  Seating is limited.

Callaway Vineyard & Winery

SIP, STOMP & PLAY
Saturday, August 2
6:00p-9:00p
$60 per person / $54 per person, Wine Club Members
$30 for children 4-11
Face painting, live music, dancing, grape stomping contests!

Prime Rib Fridays
Every Friday at Meritage at Callaway
5:00p-8:00p
Three-course Prime Rib dinner, wine specials & live music
$35 per person!

Sangria Sundays at Meritage at Callaway
Every Sunday at Meritage at Callaway
4:00p-8:00p
Live music and Watermelon Sangria

Falkner Winery

Sunday Concerts & BBQ
Every Sunday in August
12:00p-3:00p
Sangria, BBQ & dancing

Wine Appreciation Class
Saturday, August 16
10:00a-12:30p
$45 per person

Leoness Cellars

Live Music
Fridays 5:00p-8:00p in the Restaurant at Leoness
Sundays 1:00p-4:00p on the patio

Painting in the Vines
Wednesday, August 20
4:00p
$50 per person
Create a painting while enjoying award winning wines, artisan cheese and views.

Harvest Vineyard Tour and Tasting
Tour of winemaking facility and wine tasting
90 minutes
$40 per person
Reservations required

Lorimar Winery

Live Music
Fridays & Saturdays 6:00p-9:00p
Sundays 2:00p-5:00p
August 1  – Shultz & Hamilton
August 2 – Michael LeClerc
August 3 – Annette Da Bomb
August 8 – Guilty Conscience
August 9 – Lance Dieckson
August 10 – Fuzzy Rankin
August 15 – Radical Pie
August 16 – Kepi Payne Project
August 17 – Lance Dieckson
August 22 – Kanan Road Band
August 23- Lifetime Rocker
August 24 – Buzz Campbell
August 29 – Oceans of Sand
August 30 – Master Splinter and the Shredders
August 31 – Michael LeClerc

Epicurean Cooking Demonstration
Wednesday, August 6
4:00p-6:00p
$25 (+tax) per person / Wine Club Members – $20 (+tax) per person
Interactive cooking demo preparing Pesto Sauce & Baked Salmon and Lorimar Wine pairing.

Movie in the Vines ~ Featuring: Ratatouille
Monday, August 25
Wine Bar and Concession stand will open at 6 pm.
$1 Admission – Includes small bag of popcorn!
Film begins at Sunset on the Barrel Room Lawn!
Bring your own beach chair or blanket!

2nd Annual Game Night
Tuesday, August 26
Begins at Sunset

Monte De Oro Winery

Fuel – Live in Concert
Saturday, August 23
Doors open at 6:00p
$55 General Admission / $105 VIP Dinner Seating / Wine Club discounts are available

Mount Palomar Winery

Live Music
1:00p-4:00p
August 2 – Bodie
August 3 – Shameless
August 9 – Rum Soaked Raisins
August 10 – Harmony Road
August 16 – Bodie
August 23 – Journey Man Band
August 24 – 3 Blind Mice
August 30 – Entouraj
August 31 – Bodie

Bottles “n” Brushes (Painting Class with Wine!)
Wednesday, August 6
1:00p-4:00p
2 tickets for $80
Contact Dorothy Hawthorne at 951-302-3088 for more information.

Bottles “n” Brushes (Painting Class with Wine!)
Wednesday, August 20
1:00p-4:00p
2 tickets for $80
Contact Dorothy Hawthorne at 951-302-3088 for more information.

ESCAPE a Tribute to: JOURNEY Concert
Friday, August 22
7:00p-10:00p
For more information, please call 760-716-6295 or heyday@heyday.com

Oak Mountain Winery

Live Music in the Pavilion
Every Saturday and Sunday in August
1:00p-5:00p

Live Music & Food Trucks
Saturday, August 23
6:00p-9:00p
Live music by American Made and food truck fun!

Oak Mountain Winery University
2014 Spring Semester Classes
$15 per student; $12 for wine club members.  Classes run for one hour.

Bubbles 101 – Taste three of our handcrafted sparkling wines paired with artisanal cheeses.

Blending Reds – Create, bottle and label your very own blend

Wine Tasting for Dummies 101 – Our beginners class for Wine Tasters.

Rhone Wine Class 201 – Our second, more advanced class after taking Wine Tasting 101 is our Rhone Wine Tasting Class 201.

Bordeaux Wine Class 201 – You will learn how these grapes are grown and how they are harvested and processed.

South Coast Winery Resort & Spa

Wine & Dine Chef’s Table at the Vineyard Rose Restaurant
Custom five-course menu paired with wine
$135 per person.

South Coast Winery Resort & Spa’s Divas in D’Vines
Every Sunday during football season
12:00p- 3:00p
Vineyard Rose Restaurant
Enjoy half priced mimosas, sangria and Spumante Diamante.

South Coast Winery Resort & Spa’s Vintage Vantage Menu
Monday-Thursday
11:30a -3:00p
Specially priced $9.99 lunches at the Vineyard Rose Restaurant for those aged 55 and over.

Marvelous Mondays
Every Monday at Vineyard Rose Restaurant
5:30p to 9:00p
Half-priced bottles of select featured wines with the purchase of 2 entrees.

Behind the Scenes Winery Tour
Daily
11:00a and 1:00p
$40 per person; wine club members $35
Walking wine tour culminates
Private, plated wine & cheese pairing
Reservations strongly suggested.

 Thornton Winery

Summer Concert Series
Bobby Caldwell & Keiko Matsui
Saturday, August 2
7:00p
General Admission $70 per person; Gourmet Supper $145 per person

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave.
Saturday, August 23
7:00p
General Admission $75; Gourmet Supper SOLD OUT

Al Jarreau & Vincent Ingala
Sunday, August 24
5:00p
General Admission $70; Gourmet Supper SOLD OUT

Thornton Winery’s Chef’s Counter
Friday, August 29
7:00p
$125 per person, plus tax and tip
An interactive Chef’s Table in a private kitchen.
Five-course meal prepared right in front of you.
Seating is limited to 10 people, so reservations are a must!

Wiens Family Cellars

The English Beat Summer Concert
Friday, August 15
Doors open at 5:30p

Wilson Creek Winery

Live entertainment
12:00p-4:00p
August 2 – JD Priest
August 3 – Mark Norris
August 9 – Smoothie Jones
August 10 – Buzz Campbell
August 16 – Billy Watson
August 17 – Michael Le Clerc
August 24 – Astra Kelly
August 30 – JD Priest

Wine Academy – Summer Wine Pairing Experience
Saturday, August 9
11:00a-1:00p
$35 per person; $20 per person, wine club
Enjoy learning more about wine in an informal atmosphere.

Garratt Wilkin & The Parrotheads Concert
Friday, August 15
7:00p-10:00p
$35 General Admission; Wine Club $25 (limit 2)
The #1 Jimmy Buffet tribute band is back by popular demand.

“Winemaker for a Day – Harvest Edition”
Monday-Thursday, August 18-21 (nightly)
$670 per person
One night stay at the Wilson Creek Manor, pick grapes in the vineyard, making wine in the cellar, delicious food, wine and more!
Space is very limited and reservations required.

Summer Concerts in Temecula Wine Country

Lorimar Winery, Temecula, CA

June 1, 2014

The Mercedes Moore Band is about to bring their sizzling, foot tapping, dance floor moving sound to Southern California. Led by the powerful, sultry and affecting voice of Mercedes Moore, this band will take any local venue by storm.

 

Wilson Creek Winery, Temecula, CA

June 8, 2014 

Relax and enjoy live entertainment every weekend in Temecula Valley Wine Country. On June 8, listen to the beautiful sounds of Buzz Campbell at the popular Wilson Creek Winery venue.

 

Falkner Winery, Temecula, CA
July 20, 2014
Join Falkner Winery for their free Spring/Summer Music and BBQ Series. Guests can purchase BBQ paired with the famous Luscious Lips Sangria. A veteran of the Southern California music scene, Jason Weber has been playing the saxophone for over 30 years. Don’t miss it!

Winery Spotlight: Get to Know… Doffo Winery

The Story

Nestled on the Northeast border of the Temecula Valley, CA sits Doffo Winery. Founded in 1997 by Marcelo Doffo, it is one of a few micro-boutique wineries in the region and the only one built around the former site of a Temecula historic landmark schoolhouse. Situated on 15 acres of rolling vineyards, the winery possesses a unique combination of old world values and warm family charm.  It is also home to MotoDoffo, the family’s private collection of over 100 racing and vintage motorcycles.

Famous for handcrafted reds, Doffo is focused on small lot, limited production wines made in the old world style. Reminiscent of their Italian/Argentine heritage, Doffo is the only winery in the region to feature an outdoor, wood-burning oven and grill where they often serve “The Parilla”, a delicious staple of the Argentine table, served with their own Chimichurri sauce and paired with exceptional Doffo wine.

The Wines

The unique micro-climate of Temecula Valley drives the characteristics of their wines and plays a distinct role in shaping the final result. Their collective experience, family traditions and farming techniques, combine with the terroir to create intensely flavored wines of complex structure, texture and bold, rich fruit.

Their philosophy has always been that good winemaking begins in the vineyard. They start by hand planting each vine and providing careful attention daily. They prune their vines and thin their grape clusters throughout the growing season to maximize fruit concentration and ensure the highest quality in the grapes. They also play classical music in the vineyard to soothe the grapes as they develop and mature.

To shop the Doffo wine store online, click here.

The Tasting Room, Marketplace and Winery Tours

Doffo Winery’s motto, “Enter as a stranger… leave as a friend,” starts the moment you enter their intimate tasting room, filled with warm-colored hues, vintage Ducati motorcycles, stylish art prints and hospitable staff. The Doffo family greets you with a warm welcome and are always excited to share their passion for great wine and vintage motorcycles with their guests.

Doffo winery’s tasting room is open daily from 10am-5pm and offers two tasting options. Standard Wine Tasting is $10 and includes 6 wines. Premium Tasting includes 5 of their premium wines; prices vary on availability, so check with the staff to see what premium selections are being offered for the day.

Doffo offers a variety of vineyard and winery tours to suit your taste and budget. Enjoy one or all of them; either way you’re sure to have a wonderful experience.

SIP AND TOUR

Take a vineyard tour aboard the Doffo Winery “Malbec Express” – an eco-friendly, Ferrari-style Bus. You will learn all about Doffo’s unique farming methods, why they play music in the vineyard, the different varietals, and visit Marcelo’s incredible motorcycle collection. The tour concludes with a Premium Tasting and cheese plate in the Moto-Barrel Room.

Weekdays: 11am and 2pm

Weekends: 10am / 12pm / 2pm / 4pm

Admission: $45/person

Tours are approximately 1 1/2 hours

SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOUR

Visit Doffo and stroll the grounds of their beautiful boutique vineyard. This self-guided tour begins in their tasting room where you can pick up a tour brochure. It includes interesting facts and places on the Doffo property. There is no cost; just a few limitations and restrictions.

Hours: 10am – 5pm

Admission: Free

MOTODOFFO MOTORCYCLE COLLECTION VIEWING

Visit Doffo for their wines, but stay for a tour of their vintage motorcycle and scooters. There is no cost for this tour. Simply check in at the tasting room and stroll to the MotoBarrel Room to view the MotoDoffo collection.

Hours: Thursday and Sunday 10am – Noon

Admission: Free

For information on any of these tours, please call ahead to 866-469-8466 or ask for more details in the tasting room.

Celebrate with Doffo

Whatever time of year or occasion, Doffo would be pleased to welcome you and your guests for private events in any or all of their four unique spaces. Their staff is ready to bring your event to life with music, the finest cuisine, great wine and tailor-made packages with options including traditional Tango Dancers and Argentinian Gauchos serving up a special feast.

Please visit their events page or contact them for more information about planning your special event with Doffo at 866.469.8466.

Doffo Winery
36083 Summitville
Temecula CA, 92592
Phone 951.676.6989
866.469.8466 |866-4myvino
Email: info@doffowines.com

Temecula’s World of Wine Early Bird Tickets: $10 Off Thru February 1

World of Wines Barrel Tasting Weekend is Temecula Valley’s first regional tasting event of 2014, taking place March 1 & 2.

The “World of Wine” theme demonstrates the fact that the Temecula-South Coast AVA successfully grows varietals from all over the world. The WoW event is passport style, where hundreds of ticket-holders armed with a glass and a map can enjoy a self-guided tour through wine country. Over the course of the weekend, Temecula Valley’s 35 wineries offer special tastes of newly released, unreleased and barrel samplings of great Temecula wines, along with tasty tidbits and live music.

To promote and celebrate sustainability, participating wineries will have fun competing in the Best Winery Cork Art Contest, where the winning winery will receive a $500 donation to their favorite Southern California charity and the winning guest voter will be awarded four tickets to the region’s next big passport event.

2014 World of Wine Event Details



WHAT: 23rd Annual “World of Wine” Winter Barrel Tasting Weekend

WHEN: March 1 – 2, 10am to 4:30pm

WHERE: Temecula Valley wine country; 60-90 mins from San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County and Palm Springs

HOW: Self-guided passport event, where guests can visit 35 member wineries at their own pace; winery map and souvenir tasting glass provided for each guests to keep. Plus gourmet food pairings, live music and fun contests!

TICKETS:

• 2-Day Tickets: $89 Early Bird (through Feb 1); $99 thereafter.
• Sunday-Only 

Tickets: $79.
• Local residents of Temecula/Murrieta, 2-Day Tickets: $79.
• Designated Driver (food only) Tickets: $69.

Call (800) 801-9463 for tickets by phone or purchase online here! Shuttle and limo transportation and overnight packages also available at participating wine country hotels.

55 Festive Ways to Celebrate the Holiday Season in Temecula, CA

THERE’S SNOW IN TEMECULA!

*1-Catch the Magic Snow flurry at Promenade Temecula. [FRI and SAT nights, Nov. 29 and 30, and Dec. 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, and 28, at 7 p.m. and 8 p.m.; and SUN nights, December 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29, at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.]

*2-Watch the new Snow Bell Rockin’ Nights show at the California mission-revival style Temecula Civic Center in Old Town Temecula. [Debuts FRI night Nov. 29, 7 p.m., 8 p.m., and 9 p.m.; thenTHU, FRI, and SAT nights, Nov. 30, and December 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, and 28, at 7 p.m., 8 p.m., and 9 p.m.]

*3-Play in tons of snow at Winter Wonderland by Pennypickle’s Workshop in Old Town Temecula. [FRI night, Dec. 13, 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.]

HOLIDAY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS TO EXPERIENCE TOGETHER

*4-The Nutcracker Ballet with music by Tchaikovsky; Old Town Temecula Community Theater. [FRI Nov. 29, 7 p.m.; SAT Nov. 30, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; SUN Dec. 1, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.; WED Dec 18, 7 p.m.; THU Dec. 19, 7 p.m.; FRI Dec. 20, 7 p.m.; and SAT Dec. 21, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.]

*5-Christmas Carol: the Musical with the heartwarming story of Scrooge’s transformation; Old Town Temecula Community Theater. [THU Dec. 5, 7:30 p.m.; SAT Dec. 7, 2 p.m.; SUN Dec. 8, 6 p.m.; WED/THU/FRI/SAT Dec. 11, 12, 13, and 14, 7:30 p.m.; and SUN Dec. 15 at 2 p.m.]

*6-The Game’s Afoot with a Sherlock Holmes-style whodunit on a glittering December 1936 holiday weekend; Carol’s Restaurant at Baily Winery. [THU/FRI/SAT/SUN Dec. 5, 6, 7, and 8; and THU/FRI/SAT Dec. 12, 13, and 14.]

CLASSIC HOLIDAY SPIRIT

*7-Lorimar Vineyard & Winery’s Tree Lighting Celebration: the holiday season begins at the Tuscan-style wine estate known for its fusion of wine, art, and music. [SUN night Dec. 1, 6 p.m.]

*8-South Coast Winery’s Tree Lighting Celebration: Christmas carolers, a Nutcracker ballet performance, holiday movies, and tractor rides through the vineyards decked out with holiday lights. [SUN night Dec. 1, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.]

*9-Christmas Carolers in vintage attire singing and strolling; South Coast Winery and Vineyard Rose restaurant. [Begins SUN night Dec. 1, 6 to 9 p.m.; then FRI, SAT, and SUN nights, Dec. 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, and 22, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.]

*10-Christmas in the Air: women’s chorus sings baroque to gospel and sacred to secular; Old Town Temecula Community Theater. [SAT night Dec. 7, 7:30 p.m.; and SUN night Dec. 8, 2 p.m.]

*11-Bel Vino Winery Jingle Mingle: holiday cheer including hors d’oeuvres, wine, and live entertainment. [SAT night Dec. 21, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.]

OLD-SCHOOL AND A LITTLE ECLECTIC

*12- Europa Village Winery Vivi Bene: antidote to Black Friday with strolling carolers, old-world bread pudding. [FRI evening Nov. 29, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.]

*13-Holiday Advent Calendars exhibit; Temecula Valley Museum, Old Town Temecula. [TUES-SAT, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; SUN, 1 to 4 p.m.]

NEW-SCHOOL AND ECLECTIC

*14-Monte de Oro Winery Black Friday:  hot air balloon glow and entertainment. [FRI evening Nov. 29, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.]

*15-Callaway Vineyard & Winery’s Barrel Tree Lighting: unique stacked-barrel lighting celebration; wine tasting for adults, Santa, and hot cocoa for children. [SUN afternoon and evening, Dec. 1, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.]

*16-Jingle and Mingle after-hours singles mixers; South Coast Winery’s new Wine Press Tasting Room. [THU nights, Dec. 5, 12, 19, and 26, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.]

*17-Santa’s Electric Light Parade: illuminated floats, equestrians, and bands; Old Town Temecula. [FRI night December 6, 7 p.m.]

*18-Doffo Winery Holiday Polenta Party: wear your ugliest holiday sweater. [SAT afternoons December 7 and 14, 1 p.m.; reservations required]

*19-Terra Madre: holiday farm-to-plate celebration with heritage dishes of Spain, France, Italy; Europa Village Winery. [THU evening December 12, 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.]

*20-Christmas with Elvis and Friends: musical tribute to Elvis’ favorite time of year; Europa Village Winery. [THU night Dec. 19, 7 p.m.; SAT night Dec. 21, 7 p.m.; SUN evening Dec. 22, 5:30 p.m.; tickets: Old Town Temecula Community Theater box office]

*21-Christmas Movie in the Vines: Christmas Vacation; Lorimar Vineyards & Winery. [MON Dec. 23, film starts at sunset]

VISITS WITH SANTA CLAUS

*22-At Promenade Temecula. [FRI/SAT Nov. 29 and 30, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; SUN Dec. 1, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; MON/TUE/WED/THU, Dec. 2, 3, 4, and 5, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; FRI Dec. 6, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; then daily Dec. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.]

*23-On Main Street, Old Town Temecula. [FRI Nov. 29, 6 to 9 p.m.; Sat/Sun, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 7, and 8, 1 to 5 p.m.; FRI Dec. 13, 6 to 8:30 p.m.; Sat/Sun Dec. 14, 15, and Sun Dec. 21, 1 to 5 p.m.]

HOLIDAY EQUESTRIAN EXPERIENCES

*24-Horse-drawn trolley rides simulate sleigh rides through vineyards adorned with twinkling lights; Temecula Carriage Company. (Nightly; reservations required.)

*25-Horses dressed as reindeer (including Rudolph): trail rides and arena rides; Saddle Up Ranch. (Daily, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; reservations required.)

NEW TRADITION: THE BUCKET LIST HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE TO SHARE

*26-An ultimately memorable flight together in a hot air balloon over Temecula Valley Wine County; A Grape Escape can accommodate up to 14 people all in the same basket.

HOLIDAY SPA INDULGENCES

*27-GrapeSeed Spa at South Coast Winery: seasonal specials like La Dolce Vita: lush, anti-oxidant rich, aromatic chocolate massage. 

*28-Spa Pechanga at Pechanga Resort & Casino: seasonal specials like Liquid Gold Facial, 24-Karat Gold Masque.

NIGHTTIME SITES TO SEE: HOLIDAY LIGHTS AND DÉCOR

*29-Old Town Temecula: along Old Town Front Street from the northern gateway arch to the southern gateway arch, more than 30,000 twinkling lights.

*30-Temecula Valley Wine Country: vineyards and wineries decked out for the holidays; Thornton, Europa Village, Lorimar, Ponte, and South Coast along Rancho California Road; Keyways on the De Portola Wine Trail.

*31-Pechanga Resort & Casino: remarkable holiday magic from the luminous hotel tower to the festive, porte-cochere.

SWIRL AND SAVOR: TEMECULA VALLEY WINE COUNTRY

*32-Wilson Creek Winery: limited Holiday Edition proprietary red blend of estate-grown Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc; available only in 1.5 liter magnums, autographed by The Wilsons, and ideal for entertaining; only available at the winery; wine tasting upon request.

*33-Ponte Family Estate winery: Temecula Valley estate, 2010 Holiday Reserve Zinfandel.

*34-Holiday Dinner at Meritage at Callaway Vineyard & Winery: festive five-course wine-paired dinner. [THU evening Dec. 19, 6:30 p.m., reservations required.]

SWIRL AND TASTE: OLD TOWN TEMECULA

*35-Fazeli Cellars: Yalda, heralding the shortest day and longest night traditionally celebrated as the Winter Solstice; Yalda is a propriety blend of Temecula Valley estate-grown Grenache, Shiraz, and Movedre.

*36-Lorimar Loft: 2008 Dolce Vita, a limited production, Temecula Valley port-style dessert wine.

SAVOR THE OLD TOWN TASTING TRAIL

*37-Temecula Olive Oil Company: fresh, 100% California, 100% extra-virgin, hand-blended, artisanal Temecula olive oil and balsamic vinegars at the complimentary-daily tasting bar; holiday favorites, fresh basil olive oil, pomegranate vinegar.

*38-Old Town Spice & Tea Merchants: vendor of herbs, spices, salts, blends, and loose teas; also sells hot and iced tea-to-go like Figgie Pudding, Snow Berry, Cinnamon Spice, and Winter Wonderland.

*39-Old Town Sweet Shop: purveyor of fresh chocolates, fudge, nut clusters, chocolate barks, chocolate-covered bacon; hand-scooped ice cream in flavors like peppermint.

*40-Holiday Taste of Old Town Temecula: restaurant samples, wine tasting discounts, goodie bags; tickets will be at Old Town Spice & Tea Merchants and The Bank Mexican Restaurant.[WED afternoon and evening Dec. 11, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.]

CULINARY CLASSES FOR THE HOLIDAYS

*41-Cookies and Hot Cocoa: epicurean cooking demo and wine pairing; Lorimar Vineyards & Winery. [WED afternoon Dec. 4, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.]

*42-Holiday Entertaining: with Café Champagne’s executive chef and sous chef; homemade eggnog, quick and easy appetizers, Christmas cupcakes; Thornton Winery. [SAT afternoon Dec. 7, 2:30 p.m.]

TAKE A SPIN: OUTDOOR ICE SKATING

*43-Temecula on Ice: state-of-the-art ice rink, colorful lights, rental skates that are contemporary and comfortable; coolest place in Old Town Temecula! [Daily and nightly, December 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29.]

HOLIDAY TRADITION: NEW MOVIE PREMIERES

*44-Saving Mr. Banks with Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson tells the story of how Disney’s classic, Mary Poppins, made it to the movie screen; film opens FRI Dec. 13, Promenade Temecula Theater.

*45-In The Hobbit: The Desolution of Smaug,Bilbo Baggins and Gandolf continue their Middle Earth journey and discover the deadly dragon Smaug; film opens FRI Dec. 13, Promenade Temecula Theater.

HOLIDAY DINING IN TEMECULA VALLEY

*46-Christmas Eve dining: Palumbo’s Ristorante, Old Town Temecula; authentic Italian cuisine with modern twists. [TUE Dec. 24, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., reservations suggested.]

*47-Christmas Eve dining: Farm House Kitchen, Temecula Creek Inn; special 3-course Christmas Eve prix-fixe menu. [TUE Dec. 24, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., reservations required.]

*48-Christmas Eve dining: The Gambling Cowboy, Old Town Temecula; contemporary steaks, chops, seafood. [TUE Dec. 24, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., reservations suggested.]

*49-Christmas Eve dining: Baily’s fine dining, Old Town Temecula; seasonal-December menu. [TUE Dec. 24, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., reservations suggested.]

*50-Christmas Eve dining: Great Oak Steakhouse, Pechanga Resort & Casino; AAA Four Diamond dining, amazing wine list. [TUE Dec. 24, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., reservations suggested.]

*51-Christmas Eve dining: Vineyard Rose restaurant, South Coast Winery; special holiday menu. [TUE Dec. 24, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., reservations required.]

*52-Christmas dining: Café Champagne, Thornton Winery; special holiday menu. [WED Dec. 25, 12 p.m. to  5  p.m., reservations required.]

*53-Christmas dining: Farm House Kitchen, Temecula Creek Inn; special 3-course Christmas prix-fixe menu. [WED Dec. 25, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., reservations required.]

*54-Christmas dining: Great Oak Steakhouse, Pechanga Resort & Casino; AAA Four Diamond dining, amazing wine list. [WED Dec. 25, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., reservations suggested.]

*55-Christmas dining: Vineyard Rose restaurant, South Coast Winery; special holiday menu. [WED Dec. 25, 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., reservations required.]

*Information is believed accurate but may be subject to change. The Temecula Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, the region’s official tourism marketing organization and resource for visitors, is online including complete daily Events Calendar at VistTemecula.org.

Temecula Wineries Pour at San Diego Wine and Food Festival (Nov 20-24)

10th Annual Classic is November 20-24, 2013

Join the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association at The Grand Tasting on Saturday, November 23 as they pour from some the region’s best wineries, including:

• Maurice Car’rie Winery
• Europa Village
• Wiens Family Cellars

The San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival™ returns November 20-24, 2013, and this year is bigger and better than ever.  Celebrate 10 years in the making with new events, the best wines in the world and some of today’s biggest celebrity chefs and culinary personalities.  Join over 200 wineries (including Temecula’s Falkner, Oak Mountain, Keyways, Ponte, Callaway, Monte de Oro and Wilson Creek,) breweries and spirit purveyors, 70 of San Diego’s best restaurants, and 10,000 wine and food aficionados from across the nation for the biggest birthday bash on the West Coast.

Click here for the list of events and to purchase tickets.

See you there!

Winery Spotlight: Get To Know… Monte de Oro

The Story

“Vines, Wine, Peo­ple” – that was the prin­ci­ple when a group of wine-loving investors from across Amer­ica, South Africa and the United King­dom got together to found Monte De Oro Win­ery in 2002. This beautiful Rancho California winery and vineyard uses a com­bi­na­tion of 21st cen­tutry inno­va­tion and centuries-old tra­di­tion in an environmentally-responsible approach to grow­ing its grapes and mak­ing qual­ity Temecula wine.

The Wines

Monte de Oro produces wines true to the vari­etal and regional characteristics of Temecula Valley. The winery grows more than a dozen different grape varietals, including Caber­net Franc, Mer­lot, Viog­nier, Zin­fan­del, Pinot Gris, Chardon­nay, Sauvi­gnon Blanc, and Mus­cat Canelli; along with Tem­pranillo, Petite Ver­dot, Mal­bec, Petite Syrah, Grenache, Mourve­dre, and Cinsault.

Monte de Oro owns and operates four Temecula vineyards: Vista del Monte, DePortola, Galway and a newer forth vineyard. In all, Monte De Oro Win­ery has a total of 72 acres of vine­yards and are proud to harvest estate-grown grapes for wine production.

Sixty-six per­cent of Monte De Oro’s grapes are red and thirty-four percent white. This pro­vides a broad array of qual­ity wines for Monte De Oro Win­ery while also reflect­ing the founding group’s per­sonal wine preference.

To learn more about Monte de Oro wines, visit the online wine store here.

Sustainable Grape-Growing

Monte De Oro is com­mit­ted to sus­tain­able grape-growing and wine-making, from the vineyards to the winery facility. Instead of rely­ing on the high energy con­sump­tion required for an above-ground wine bar­rel facil­ity, Monte De Oro exca­vated a 9,000 sq. ft. base­ment below ground, to uti­lize the nat­ural envi­ron­ment and aes­thet­ics of the build­ing struc­ture in order to main­tain a proper, con­sis­tent tem­per­a­ture and con­stant humid­ity. This dra­mat­i­cally reduces the need for elec­tric­ity needed in an above-ground facility.

To cap­i­tal­ize on the sunny locale, Monte De Oro has also made plans to incor­po­rate into its site design (park­ing lot and even­tual crush pad) instal­la­tion of solar pan­els to allow for solar-generated elec­tric­ity in the near future.

The Tasting Room

The tasting room at Monte de Oro has a sophis­ti­cated and ele­gant ambiance. Visitors can enjoy the view of the bar­rel cel­lar from above through the glass-floored tast­ing room; and the 180 degree panoramic view of Temec­ula Wine Coun­try from the out­side patio.

Stan­dard Tast­ing — 6 Tastes
Mon­day through Fri­day $12
Sat­ur­day and Sun­day $14

Black Label Tast­ing — 6 Stan­dard Tastes plus 3 Black Label Tastes
Mon­day through Fri­day $18
Sat­ur­day and Sun­day $20

The tast­ing room is open 7 days a week, 10am to 5pm. For more information on tastings and tours, click here.

Events

Monte de Oro Winery always offers unique and exciting winery events! Click here for their full events calendar.