Old world charm with a few modern twists.
Mt. Palomar has a white and a red named after Shorty, their short legged husky. They like to serve their whites from dry to sweet. Their Sangiovese was the first to be introduced in the Temecula Valley and they are the 2nd winery in Temecula, dating back to 1969. The grounds are experiential, yet cozy and inviting. There are fountains with running water, everywhere.
Things I learned at this winery:
Temecula Valley started out as cattle country due to its poor quality soil. Guess what? Grapes love growing in crappy soil.
The concept of old vines as a must have for great Zinfandel is a misnomer. You can start with younger vines and crop for flavor. You end up with less grapes which are more intense.
Head-trained vines is one of the oldest training systems. Head-trained vines are free-standing and grow without the support of a trellis.
Veraison is the onset of ripening which shows up as a change of color in the grape berry.