Wine drinking in the US has risen some 12% over the last 5 years. That’s amazing because that was my first trip visiting Temecula looking for a wedding venue. Comparing this current trip, I’d say wine visits have increased more in the 50% range. Since 2012, Temecula has added another 7 wineries, bringing the total to around 47 wineries in an area of about 20 square miles. That’s my estimation, as I’m measuring from Hart Winery, the first Winery from the south entrance on Rancho California Road, to Chapin Family Vineyards to the north, which is. 5 miles as the crow flies, and from Vindemia in the west to Renzoni Vineyards to the east, a 4 mile trek across Anza Road to the De Portola Wine Trail, and this is where we will start today’s tasting adventure.

Robert Renzoni Vineyards has everything you would want in a vineyard visit: great wines, good food and a bocce ball court. The exterior of the tasting room is a remodel of Italian vineyard homes of the family's northern Italian origins. Inside is a cavernous room to accommodate several hundred tasters. The private tasting room is a bit more intimate with seating arrangements both indoor and outdoor. The tables are pub style indoors, and high tables outdoors. Food offerings are light casual fare: salads, pizzas, and a few pasta dishes. I can highly recommend the Pork Belly Mac & Cheese. Bowtie pasta combined with a four-cheese blend is spectacular. The perfect adult Mac & Cheese accompanied by little bits of pork belly. Pork Belly, in case you’re unfamiliar with the food, is a vertical slice of bacon. Instead of having a slice of bacon that has lean strips of meat surrounded by the bacon fat, it’s a stack with fat on top and thick chunks of meat on the bottom. When it’s diced in small chunks like that, it gives a wonderful texture and flavor to any dish. Accompanying the Pork Belly Mac & Cheese on this outing, we added a Chicken Caesar salad, and a Julia‘s Favorite pizza. The Julia’s Favorite is a Neapolitan style with three cheeses, a light marinara sauce known as Mama's Own, and some tasty pepperoni. Sitting out doors on the member's patio is this perfect 75° weather is just a slice of heaven. Renzoni has one of the better views for outdoor dining as it looks across De Portola Road, across a few ranches, up a valley of hills to other vineyards and blue skies.

We leave Renzoni to head to our second stop, SC Cellars. This will be our first visit to Scott and Colleen's place. Although SC Cellars is not a private winery, you have to be 'in the know' to go there. No flashy road markers. No neon sign touting their happy hour. Just a small 8x10 sign on a fence at the end of a cul de sac that says "Come On In". It’s small, independent and quiet. The tasting room is the size of a large living room, because it is a large living room. With 4 or 5 chairs at the bar, a couple of couches strewn about for more seating, and a patio on the backside of the building, this is a small house doubling as a tasting room. The gates to the property are normally closed, this is as much to keep the property Beagle, Molly, inside the vineyard, as it is to maintain a shush of privacy. You see the sign on the gate that says "Open, come on in", and it’s simply a matter of well, opening and going in. Colleen normally host the tasting desk. They are in fact open five days a week so you can go by anytime during normal business hours. They grow their own grapes and have a few vines strewn about the property. My favorite here was there Syrah. Flavorful with Cherries and Blackberries. My wife picked up a bottle of their Sangria, and is looking forward to a summer party with the sangria been chilled by frozen fruit pieces. That's her thing. It was nice with just the four of us sitting and chatting about wine, and saying hi to her husband Scott as he comes in and checks on a few items. Then Molly scratches at the door to be let out, and we do so, and soon hear her barking up a storm as she chases the wild rabbits around the property. You’re not eating these vines today.

Now it’s time to head over to Ponte Family Vineyard and Inn to pick up our members shipment. Ponte will always hold a special place in our hearts as it's where we were married. Adding to that, they have outstanding wines. Their Barbera is the best in the valley in my opinion. They have a wonderful blend that seems to be a member's favorite, The Angry Wife. Interestingly enough, this title is available in both red and white blends. The recipes for the blending are kept secret, but some say its a Cab, Cab Franc and Merlot, to give it a Bordeaux feel. The white may be a Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio blend to give it a light, crisp, sweet flavor. All of Ponte's grapes are grown on property, and the vines are viewable from all over the property.

Ponte has two sides to its property: The Inn has been expanded to 90 rooms and with newly constructed wing and the new swimming pool. This location houses the Bouquet restaurant, The Cellar Lounge and marriage location #1. The Cellar Lounge is a members only, private underground cellar that also serves liquor and beer. As of this writing I believe they are still the only vineyard in Temecula that serves liquor on property. The other side of the vineyard is the main tasting room for the public, another tasting house for members. And both are large, the public room containing a containing gift shop as well can handle about 200 people, whereas the private members only tasting room will handle about 50 with inside and outside seating vineyard seating. Nestled within the tasting room acreage is The Restaurant at Ponte. Arguably the best food in Temecula. The Restaurant at Ponte has received numerous awards for it’s incredible menu of seasonal Mediterranean inspired American fare. Everything from an incredible hamburgers, wonderfully hearty chicken and steak dishes, lamb, duck, seafood and pizzas, The Restaurant at Ponte has everything your flavor buds are craving. Add to that spectacular service, The Restaurant at Ponte is a must see, do, eat in Temecula.

It’s getting a little late in the day, and we’ve had our fair share of wines, but this is Temecula, so let’s head over to Avensole Winery for one more glass before heading home and catch the sunset from the hilltop. We get there and we can see the members only dining patio is full, notice several tuxedos milling about the main tasting room and realize they are closed for a wedding. Well, it’s that time of year and weddings are huge in Temecula. Several wineries begin closing around 5pm to prepare for weddings. Who wouldn’t want to get married at a vineyard with these incredibly beautiful surroundings? I know I do... and I did. Oh well it’s 5:30pm anyway so let's call it a day... oh wait, let’s give Callaway a visit, they're open until 6:00pm!

We had down Rancho California and stop at Callaway Vineyard and Winery, maybe time for a glass of Mourvedre, one of our favorites. Callaway is actually the first vineyard we contacted about hosting our wedding. I actually like the modern twist in the design of Callaway. Aged metal is contrasted with modern wood finishes and concrete. It gives the location a nouveau rustic feel. Callaway also has both public and member only tasting rooms, and the Meritage bistro for dining offers a seasonal farm-to-table menu that just looks delicious, and tastes even better. The last time we ate here, the meatball sandwich was just perfect. Next time, for sure I'm digging into the Volcano Lamb Shank! But again, it’s May and wedding season is in full swing, so they are closed as of 5 o’clock for a wedding party. OK, you win, this time, we are actually heading home. With our bounty of wine, I'm looking forward to sitting out on the back patio this summer and enjoying some fine wines with our outdoor dining. We love offering our friends our Temecula wines and they love them as well.

Buonasera!