Temecula Grape Vines Photo: Maralyn D. Hill

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Kimberly Adams, President and CEO

Temecula Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau

951/491-6085, Kimberly@TemeculaCVB.com

 

Multimedia – Video, Photos, and Graphics:

Annette Brown, Marketing PR Manager

Temecula Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau

Annette@TemeculaCVB.com

 

VisitTemecula.org Announces

43 Unique Ways to Wine Taste in

Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country

 

The casual, picturesque Temecula Valley shares 43 Unique Ways to Wine Taste – from adventuresome to exclusive. Stay and experience tours and tastings midweek for chance conversations with winemakers and savings on nightly room rates.

 

TEMECULA VALLEY Southern California Wine Country, February 5, 2013 – “From adventuresome to exclusive, there are a great many ways for individuals, couples, family and friends, tour-travel-business-corporate-and-association groups to wine-taste in Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country. From fun and in-depth Wine 101 and Wine Appreciation; specialty white, red, and sparkling tastings; and delicious, premium wine and hors d’oeuvres, artisan cheese, or dessert pairings; to wine country tasting experiences with knowledgeable guides via black car, cable car, executive van, horse, Hummer, Jeep, limousine, Mercedes Benz, trolley, or luxury motor coach. Like the premium wines grown and produced here there is something for everyone! We are pleased to share 43 Unique Ways to Wine Taste,” announced Kimberly Adams, Temecula Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau president and CEO.

 

“Less-busy weekdays are an excellent time to stay and experience this casual, picturesque valley – considered the only major American Viticulture Area (AVA) in Southern California,” Adams continues. “Midweek makes for potential conversations with talented winemakers and gracious winemaking-family members; more personalized attention throughout the valley; and provides the opportunity to take advantage of Temecula hotels-and-resorts’ Sunday-through-Thursday, midweek (better-than-weekend) nightly room and group rates. Visitors enjoy appealing savings that can become additional resources for purchasing Temecula Valley’s award-winning wines.” Please note: All wine tastings, tours, transportation, and lodging packages require advance reservations; minimum number of participants may be required.

 

*At Temecula Valley Wineries

1-Bel Vino Winery

Experiences include interactive and educational, tour and tasting; private, Vine-to-Wine tour and tasting with cheese display; and private reserves tasting in the Bel Vino house.

 

2-Briar Rose Winery

Seated tastings of premium, small-lot, artisanal wines include wine education by a Briar Rose sommelier.

 

3-Callaway Vineyard & Winery

With wine-tasting purchase, a winery tour is complimentary; before or after, dine at Meritage restaurant. Groups enjoy the Callaway Experience private tour, wine tasting, and luncheon.

 

4-Cougar Vineyard & Winery

A tasting of 100% estate Italian varietals follows an educational tour of the vineyards and production facility.

 

5-Danza del Sol Winery

Private tasting in a semi-private setting includes the story of each wine, Danza’s unique history, and winemaking style. The more in-depth 2½-hour Danza del Sol Winery Experience goes behind the scenes with tank- and barrel-tasting followed by a wine appreciation class and tasting including pre-released wines.

 

6-Doffo Winery

The VIP guided tour and tasting encompasses the vineyard, production area, and famed motorcycle collection; and includes a barrel tasting, then a wine tasting of winemaker’s private selections paired with Italian hors d’oeuvres.

 

7-Falkner Winery

Taught monthly by Falkner’s assistant winemaker, the 4-hour Wine Appreciation class is appreciated by both wine novices and experts; a luncheon is included.

 

8-Leoness Cellars

Private tours and tastings includes experiences like signature tour and tasting for a premium winery experience; VIP tasting including limited, reserve, or library wines; the seasonal, Touch-the-Vine-and-Taste-the-Wine in the vineyards; and a tasting of reserve and library wines accompanied by artisan cheese and dessert pairing. Team-building activities (grape-stomp, tour and blind wine-tasting) are also available.

 

9-Miramonte Winery

“Journey through Miramonte” includes VIP access to the vineyard, crush pad, and barrel cellar; followed by a private, richly appointed, wine tasting on the veranda.

 

10-Monte de Oro Winery

A private-tour-and-tasting is offered as well as an hors d’oeuvres and wine-paring experience with tour and tasting; and tour-and-tasting and luncheon or dinner in the subterranean barrel room.

 

11-Oak Mountain Winery

The 1-hour Wine Tasting 101 is a fun introduction to wine tasting designed to develop wine-tasting skills, and foster confidence about buying, storing, and serving wine; and pairing wines with foods.

 

12-Palumbo Family Vineyards &Winery

The mini tour-and-tasting with a member of the Palumbo family guides guests from dirt-to-bottle: sustainable farming practices to small-lot winemaking. The barrel tasting, tour, and lunch with the winemaker includes a private tour of the estate vineyards followed by a private barrel tasting, and then a special wine pairing and gourmet picnic on the Palumbo patio. Also now available by appointment only is a heli-pad; call for appointment and tour.

 

13-Ponte Family Winery

Before or after the private tour-and-tasting experience, dine at the award-winning Restaurant at Ponte. Group activities such as blind cheese-and-wine-tastings, and wine-blending contests are also available.

 

14-Robert Renzoni Vineyards

A walking tour of the vineyards planted to classic-Bordeaux and Italian-grape-varietals is followed by a tasting among the winery tanks; premium wines are paired with select cheeses.

 

15-Thornton Winery

Private tours guide guests throughout the winery followed by a private tasting of Methode Champenoise sparkling wines and premium varietal still wines.

 

16-Wilson Creek Winery

Formal seated wine tasting that includes educational Wine 101 and winery history are offered, as well as more casual, private wine-bar experiences like the Bubbly Tasting featuring almond, orange-mimosa, peach-bellini, and cuvee rouge sparkling wines; and culinary occasions like a food-and-wine pairing tasting.

 

*With Temecula Valley Wine-Tasting Tours

17-Brewens Empire Trolley

Classic trolleys make 5-to-6-hour guided tours that include wine tasting at multiple wineries; packages include lunch.

 

18-Destination Temecula

Daily narrated wine country tours are especially informative and entertaining, and include wine tasting at multiple wineries, potential opportunity to chat with winemakers or winemaking-family-members; and gourmet picnic lunch. Private lunch and dinner excursions are also offered as well as group day trips, wine country excursions by limousine, sunset winery dinners, and wine-country-style team building.

 

19-DeVine Tours

Full-day wine-tour packages include behind-the-scenes (from crush pad to barrel room), wine tasting at multiple wineries, and a wine-country picnic lunch.

 

20-Executive VIP Shuttle

Knowledgeable, local wine-guides are at-the-wheel in executive vans and limousines. Tour packages include wine tasting at multiple wineries and gourmet picnic lunch.

 

21-Grapeline Wine Country Shuttle

Friendly guides host thoughtfully arranged itineraries aboard deluxe shuttles including the popular Vineyard Picnic Tour with wine tasting at multiple wineries and a gourmet picnic lunch in a scenic wine country setting. Private group tours with custom itineraries are also offered.

 

22-Rockin’ Wine Tours

Guests enjoy picturesque vineyards and popular wineries from the comfort of a stylish Hummer H2. Tour package includes VIP winery tour, exclusive barrel room access, private sommelier, tastings at hand-selected wineries, and gourmet cheese platter.

 

23-Saddle Up Wine Tours

Gentle horses transport guests past vineyards, ranches, and wineries while guide shares historical wine country anecdotes en route to tastings at Keyways Winery and Robert Renzoni Vineyards.

 

24-Sunset Limousine & Transportation

Themed wine-country tours like White and Bubbly, and Love Reds are via private, luxury, chauffeured sedans, SUVs, limousines, vans, and limo busses.

 

25-Temecula Black Car

Rare, spacious, London Executive Sedans (LT1TX2) transport guests exclusively on private wine tours. Packages include wine tasting at multiple wineries with lunch at a wine country restaurant; or afternoon with wine tasting at multiple wineries and dinner in Old Town Temecula.

 

26-Temecula Valley Cable Car Wine Tours

An authentic, fully restored 1914 San Francisco motorized cable car transports guests to tastings at multiple wineries. Excursions include a picnic-style lunch served with views of the vineyards and local mountains.

 

27-Temecula Valley Jeep & Wine Tours

Four-door Jeep JK Unlimiteds (modified to accommodate 6 passengers plus the driver/guide) take guests to multiple wineries for wine tasting, and out to explore vineyards, citrus groves, and panoramic views of the valley; a picnic-style lunch is included.

 

28-The Winemakers Tour

Custom, educational wine-tasting tours travel by Mercedes Benz shuttle and include a behind-the-scenes production tour, and wine tasting at multiple wineries.

 

29-WINEormous

Intimate, custom-tailored wine-tasting tours by up-to-7-passenger sedan, may offer an opportunity to meet winemakers and experience barrel sampling; lunch options are also available.

 

*With Other Temecula Valley Wine Country Transportation

30-A Vineyard Tour of Temecula

Executive transportation is provided in luxurious, black, customized vans.

 

31-Lux Limousine Company

Luxury transportation is via Tiffany limousine.

 

32-My Driver Temecula

Personal driving service for private wine tours can suggest routes or follow your preferred itinerary.

 

33-Stryder Transportation

This full-service corporate and leisure transportation provider’s partnered fleet includes sedans, limousines, SUVs, mini and motor coaches.

 

34-Sun Diego Charter Company

Transportation services are via passenger vans, mini and motor coaches, including vehicles equipped with top-of-the-line amenities.

 

35-Vineyard Coast Transportation

Specializing in wine tours, transportation is by sedan and limousine.

 

36-West Coast Chauffeur

Tasting packages and customized, chartered outings for wine tasting, dining at winery-restaurants, and attending winery-concerts, include luxury transportation with limousines, SUVs, and sedans.

 

*With Temecula Hotel/Wine-Tour Packages

37-Fairfield Inn & Suites

Uptown Temecula’s Fairfield offers a lodging and Wine & Dine Sunrider Jeep Tour; and a Wine & Dine Grapeline Tour online.

 

38-Holiday Inn Express

Also located in Uptown Temecula, Holiday Inn Express offers lodging-and-wine-tour package options including experiences with Grapeline Wine Country Shuttle, Rockin’ Wine Tours, and Temecula Black Car.

 

39-SpringHill Suites Temecula Valley Wine Country

A Wine & Dine Sunrider Jeep Tour and Wine & Dine Grapeline Tour lodging packages are also offered online by Uptown Temecula’s SpringHill.

 

40-Embassy Suites Temecula Valley Wine Country

Located at the thoroughfare to TVSCWC, Embassy Suites offers lodging packages that include a Jeep Wine Tour or Temecula Vineyard Picnic Tour.

 

41-Temecula Creek Inn

TVSCWC’s prestigious, original golf resort located on 350 private acres beside the Rainbow Gap, offers a Taste of Wine Country Package.

 

42-Pechanga Resort & Casino

TVSCWC’s 400-acre, 4-diamond resort offers a lodging and Temecula Valley Wine Tour by Trolley package; and a lodging and Grape Adventure by The Grapeline Shuttle package.

 

For Groups

43-Group Lodging and Wine-Tours/Activities

For groups seeking 10 overnight, guest rooms or more at full- or limited-service Temecula hotels-and-resorts, the Temecula Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau (TVCVB) sales staff assists with acquiring accommodations and special lodging rates customized to meet the group’s needs and budget. The TVCVB also reaches out to local wineries, and tour-and-transportation companies on behalf of groups to arrange winery tours, tastings, excursions, and activities; as well as unique and memorable meeting and event venues. Groups are encouraged to contact the TVCVB sales staff at 951/491-6085.

 

* Information is believed accurate but may be subject to change.

 

ABOUT TEMECULA VALLEY AND THE TEMECULA VALLEY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

With natural gifts of climate and geography (bolstered by Pu’eska Mountain, the Rainbow Gap, and the Santa Margarita Gap), Temecula Valley is most widely recognized as Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country. The popular boutique destination recently received TripAdvisors’ Travelers Choice “Best U.S. Wine Destination Top-10” award. Travel time from San Diego, Orange County, and Palm Desert is about 1-hour; Los Angeles, 1½ hours. Temecula hotels-and-resorts are conveniently located minutes – even steps – from the casual picturesque valley’s main attractions: Downtown Old Town Temecula, Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country, and Pechanga Resort & Casino.

 

The Temecula Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, the region’s official tourism marketing organization and resource for visitors is online at VisitTemecula.org; “Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country” on Facebook; and @Visit_Temecula on Twitter. The Temecula Valley Visitors Center in Downtown Old Town Temecula (Third Street and Mercedes, adjacent Temecula Civic Center) is open 7 days. For visitor information and assistance, call 888/363-2852 or 951/491-6085.

 

Maralyn D. HillThe Epicurean Explorer

International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA)

Board Member, Co-Chair Conference & Media Trip Committee, Past President

Editor-at-Large, CityRoom

Freelance Lifestyle Journalist

Blogs: Where and What in the World & Success with Writing

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