Patio tasting.

The landscaping at this winery is graced by stunning blue Mexican palm trees. Chapin takes pride in having the largest outdoor tasting experience in Temecula, on the expansive patio. The Summit 2015 blend served here, is composed of both aglianico and montepulciano grapes. 

Things I learned at this winery:

When used to describe wine, cassis refers to a ripe, concentrated black currant note with a slightly different connotation than fresh currants or currant jam or jelly. 

The aglianico grape is Italy’s best “black” skinned grape. It produces a deep garnet wine with high levels of tannin and acid.

The Montepulciano grape likely originated in Tuscany and may be related to the Sangiovese grape, with which it is often confused.