Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/29638
In short, the area is currently a riotous free-for-all of winemaking, as passionate as it is lawless. Like its quaint Western movie-set downtown, Temecula wine country is the Old West—a vinous Dodge City with no Marshal Dillon. Not only has Temecula not come to any defi nitive conclusions on which varieties work best in its scenic parallel valleys, it also hasn’t determined—yet—exactly who its target customers are. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, since it means that the Mediterranean-climate area is also a hotbed of experimentation, where ideas are fl owing as fast as new batches of White Tempranillo. On our trip, we visited several very different Temecula wineries and spoke with the vintners who are forging their own individual paths in an AVA where both terroir and market-share are still up for grabs. Country Mouse, City Mouse There could hardly be a better place to begin than at Hart Family Winery, which became a favorite during our brief visit. As we drive up to what looks like a frontier general store, owner-winemaker Joe Hart mozies out onto his front porch, glass of red wine in hand. An old-timer by Temecula standards, Joe planted his fi rst grapes here in 1974 on a single acre; today, working with his son Jim, he’s got eight-and-a-half acres and makes 4,000 cases. In a steady trickle, weekday visitors sidle up to the tasting bar for a taste of Joe’s wares and a dose of down-home winechat. A former middle-school teacher, Joe knows the history of The Hart Syrah shows a mastery of Rhône varietals. Temecula intimately and has seen it evolve from cattle-ranching and dry-farming to the wine and housing boom of the 1980s and beyond. The Harts make a range of carefully-crafted wines, with a wall full of ribbons to show for them. We loved the intense, citrusy Hart 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, with its pineapple core. Even more impressive, the stylish, fruit-forward 2007 Syrah shows the father-son team’s mastery of Rhône varieties. They also make expressive varietal Grenache and Mourvèdre, and their 2008 Tres Hermanos is a powerful yet integrated GSM blend. But, typical of Temecula, Joe hasn’t committed exclusively to Rhônes, as his tangy, food-friendly Sangiovese shows. Going from homespun Hart to sprawling Wilson Creek Winery is a little like going from Bugtussle to Versailles—no offense to either Jed Clampett or Louis XIV. One of the showplaces of the AVA, Wilson Creek is the creation of retired fi nancial industry executive Gerry Wilson, his wife Rosie and their extended family of children, sons- and daughers-in-law and grandkids. “My commute is 200 feet,” says the affable Gerry Wilson, pointing to his house on the property. Four silky Golden Retrievers greet the many passing tourists who hit the brakes at the 20-acre estate for a requisite taste of the signature Wilson Creek Almond Champagne. This easy-drinking stuff may keep Wilson Creek’s books in the black, but their soft-spoken wine- maker, Etienne Cowper, widely acknowledged as one of the best working in Temecula, will confi de to anyone willing to listen that “Temecula is more than almond champagne.” His talent—and Temecula’s potential for Bordelais varietals—is apparent in the Wilson Creek 2008 Merlot, with its lovely Right Bank nose, lovely vanillins and elegant acid structure. april 201 1 / the tasting panel / 85 A gathering of Temecula vint- ners at Wilson Creek Winery. Top row (left to right): Ray Falkner of Falkner Winery; Bill, Rosie, Gerry and Deanna Wilson of Wilson Creek Winery. Bottom row: Wilson Creek winemaker Etienne Cowper; Golden Retrievers Chianti and Cabernet; Robert Renzoni of Robert Renzoni Vineyards; Nick Palumbo of Palumbo Family Vineyards.