The base wine is chardonnay. Botanicals like sagebrush, mugwort, sagewort, Torrey pine, Pinyon pine, Cleveland sage, fig leaf, coriander, elderflower, Oro Bianco grapefruit zests, and Sorrento lemon zest, all of which were foraged in San Diego County, were used to bitter and aromatize. Sweetening was accomplished with local wild buckwheat honey.

I am so relieved that vermouth culture is finally catching on here in the United States. I know, I sound like one of 800 people you follow who just got back from their August Italian vacations, waxing poetic on the way Europeans just know how to live. 

The thing is, your annoying friends are kind of right. At least when it comes to drinking. Vermouth culture on the Iberian peninsula and in Italy is a social event, made to be shared with friends, especially during happy hours or weekends. Northern Italy is particularly known for its aperitivo culture, which boasts vermouth-spiked cocktails with salty bites as a pre-meal indulgence.

In Spain, “la hora del vermut” is typically the time where people gather at a cafe in a square to drink dark red vermouth on the rocks with an orange slice and maybe a spritz of soda water, also with salty snacks. It’s an excuse to chill out, shoot the shit.

What do these gorgeous locales have in common with our fair city? Sunshine, a temperate climate, arid hills ripe for growing grapes, and salt water. There’s a reason San Diego’s climate is referred to as Mediterranean. So, it makes sense that the Oddish x Mabel’s vermouth fits right in here. 

“This vermouth IS San Diego,” reads the Instagram post about Gone Foraging. “It smells and tastes like walking through a trail along the bluffs in La Jolla or in Switzer Canyon or Lake Hodges or Mt. Laguna. Not sure there is anything that expresses the terroir and native flora of this beautiful region like this here bottle.”

“We were very stoked that we could find the bittering botanicals right here in San Diego,” says Oddish Wine owner Billy Beltz. “When we first started the project, we assumed we’d have to use gentian root or rhubarb root or something more common in vermouth that wouldn’t be native [to San Diego].”

He added that foraging was a “team effort” over several months with both the Mabel’s and Oddish crews, as well as some hospitality industry friends.

“I love that vermouth is so broad and regional in its experience,” says Chelsea Coleman, co-owner of Mabel’s, to that point. “My palate leans agrodulce, so it’s kind of my dream aperitif. When I drink vermouth I can believe, if only for a moment, I’m at a cafe table in a lively European square. Maybe with a cigarette. Definitely with olives and some kids playing futbol.” 

It’s a nice dream, to be sure. Good thing I know a place in town where this can be a reality. Pick up the bottles in Oddish’s El Cajon Boulevard tasting room or at Mabel’s on 30th street.

The post Oddish Wine’s Newest Pour Has Us Dreaming Of Europe appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

With 17 Temecula wines available by the glass or as part of a flight, this is also a great place to begin a visit to Temecula Valley and get a taste for which wineries you prefer. Raul Ramirez’s tempranillo pairs remarkably well with chipotle blackened swordfish, while Carter Estate’s Blanc de Blanc cuts through the rich beurre blanc sauce dousing the restaurant’s sautéed sand dabs.

Within a two-hour drive from 21 million people in surrounding cities (including San Diego, Los Angeles, and Palm Springs), Temecula has become an unlikely wine destination in Southern California. In recent years, Temecula wines have achieved impressive scores from national critics, with Wine Enthusiast naming Temecula one of the top wine travel destinations in the world in 2019.

John Kelliher, founder of Grapeline Wine Tours, has seen the region explode since he began operations in 2002.

“When we started, there were between 14 and 17 wineries that you could go to in Temecula for a wine tasting,” he recalls. “Now, there are more than 50 wineries.”

The vast majority (more than 90 percent) of Temecula wines are sold direct-to-consumer, making it rare to find bottles on store shelves or restaurant wine lists. If you haven’t visited, you probably haven’t tasted them before. Some people may have the misconception that it’s too hot here to grow great grapes, but the large diurnal swing and mountain gaps allow cool air to funnel through the decidedly Mediterranean climate.

“Twenty years ago, it was pretty easy to find a bad wine and it was pretty hard to find a good one in Temecula,” Kelliher says. “Nowadays, the level of winemaking has really gone up, and I think that all of the new competition coming in just keeps raising the bar.”

Italian and Spanish Varietals Thrive

For a tiny wine region with just 1,300 acres planted to vine, Temecula is impressively diverse, growing more than 30 different grape varietals. Many of the most successful wineries embrace the Spanish and Italian grapes that thrive here rather than sticking to the same Bordeaux blends that are common throughout California.

Olivia Bue, winemaker at Robert Renzoni Vineyards, recently ripped out 28-year-old estate cabernet sauvignon vines and planted Montepulciano, a medium-bodied red wine grape cultivated widely in central Italy. Bue is also growing sangiovese and barbera. All three of Renzoni’s wines made with these Italian varietals have achieved scores of 92 points or higher from Wine Enthusiast.

“Barbera thrives in Temecula Valley,” Bue says. “The vines love heat and produce high-yielding clusters, and the roots integrate deep into our soil, producing complex, layered flavor profiles year after year no matter what climate challenges come our way.” The ruby-red wine is naturally acidic, but low in tannins, making it easy to pair with food.

Similarly, Nick Palumbo, owner and winemaker at Palumbo Family Vineyards, replaced his original merlot vines with sangiovese. One of Temecula’s newest wineries, Altísima Winery shines with garnacha and Super Tuscan Italian red blends, paired with Spanish charcuterie and grilled octopus.

“Temecula is similar to the warmer regions where vitis vinifera [or grape vines] originally evolved,” says Greg Pennyroyal, vineyard manager at Wilson Creek Winery and professor of viticulture at Mount San Jacinto College. “We can produce rich expressions of wines that are considered less noteworthy table wines in their traditional regions.”

Fun, Casual, and Immersive

Compared to some of California’s more established wine regions, the Temecula Valley Wine Country Community Plan is a lot more permissive, with land-use ordinances allowing wineries to operate restaurants, events, and lodging. For example, Europa Village offers multiple wineries, hotel rooms, restaurants, and event spaces (plus a wine cave where guests can book a private sound-bath meditation) under one roof. South Coast Winery Resort has a full-service spa and heated, outdoor saltwater pool.

You can blend your own bottle of wine at Bottaia Winery, experimenting with estate-grown Italian varietals like aglianico, sangiovese, sagrantino, and barbera in a wine lab complete with beakers. There’s no right or wrong answer here—just whatever suits your personal taste.

When it comes to dining, Leoness Cellars and Avensole Winery have some of the best bites and views in the region, and Peltzer Winery features food trucks and live music. The fifth-generation family farm hosts an annual autumn pumpkin farm and petting zoo and builds an 8,400-square-foot ice-skating rink each winter. At times, it might feel a little like the Disney World of wine—but you’re allowed to have fun when your wines are this damn good.

And, after all, fun is what keeps people coming back. “We have a lot of loyal customers that we call ‘repeat offenders,’” Kelliher says. “Temecula becomes their regular getaway and mini vacation. They like that we’re not pretentious like some other wine regions.”

Temecula Wines to Try

Start your Temecula wine-tasting journey with one of these 10 winners.

Wiens Cellars 2022 Vermentino ($32)

An ideal bottle on hot summer days, flavors of pineapple and pink grapefruit in this crisp white wine whisk you away to a tropical paradise. Pair it with mild cheeses or oysters.

Carter Estate Brut ($39)

It’s rare to find a traditional Champagne-method wine in Temecula, but this racy sparkling wine with notes of apple, lemon zest, and toasted brioche is an improbable Champs dupe.

Akash Winery 2021 Estate Parlez Vous Rosé ($39)

Easy to drink on its own, and a nice complement to charcuterie or spicy Chinese stir-fry, this is a fun, crushable zinfandel rosé reminiscent of strawberry and orange Starbursts.

Robert Renzoni Vineyards 2020 Barbera ($48)

Winemaker Olivia Bue’s favorite, this high-acid, low-tannin barbera is rich with ripe strawberry and pomegranate flavor. Sip the lighter-bodied red with red-sauce pasta, pizza, and grilled vegetables.

Peltzer 2022 Syrah Rosé ($40)

Syrah is one of Temecula’s signature grapes, and this vibrant rosé is a delicate expression of syrah’s intense flavor, displaying the subtle sweetness of plump red cherries and aromatic rose petals.

South Coast Winery Wild Horse Peak Il Temporale ($39)

This velvety Super Tuscan is predominantly sangiovese, rounded out with touches of merlot, cabernet, and syrah. Drink it now with grilled meat, but it’s sure to age gracefully, too.

Masia de la Vinya Winery 2016 Syrah ($46)

Rhône grape varietals do well in Temecula, and this powerful syrah is a prime example
by winemaker Justin Knight. Bold black cherry on the palate leads to a savory, peppery finish.

Doffo Winery 2019 Mistura ($52)

This plummy, Bordeaux-style field blend is the first wine that Marcelo Doffo made in his garage two decades ago. It received a gold medal at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.

Altísima Winery 2020 La Reina ($65)

An elegant blend of sangiovese, syrah, malbec, mourvedre, petite sirah, and merlot, this red wine displays a soft, well- rounded complexity punctuated by a bright, elderberry finish.

Gershon Bachus Vintners 2017 Astraea GSM ($65)

Named for the ancient Greek goddess of justice, this grenache, syrah, and mourvedre blend has been aged for 30 months in Hungarian oak, creating a creamy palate and hints of smoked raspberry.

The post Under the Temecula Sun appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Sand-Reckoner’s wines are made from grapes grown on the Willcox Bench, a couple of hours southeast of Tucson.

Arizona’s desert-born wine scene is starting to heat up, like a summer day just before dawn. In Tucson, Sand-Reckoner Vineyards is, at the moment, the only local wine label with a downtown tasting room. Here, curious wine drinkers can stretch their assumptions about the saguaro-speckled Sonoran Desert’s fruitful offerings. The first is challenging the notion that the desert produces wine at all.

“The soil is very good,” Sarah Fox says. She owns Sand-Reckoner with winemaker Rob Hammelman. Fox is referring to the dirt in the ringed-by-mountains Willcox wine region located about an hour and a half southeast of Tucson. Its earthy terroir comes from a Chex Mix of sand, clay, and minerals. Burrow three feet further down, and you hit limestone. In other words, it’s a classic wine soil profile, similar to France’s famed Burgundy region.

This part of the desert also touts an elevation of at least 4,000 feet and seasonal monsoon weather flowing up from the Gulf of Mexico. The elemental combination prevents grapes from shriveling into raisins during scorching summers. During monsoon season, producers have to play lifeguard, lest the fruit drown. And some growers have learned to cultivate varieties that play nice with a little extra hydration. “Sangiovese is very well-behaved in the vineyard,” Fox says. So are syrah and tempranillo.

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When it comes to wine making, Sand-Reckoner has transitioned to a mostly low-intervention approach. That means opting for organic sprays, eschewing herbicides, and using naturally occurring yeast—a critical ingredient that turns sugar into alcohol. In the glass, Sand-Reckoner wines are an elegant ballroom dance. Its malvasia bianco bursts with lychee. Its grenache rosé is more understated than other punchy or candied strawberry-watermelon bottles. Its sangiovese includes grapes from Sand-Reckoner’s own vineyard and hints at bright cherry and earth.

Well-known grapes like cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay grow well in most areas, but Fox says exploring “outside of the norm” grapes in Arizona’s unique terroir is more exciting. By fall 2023, Fox and Hammelman hope to move into a larger space within the downtown Warehouse Arts District, where their current tasting room is situated, to include room for bottling, cellaring, and tasting. “It takes a certain amount of grit to forge forward in an area that’s not known yet for grape growing,” Fox says.

What used to be a newspaper building is now Tucson’s Citizen Hotel, which boasts wine-soaked amenities like a bottle fridge in every room.

Courtesy of The Citizen Hotel

Where to Stay

Keep the wine theme going at The Citizen Hotel. What was once Tucson’s first newspaper press building was reimagined in 2022 with muted pastels and light wood, stone, and bronze accents that mimic the desert landscape. Vino-centric amenities include wine fridges in each of its 10 high-ceilinged rooms. In the world of shrinking hotel perks, an in-room French press coffee kit, a soaking tub, and bathrobes feel luxurious.

A minimalistic lobby bar offers red, white, and fortified wines made by regional producers from Arizona and Mexico and occasional complimentary wine tastings. Around town, find more local wine at bottle shops and specialty markets like nearby Pearly Baker Fermentables and Time Market.

The post Sand-Reckoner’s High Desert Wines appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

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Eight years ago, Cassandra Schaeg opened Sip Wine & Beer in Escondido to support “local, women, and BIPOC [Black, Indigenous, and people of color] brands.” Launching then and there was a risk, she admits, one that she wasn’t sure was going to pan out.

But Sip didn’t just survive. It thrived, allowing Schaeg to feature diverse entrepreneurs and producers that tend to face high barriers of entry in the beverage alcohol space. “To be here eight years later is obviously a sign of how important and necessary it is to continue doing the work,” she says.

During that time, Sip’s ground-breaking efforts have both continued and evolved. At the peak of Covid-19, Schaeg met Theresa Hoiles, a television producer with an idea: Why not take the Sip mission further, creating a TV series to improve representation in wine, spirits, beer, and beyond? That series, dubbed Fresh Glass, debuted on September 15, 2022 as a six-episode series on KPBS and PBS.

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The initial guests were all people behind brands Schaeg already carried at Sip. The existing foundation of history and trust allowed the unscripted discussions to reach new heights. “It’s as real and raw as it gets,” Schaeg says.

She describes the series as “an intentional circle,” one that began with Camins 2 Dreams, a Santa Barbara-based winery founded by Tara Gomez, the only Native American woman winemaker in the country, and her wife Mireia Taribó, a Spanish winemaker. The couple uses old-world techniques to make wow-worthy wines in Lompoc, California. Their bottles can be found in various locations, including Alila Marea Beach Resort in Encinitas.

Iris Duplantier Rideau

The season’s final episode features Iris Duplantier Rideau, the first Creole woman to own a winery in the United States. “I think God gave me something that made me different, that made me strong, that made me determined,” Rideau says in the episode. She outlines her life and her journey from New Orleans to Los Angeles, with multiple self-made careers along the way.

Schaeg points to Rideau as a pioneer in multiple fields, even outside of wine. “She grew up [under] Jim Crow … She was the first Black woman to hold a city contract with the city of L.A., [and] she started the 457 pension program for the city of L.A.,” Schaeg says. “Her story is now cemented in history on television as part of her legacy. Opening a winery was just the cherry on top.”

Toward the end of the episode, Rideau reflects on her accomplishments and laughs. “You know what I want on my tombstone?” she remarks to Schaeg. “’Don’t cry for me, I did it all!’”

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These guests, along with those featured in other episodes, represent diversity not only in the beverage alcohol industry, but within leadership positions in that space.

“If you turn on the TV and you watch the news or television shows, Black people or people of color aren’t displayed in the light of entrepreneurship [or] leadership, or [that representation is] very few and far between,” Schaeg says. “It’s very hard for people to see themselves in spaces where they can’t see it in real life. So this was the opportunity to show it in real life.”

Schaeg says the possibility of a second season remains in question. “The reality is it costs money,” she explains. “Now that the show is out there, I believe it has the meat and the chops to go on a bigger scale, and we’re trying to see how that could happen in the future.” But regardless of the hurdles, Schaeg is committed to the work.

“There’s so many stories out there,” she says. “I am going to do my damnedest to figure out how to continue sharing those stories.”

Stream Fresh Glass on the KPBS app or online at KPBS.org/show/fresh-glass.

The post Telling the Stories of BIPOC in the Alcohol Industry appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

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The last time I liked someone was two years ago. We had lingering picnics at Balboa Park. We played our favorite songs on my record player while lying side by side on my apartment floor. We were annoyingly adorable—but we hadn’t kissed. Then, he took me to Julian. After filling the sexual tension with road-trip chatter, we explored the town. We cooed at its charm, snapped polaroids in the graveyard, and somehow didn’t eat any pie. Eventually, like most romances, it ended, but the trip stuck with me.

Before our demise, we talked about visiting more of those cozy, romantic places I had wanted to go to: Idyllwild, Valle de Guadalupe, Catalina, and all of the California spots where coupledom seems to be the visa required for entry—if Instagram is to be believed—or are at least more enjoyable with someone by your side.

After the breakup, I felt like those destinations were off-limits. And if I did go, I thought it might be a study in boredom. But after spending a good chunk of time researching the single life, I am happy to report that there’s plenty of other places and ways to fill one’s time.

As we look towards Valentine’s Day—a holiday typically reserved for couples—I think it’s high time to buck the romance myths of these San Diego–adjacent getaways and enjoy them solo. No partner required.

Bloodlust Valle

Valle de Guadalupe

Valle de Guadalupe is a home away from home for the oenophiles of San Diego. It’s closer than Napa and has a culinary scene that can put its dukes up against any Thomas Keller concept.

Don’t have SENTRI? Start your cross-border sojourn by securing a driver to pick you up once you land in Tijuana. People & Planet is a friendly service that offers custom tours or simple driver service if you want to plan your own itinerary.

There is no shortage of wineries in the valley, but the standouts are natural wines made by female winemakers. Be sure to visit Pouya, helmed by Fernanda Para. Last seen in San Diego at 2022’s NatDiego natural wine festival, Para makes natural wines that complement, rather than fight, the natural terroir of Valle. Try her skin-contact chenin blanc and—if there are any bottles left—her collab with Tecate’s Bichi Winery, a pét-nat of colombard called (wait for it…) Pichi. Henri Lurton and Bruma also make the shortlist for winery visits.

For an overnight stay, Siempre Valle is a hotel-meets-vacation rental that has sprawling views of vines and some of the best off-season rates around. Take a quick room respite, then start your evening with some local bubbles and oysters at the charming Conchas de Piedra to, well, aphrodisiac yourself.

Cap off a stay with dinner at the newly opened hipster staple, Bloodlust, a wine bar. The architecture of the grounds nearly outshines the stellar food and natural wine list, as it plays host to an amphitheater- like stage for live music, while local DJs command the decks inside the garlic-bulb-shaped restaurant. (Blood… vampires… garlic… get it?) If you didn’t get enough wine in, stop by Baja Divina, a wine shop brought to you by Lauren Plascencia, daughter of chef and hospitality giant Javier Plascencia.

Julian cidery

Julian

To keep it even more local, go quaint with a jaunt to Julian. Known for its homespun charm, Julian is an ideal place to stroll on your own and take things slow. Bring a journal and snag a bench in the Julian Pioneer Cemetery that overlooks the town, featuring famous corpses dating back to the 1870s, including Julian’s founder, Drury Bailey.

Once you depart the home of the departed, peruse the bucolic vendors on Main Street, like the Antique Boutique that peddles vintage wares or the Julian Book House to find funky used volumes. Take a breather from touristing and settle in for bites and sips at Julian Beer Co., your North Park away from home, featuring nearly 15 rotating house beers and a shaded patio. If you’re abstaining, head to the cute and kitsch at the Julian Tea & Cottage Arts where you can have high tea for one with finger sandwiches and all the Laura Ashley décor you can handle.

On the way home, take a detour at Lake Cuyamaca, the 110-acre body of water that is surrounded by the wilderness of Lake Cuyamaca State Park, with campgrounds and water activities. Since you’re by yourself and can’t make out on the docks, opt for a meditative walk or a paddle boat (quite the workout for one) or kayak rental. Grab lunch at The Pub at Cuyamaca, partly owned by the same folks as Julian Beer Co.

The 420 room at Idyllwild’s Hicksville Pines is decked out in plush furnishings and glow-in-the- dark psychedelic velvet posters.

Idyllwild

Due north some ways in the mountains is Idyllwild. This unassuming mountain town is home to some of the most creative getaways, namely the 420-friendly Hicksville Pines Chalets & Motel. With 11 themed rooms, ranging from a palace of Dolly Parton worship to a Twin Peaks reimagination of David Lynch’s Black Lodge and a suite rocking perennial Christmas trimmings, there is a room for everyone’s quirk. Pro tip? Enjoy the gratis nug you get upon arrival while lounging in the jacuzzi. (Bonus points if you go when the tub is surrounded by mounds of snow.) Who needs company for that?

After your submerged relaxation, head to the town to find a string of thrift stores and search for the off-the-beaten-path Speakeasy Books for graphic novels, books, and games. Interested in less indoors and more outdoors? Gear up for a hike at loops like Suicide Rock, Deer Springs Trails, and Panorama Point. Things close early in town, so get ready for the wind down with a bottle from the Wine Finch natural wine shop or wine and dine yourself at Ferro, the town’s hotspot Italian bistro.

Bustling-with-boat-traffic Avalon Harbor on Catalina Island.

Photo: Love Catalina

Catalina

For San Diegans, snow is a novelty, but water is home. Catalina Island is familiar enough with its beachy surroundings but exotic and far away enough to soothe the travel itch. Drive up to Dana Point, then take in the sea air on the hour-and-a-half Catalina Express ferry that will set you back just under $100 for a round-trip ticket to the main town of Avalon. Rent a golf cart to see the beachy cliffs and local Bison lowing, or bathe in the winter sun (it does exist) at Crescent Beach.

Sink into the island life and take yourself out to Luau Larry’s. Is it a tourist trap? Yes, but if someone has to cuff me, I want it to be Larry. This decades-old tiki bar is an institution for a reason. Have a Wicki Wacker and revel in your excellent decision-making. To make things chicer, head to the Naughty Fox and sup on crab sandwiches in modern surroundings. If you decide to stay the night (probably a good idea after Larry’s) and want to splurge, consider houseboat rentals to live as some intrepid locals do. If you want to do a deep dive of the island, head to the only other town, Two Harbors, and glamp it at Whites Landing with its two-person tents just to yourself, just offshore.

The post Party of Fun appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Chris Broomell of Vesper Vineyards is dry-farming vines (relying on rain) to avoid irrigation as drought becomes the norm in SoCal.

Photo Credit: Eric Wolfinger

On the surface, everything in Valle de Guadalupe seemed great. I lounged in a small pool on the deck of a gorgeous villa at Bruma winery, sipping a glass of the winery’s sauvignon blanc in the intense late afternoon sun, gazing past the winery—built sustainably with reclaimed materials—out toward the arid, baked mountains in the distance. I’d spent the day sampling cabernet sauvignon, syrah, and chardonnay in modern design tasting rooms, along with crowds of other day-tripping Americans, before dining al fresco with local, organic ingredients, overlooking a vineyard.

Things are popping in Baja’s emerging wine scene. Earlier this century, there were only a dozen or so wineries. Now, there are almost 200. By all indications, Valle de Guadalupe is ready to take its place among the world-class gastronomic destinations.

But, under the surface, there’s something larger lurking.

“The big problem today is lack of water,” says Camillo Magoni, the 82-year-old winemaker of Casa Magoni, who’s worked 58 harvests in Baja. “We don’t have enough rain, and the water table is going down.” As moisture in Valle de Guadalupe dries up, there’ talk of winegrowers abandoning vineyards. New hotel and winery construction is pitting neighbor against neighbor, as some developers drill deeper wells, forcing others to pay higher prices for water from those who have it.

As more water is extracted from the valley’s ancient ocean-bed soil, the quality of the water that remains becomes saltier and poorer in quality. Often, you can taste an odd saline, briny note in Baja’s wines, particularly curious in the reds. Some say it’s “terroir.” Others blame it on the water.

“We need to solve this problem as soon as possible,” Magoni says, “Or the valley is gone.”

Winemaker Lulu Martinez of Bruma Vinícola worked in Bordeaux before her beginning her current role in Valle de Guadalupe, where she finds herself harvesting grapes earlier and earlier each year.

Photo Credit: Eric Wolfinger

San Diego County’s own winegrowers are also facing a water crisis. “We thought we were irrigating enough, but we’ve never been in this kind of drought,” says Alysha Stehly, enologist and co-owner (with her husband Chris Broomell) at Vesper Vineyards. Stehly says she saw a 25 percent smaller yield in her vineyards during this fall’s harvest. “Everyone needs to start thinking: How do we farm without water?” she asks.

With all the crises facing the world, some might dismiss the issue of growing grapes for premium wine to be a minor, bougie, first-world problem. But wine has always been a window into much larger farming issues.

“In some ways, wine is like the canary in the coal mine for climate change impacts on agriculture because these grapes are so climate-sensitive,” said Benjamin Cook from Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

Cook is the co-author of a 2020 study that determined the world’s area suitable for growing wine grapes could shrink by more than half over the next several decades if climate change continues its pace. According to the study, some famed wine regions in Spain, Italy, Australia, and elsewhere are already too hot to grow their traditional grapes. Valle de Guadalupe and San Diego County share many characteristics of these regions. So what is a 21st-century winemaker in a hot climate supposed to do?

Lulu Martinez, a winemaker at Bruma, spent half her life working in Bordeaux, returning in 2015 to work with Bodegas Henri Lurton and then moving on to her current position. Baja is a completely different growing situation than a cooler, rainier environment like Bordeaux. “Here, it’s like, ‘Ok, tomorrow it’s going to be hot again,’” she says with a laugh.

Vines at J. Brix in SD County. “In the next 20 years, there’s going to be a huge change in the varieties planted,” co-winemaker Emily Towe says of area vines.

Photo Credit: Eric Wolfinger

Martinez finds herself harvesting grapes earlier and earlier each year. This year, she harvested her sauvignon blanc in late July, a date nearly unheard of in the world of wine. She is also experimenting with techniques in the vineyard, such as adding algae from the sea to the usual crop cover between rows of vines. The algae helps to maintain humidity in the soil. Martinez insists that organic farming must be part of any solution. Right now, Bruma is organic in practice but still seeks certification. “Being organic?” she says. “Seriously, sincerely, we have to be. Today, making good wine is not enough. What’s your social ethic? What’s your environmental ethic?”

Despite her forward-thinking agricultural efforts, for Martinez, it all comes back to water. “We have to deal with the drought. Everything else is just easy,” says Martinez. “But Mother Nature only gave us so much water.” You’ll find the same conversation with every winemaker in the valley. “We started talking about this in 1986,” Magoni says ruefully. “We specialize in talking.”

Some have suggested desalination as a possible solution to the water problem. Magoni notes that south of Ensenada, there are around 60 private desalination plants used for agriculture. But he believes wineries like his in the valley may be too far from the ocean for that to be feasible. He sees reclaimed, treated water as a more likely solution. One plan that’s been talked about is a pipeline from Tijuana to bring reclaimed water to the valley. But as Martinez notes, “In Mexico, the government isn’t going to give this to us. We have to do it privately.”

Twelve years ago, with the permission of the water commission in Tijuana, Magoni planted an experimental vineyard inside the perimeter of the city’s water treatment plant. “I made water and soil analysis and did microbiology studies of the grapes. No problems at all. The vines are beautiful,” he said. This year, they harvested three tons of cabernet sauvignon from the water treatment plant.

Winemaker Lulu Martinez of Bruma Vinícola worked in Bordeaux before her beginning her current role in Valle de Guadalupe, where she finds herself harvesting grapes earlier and earlier each year.

“We need water, and the only source is treated water. But no one wants to communicate that,” says Victor Segura, winemaker at Madera 5, which is based on the outskirts of Ensenada in an industrial area that has been repurposed and now houses a handful of smaller wineries.

In San Diego County, growers are finding different challenges and solutions. Growers such Chris Broomell at Vesper Vineyards are having to implement dry-farming techniques to avoid irrigation, such as growing bush vines rather than the trellis system you find across most California vineyards. The bush vines need much less water and form a canopy that shields grapes from direct sunlight—something growers do in hot climates like the South of France, Spain, and Australia. “The trellis system is set for cheap economics, not quality,” Broomell says. “But with bush vines you have to farm it, and understand farming. Everything is way more expensive.”

Even that may not be enough. According to Broomell, vines need about 12 inches of rain per year for dry farming, and San Diego only got between 3 and 10 inches last year, depending on factors like elevation, proximity to the ocean, and other environmental factors. Broomell saw his grape yield drop by about a third this year. The drought is also causing another new threat: Coyotes. Broomell says coyotes will eat grapes from certain vineyards, and they also chew through irrigation systems, rendering them inoperable. Broomell estimates he lost about 20 to 50 percent of his grapes in certain vineyards to coyotes.

Beyond dry farming, water treatment plants, and coyote management, there’s also possibly a more straightforward solution: Grow different grapes. Both San Diego County and Valle de Guadalupe are very different than Bordeaux, Burgundy or Napa. Many suggest it’s time to move on from the internationally famous grapes such as cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir, or chardonnay and to focus on new varieties—ones that like heat and don’t require as much water.

“We are working with so many grapes here,” Segura says of Baja. “It’s crazy, but there’s not been much investigation into it. Sooner or later, we need to decide which grapes do better here.”

As he moves Madera 5 more toward hotter-climate Italian varieties like barbera or sangiovese, Segura believes that half of the grape varieties currently grown in Valle de Guadalupe need to be abandoned for the future. But that’s easier said than done. Wine drinkers still love and cling to what they’re familiar with. “People like the words cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir,” he says.

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Photo Credit: Eric Wolfinger

All over the wine world, there is talk about which new varieties need to be planted to deal with climate change. That’s the message of the study by Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, which looked at models for how various grapes would thrive in various climates.

“By switching these varieties around, you can reduce losses by a significant amount,” said Cook. For example, the study’s authors say Burgundy could cut its projected vineyard losses in half if it switched from pinot noir to heat-loving grapes like mourvèdre or grenache. In Europe, where regions have grown the same grapes for hundreds of years, these are not easy conversations, and changes must happen via legislation. Last year, it was huge news that the French government allowed Bordeaux to add six new grape varieties to the five it has grown for centuries.

The wine regions of Baja and San Diego are not bound by tradition. Many have already embraced grapes from France’s southern Rhône Valley, like mourvèdre. “For a long while, this was too weird for a lot of people,” says Broomell. “But mourvèdre is something special that can come out of San Diego.”

“In the next 20 years, there’s going to be a huge change in the varieties planted,” says Emily Towe of J. Brix in Escondido. Towe also sees varieties from the south of France, such as grenache, picpoul, and carignan, as the answer. “Because San Diego is so experimental and they’re planting so much Rhône, they’re ahead of the game,” she says.

Jody and Emily Towe lug a few bottles through their J. Brix vineyard.

Photo Credit: Eric Wolfinger

In Valle de Guadalupe, which bills itself as the “Napa of Mexico,” changing grape varieties is more challenging. Right now, the signature grape of the region is the Italian grape nebbiolo—though many put “nebbiolo” in quotes since there’s a genetic link to the famous Nebbiolo of Italy’s Piedmont region.

“Climate is forcing us to choose,” says Magoni, who experiments with growing 120 varieties. “If you ask me, ‘Which one is the future?’ I don’t know,” he says with a laugh. “We need to find a grape that’s an icon, like malbec in Argentina.”

But how do you convince wine tourists to switch to unfamiliar grapes like mourvèdre, falanghina, fiano, vermentino, and aglianico? “Maybe we need to start blending to introduce the grapes,” Magoni says. “Some chardonnay with 20 percent vermentino, so people start hearing the name vermentino. It could take another ten years, but we need to start.

The top winemakers in the region see these changes as more positive than negative. “I hate what climate change is doing, but I love that it’s pushing the boundaries of what people do,” says Stehly of Vesper Vineyards. “You can’t just grow pinot noir anymore.”

The post Old Drought, New Wines appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

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We’ve all done it: Declared sky-high ambitions at the peak of inebriation only to abandon them once the harsh light of days comes calling. But occasionally, dreams plant in fertile soil. Like the seed that took root for Más Allá (Spanish for beyond), a new wine label from owners Cleo de la Torre and husband Jordan.

It was February 2020. They were out at their favorite sushi place. It definitely wasn’t Valentine’s Day, De la Torre recalls. They never go out on Valentine’s Day. “‘Cause that’s a sh*t show,” she says. Beer and sake flowed as freely as their conversation, revisiting a recurring theme: their dream to make wine.

Declarations were made.

In a blink, De la Torre quit her teaching career in Los Angeles, and by 2021 the pair began making wine from Central Coast grapes without any additives, dyes, added sugars, or acids—natural wine, also known as low-intervention wine. Though those terms aren’t legally defined, the way the (incredibly-difficult-to-obtain and costly) organic certification is.

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They also moved to San Diego in 2021, shortly before their daughter, Xenia, arrived.

“My husband and I are very zero-to-60 when it comes to big life things,” De la Torre says. Shortly before they married they moved in together and Jordan started a new job, then they tied the knot—all in the same week. “That’s just how we roll,” she says.

So starting a business in a new industry in which they had only a tangential connection to tracks. Before teaching, De la Torre wrote about the craft beer and food scenes in Orange County and LA. Her husband brewed beer.

De la Torre credits her malleable constitution to her teaching career. Inflexibility isn’t an option when the classroom tech won’t cooperate, or an unscheduled assembly pops up, or especially when kids are having a (very human) moment, she says. “As a teacher, you can have a perfect lesson plan, but life isn’t something you can plan for,” De la Torre says. At least not all of the time.

This became clear as they forged ahead with Más Allá’s first vintage. Getting the proper operating licenses granted by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) felt like nails on a chalkboard for the couple.

“There are so many ridiculous forms and nuances, it’s amazing how many times things get sent back,” De la Torre says. And getting her wine labels approved? “Comical.”

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Turns out, what every person considers a front label on a bottle of wine—which likely includes a logo and maybe the style of grape—is considered the back label by ABC. All the technical stuff on the back label, like a bottle’s ABV level, should be the front label. It can be confusing.

“That took way longer than it needed to for sure,” De la Torre says.

Yoga is the other secret to her chill. The breathing and mindfulness techniques she cultivated with regular practice buoyed her through an unmedicated home birth. Floated her through the frustration of pandemic-related supply chain delays that held hostage the glass, cork, and labels needed to bottle their first vintage. Granted her access to the (very deep well of) patience and empathy she drew from when she was responsible for classrooms of 30-plus students.

Más Allá’s wines made its way into the wild earlier this year. The portfolio features popular varietals like Pinot Noir, and newer-to-the-average-wine-drinker grapes like Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc. Orange wine is trending, and Más Allá’s interpretation of the ancient winemaking technique where white grapes ferment with their skins and stems, is made from Chenin Blanc.

They’re food-first wines: high-acid, dry. California wines can be intense, De la Torre says. “Which is why we reached for Cabernet Franc versus Cabernet Sauvignon.”

Now that her wines are on the market, the family is moving again. But they’re staying within the county. She’s also on the hunt for organic, SD-grown grapes for their next vintage.

“I’m trying to become more San Diegan,” De la Torre says. “I think I need to make San Diego wine.”

Más Allá wines are available online, at Vino Carta Solana Beach, The Fishery restaurant in Pacific Beach, and at Mesa Agrícola farm dinners.

The post From the Classroom to the Cellar appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

El Dorado Lounge

Courtesy of El Dorado Lounge

The Mains

Freeman Collective Getting Closer to Completion

We’ve talked about this before, but details are firming up. Seven businesses will call Freeman Collective home next year in a new communal space that is reimagining the way food, beverage and retail can blend together: HomeState, Blackmarket Bakery, Corner Pizza, Northside Shack, Artifex, Swagyu Chop Shop and Little Fox will join the space and share a patio in the front of the building. FABRIC redevelopment company owns, designed, and curated the Freeman Collective in collaboration with CLTVT design firm. The first few tenants will open their doors in January, according to FABRIC.

El Dorado Cocktail Lounge Under New Ownership

Longtime downtown cocktail lounge, El Dorado, is now under the ownership of Pouring With Heart, a hospitality group co-founded by successful L.A.-based hospitality operator Cedd Moses (The Varnish, Golden Gopher) “focused on preserving bars and building careers.” PWH also owns Seven Grand in North Park (one of four national locations). El Dorado will keep its design and classic cocktail experience, but get a bit of a refresh—with a vision to shift “away from the club and DJ vibe and into a more consistent, less program-based venue.” El D will close for a week in mid-January for the transition.

Carruth Cellars Welcomes a New Tasting Room

San Diego urban winery, Carruth Cellars, is expanding with a new location for wine tasting at the boutique hotel, Carté Hotel in Little Italy. This is the third opening for the winery this year (Oceanside in April and Liberty Station in July), with five total tasting rooms now open around the county. The new location will also feature a menu of shareable plates like hummus and cheese boards, salads and entrees like a burger and a crispy chicken sandwich.

Animalón

Courtesy of Animalón

Quick Bites

Valle de Guadalupe’s Animalón, under chefs Javier Plascencia and Oscar Torres, was just named No. 100 in the inaugural list of Latin America’s Best Restaurants.

​​Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa is hosting a Whiskey & Wine event on Friday, November 18 at 6 p.m., featuring a southern-style menu alongside live music and “some of the best whiskeys and personal reserve bourbon.”

Bivouac Ciderworks has released their Savoy English Pub-Style Cider in 16 oz. cans, one their “first and most popular draft releases.” The cider “honors the British cider-making tradition” and is available at their North Park taproom and other retailers.

Farmer & The Seahorse in Torrey Pines recently debuted a fall menu which includes items like a crispy chicken thigh cassoulet and butternut squash ravioli with a brown butter-sage beurre, with seasonal cocktails to match—like their take on a hot toddy with gin, Green Chartreuse, green tea, honey and lemon.

Have breaking-news, exciting scoops, or great stories about San Diego’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].

The post SD Food News: November 14-18 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

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Credit: James Tran

San Diegans have long known that Valle de Guadalupe—with a vibe that’s equally rugged and elegant—is a big deal. Located 90-minutes south of the city, the region’s lack of wine making regulations have earned this slice of Baja California a reputation as a wild west wine country.

Both media and visitors frequently refer to the Valle de Guadalupe as having the scrappy, experimental, and DIY vibe of Napa 40-odd years ago, only drought-ier.

In the last decade or so, chic boutique hotels and glamping outfits among its vineyards followed. Their arrivals, along with a growing nightclub scene, marks a turning point for the region—the rustic playground has reached the mainstream wanderlust psyche, the relative lack of water notwithstanding.

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Credit: Jenni Hwang

In more recent years, music festivals have popped up across the Valle amid growing opposition to large-scale events by community members intent on preserving the delicate land as an agricultural region.

With the return of the Valle Food & Wine Festival, it’s fair to ask: Will a food and wine event, along with its bevy of bi-national chefs, help or hurt the cause?

Five years ago a group of friends – including culinary journalist and author Carolynn Carreño, Baja local superstar chef Javier Plascencia, and famous stateside chef Nancy Silverton – wanted a reason to give back to the region with a nonprofit tie-in. “Let’s start a food festival,” they decided after a little too much wine, Carreño recalls.

“Everything that’s happened has been a natural evolution,” Carreño, the director of the weekend-long festival, says of the years since. “We didn’t have a business plan.” Even so, attendance doubled in size every year. This year, after three pandemic-related years off, they’re back and debuting a more intimate affair.

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Credit: James Tran

“A lot of chefs, winemakers, and farmers of the region are against massive events,” Carreño says. A grassroots organization called Por un Valle de Verdad, seems to be leading this charge.The group has organized protests and spoken out against large events that weren’t wine or gastronomy-focused.

So things at Valle Food & Wine are getting smaller. Event organizers are capping attendance for each day of the festival at 1,000 people to comply with the organization’s wishes. “I’m not sure if it’s a wish or a law,” Carreño says, but they’re on board. As a guest, a smaller event has its advantages, such as fewer lines for food and restrooms.

Representing San Diego chefs will be both Erik Aronow, who leads the culinary team at Puesto and Marisi, and chef Brian Redzikowski of Kettner Exchange. Aronow is one of many chefs in awe of the region’s agricultural abundance, fresh seafood, and singular dining experiences in secluded settings. Like dining under a 200-year-old oak tree surrounded by wine grapes at Animalón, which is also run by Plascencia on the grounds of another restaurant of his, Finca Altozano.

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Credit: Jenni Hwang

Plus there’s more open flame cooking going on in the Valle than anywhere in San Diego, which Aronow admits he’s been doing more of thanks in part to having spent time in the region.

“There’s flavors that can’t be replicated no matter how expensive your pots and pans are, and how expensive your range is,” Aronow says of the ancient cooking technique. “Building and maintaining a fire is a skill and a labor of love. You don’t throw the food over the hottest part, it’s managing the heat levels and the smoke levels and the flames, it’s a really intimate process.”

And as developers and concert promoters continue to seek a presence in the area, Valle Food & Wine’s banking on the influence of the culinary community involved in this event. With exceptions, “The vast majority of the chefs [participating] have never been [to the Valle],” Carreño says. “In that way we are opening the eyes to a sophisticated gastronomic public and that’s what the region is hoping for.”

Valle Food & Wine Festival takes place October 21-23 at Bruma.

Have breaking-news, exciting scoops, or great stories about San Diego’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].

The post Valle Food & Wine Fest Returns appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Privateer Patio

It’s one thing to have a great wine list, it’s another to have Wine Spectator agree that your collection has bragging rights.

But this kind of accolade only comes after plenty of hard work. It took Susan Porter-Guarino, the wine and beverage director of Privateer Coal Fire Pizza in Oceanside, months of preparation and hours of computer time to submit her application for the award.

There were so many file conversions and uploads, and the meticulous cataloging of more than a hundred wines. On the eve when her application to Wine Spectator’s annual restaurant awards was due, Porter-Guarino faced yet another challenge. “I got an email that said, ‘You’re almost done,’” she says. Turns out, she still needed to sign, print, and step foot in a post office to postmark a straggler form by 5 p.m. that day.

Then the waiting. Weeks went by without a word.

Now, as I sit across from Porter-Guarino one afternoon before service, she is visibly giddy. In June, thanks to her efforts, Privateer earned its first Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator. Privateer has been open since 2012, and for years Porter-Guarino flipped through the magazine’s pages to see who made the list, and thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if I were on that list?”

In serious foodie circles, a Wine Spectator award is a prestigious stamp of approval, no matter which award tier is bestowed. According to the magazine’s three-tiered award format, “Wine lists that earn an Award of Excellence, whether compact or extensive, deliver sufficient choice to satisfy discerning wine lovers.”

Wine list award winner, Susan Porter-Guarino

Privateer joins 26 other county restaurants recognized by Wine Spectator in 2022, including Grand Award (the highest honor) winner Addison in Carmel Valley, a Michelin–starred restaurant. The Best of Award of Excellence is the second tier award, and the Award of Excellence is its third.

Privateer is, cheekily, the only casual restaurant in the County represented on this year’s list. For those unfamiliar, one side is a sit-down pizza place with wines by the glass and an outdoor patio, while its airy marketplace next door is stocked with bottles of wine. It also plays host to a popular Tuesday comedy night, live music on Wednesdays, and offers a wine club. Porter-Guarino’s wine list focuses on value and regional variety.

Building a wine list might be second nature to experts like Porter-Guarino, a certified sommelier, but for many restaurant-goers, navigating a wine list is like trying to pass a test without any context of the subject material. For the uninitiated, an unsettling sense of performance anxiety might heighten as soon as the server arrives.

“Don’t feel intimidated,” Porter-Guarino says. “I started out with Sutter Home white zin, and I thought it was the best thing in the world when I was 21,” she adds with a laugh. Privateer takes a straightforward approach to organizing its wine list. The list is first categorized by whites, rosés, and reds. Then, each category descends in order of boldness. Its white wine selection, for example, might begin with a light and crisp sauvignon blanc and round out with a bold chardonnay that may or may not see some oak.

Inside Privateer, where pizza and great wine go together excellently.

Geographically, California wines are largely represented and well-received. Porter-Guarino notes that 60 percent of Privateer’s wine sales come from central California regions like Paso Robles and Santa Barbara. Wines from Oregon and Washington, which are generally lighter-bodied and less fruit-forward, are also on offer. Locally speaking, Fallbrook Winery produces Privateer’s private label reds, whites, and blends. Wines from Ramona-based Beach House Winery are slated to be in rotation soon.

“Americans love cocktail wines,” Porter-Guarino says, striking a contrast between wines that do better when paired with food, rather than as a standalone sipper. “Southern Californians like their food big and bold, and they like their wine the same.” She adds that since she joined Privateer after a long career up north in wholesale horticulture near Half Moon Bay, San Diegans have increasingly embraced wines from beyond California.

Sensing an opportunity to ride the momentum of evolving consumer tastes and recognition from Wine Spectator, she’s keen to bring in varieties from regions the average wine drinker might perceive as esoteric, like Georgia, Turkey, and Armenia. But while wines from Turkey and the Caucasus region may be less available in the U.S., these parts of the world have been making wine for more than 6,000 years. She’s also excited about the Southern Hemisphere. “Six years ago, I couldn’t sell anyone on wine from Tasmania,” Porter-Guarino recalls. The tides are turning. In fact, they already have. Her award is proof.

The post This Casual Pizza Place Just Won a Fancy National Wine Award appeared first on San Diego Magazine.