Follow the De Portola Road for Tasty Vino

By Frank Mangio & Rico Cassoni

Winemaker Olivia Bue with Fred Renzoni of Robert Renzoni Vineyards on the De Portola Trail in Temecula.

On the south side of Temecula, or you could say the country side of Temecula, sits ten beautiful wineries, each with its own wine style. The views are awesome, equaling some of the grandest hills and valleys of Europe. Rico and I always look forward to the Deportola Wine Trail's annual Harvest Celebration, when the owners themselves pour the wines and the winemakers chat about the year's harvest.

Next time you'll want to visit them all with their special focus on a Mediterranean style of winemaking: Cougar Vineyards, Danza Del Sol, Fazelli Cellars, Frangipani Estate, Gershun Bachus Vintners, Leoness Cellars, Masia de la Vinya, Oak Mountain, Robert Renzoni Vineyards and Somerset Vineyards & Winery. Each winery had a barrel sample, one of their bottles of the future, along with a couple of current releases. Accompanying these new tastes were small bites of big tasting appetizers.

When you visit Robert Renzoni Vineyards I hope you are fortunate enough to visit with Fred Renzoni, the elder statesman of the winery. Fred's done it all in the wine business. Previous generations of the Renzoni family began life with wine in 1886 in a little Italian village called Fano. In the ensuing years, the family set roots down in Buffalo, New York where in the 70's, Fred ran a hugely successful Italian import business including some of the top wines from that country and France. Fred's son Robert saw success with wine in Los Angeles, then in Temecula's budding wine country. He re-united with Fred in 2006 and they purchased the property, now standing as a tribute to their Renzoni ancestors. They now make award winning wines with the expert help of Winemaker Olivia Bue, who joined the Renzoni family some 7 years ago. Bue, a native of nearby Encinitas in San Diego County, is a graduate of the well-known UC Davis in Sonoma County. She gained notoriety in Australia and wound up in Napa Valley's famed Cakebread winery before the Renzonis coaxed her to "return home." The results have been spectacular with major wine industry awards. More at robertrenzonivineyards.com.

A few miles up the road from Renzoni, we recommend you visit Rick and Jennifer Buffington's Cougar vineyard and winery. They specialize in 100% estate Italian varietals like Sangiovese, Sagrantino, Aglianico and my and Rico's favorite, the Cougar Estate Cask Montepulciano 2017 ($50) also known as "The Full Monte." This red originated from the Abruzzo region of Italy. It's aged in American Oak barrels for 12 months, then finished aging in their large French oak cask. Enjoy this tasty red with red meats, and for a special treat, with dark chocolate covered strawberries. More at cougarwinery.com.