So, this we were in southern CA and so our expectations were tempered, but it was CA afterall and they've been doing this a lot longer than PA or VA, etc. In actuality, the Temecula Valley has in fact quite come into its own. We visited three wineries there in the short time we had, and mostly shared tastings (since I was still nursing Tristan at the time), which ran $5-10 depending on the selection. Some wineries seemed fine with that, and Tristan's presence, while others were a bit more snooty.
Hart Winery is the first one off of the main drag (Rancho California Road), and is the reason I'm writing this post. Hart is unpretentious and low key. The tasting room is small and informal, and my expectations were low. They totally welcomed us, and baby T, without hesitation. The wines, moreover, were pretty strong. Their tempranillo was off the hook! We left with one of these, somewhat surprised.
Our next stop was Callaway Vineyards, which I believe is right next door. Our vineyard selection was really based on our limited time and what was still open since it was late afternoon when we arrived. Callaway has a larger, more formal tasting room, which was also very welcoming. The wines here were good, though not as good as Hart. We left with a blush and I think it was a Sangiovese? They have nice grounds and a restaurant - here is a pic.
Our last visit was to Miramonte. It was probably the most refined of the tasting rooms (had many coordinating events and clubs and such) but the least friendly. The wines were fine but for the price and atmosphere, we much prefered (again) Hart.
All in all it was quite a successful visit and definitely worth a stop!
