UNCORKED WINE TRAVELS

Musings Along The Wine Trails

Altipiano Vineyard & Winery Reaches New Heights

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IMG_7517Happenstance brought me to Altipiano Vineyard & Winery in Escondido.  Eager to pursue the many wineries springing up in the Ramona Valley AVA, I ventured out and much to my surprise, found this boutique winery off Highland Valley Road, just a few miles from  San Diego.

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Altipiano Vineyard & Winery was  aptly named.  Alti, (a variation of the word Alto) and the word piano,  roughly translates from the Italian words meaning  “Upper Plateau” ~ which is the ideal descriptor for the views off the back patio which overlook the dancing vines and the majestic valley below. [Read more…]

Paso Robles’ Fratelli Perata Winery Is Fantastico

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IMG_6705 Calling all Italophiles… For truly authentic Italian wines, head for Fratelli Perata Winery off West Highway 46 in Paso Robles.  Family run by brothers, Gino and Joe Perata, the craft of winemaking dates back to their paternal grandfather and great-uncle in Genoa, Italy.

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Fratelli Perata Winery (translates to Perata Brothers) graces 31 hilltop acres on the north end of Paso Robles.  Situated in the renown Templeton Wind Gap, the winds blow straight from the ocean across the vineyards, bathing and cooling the grapes with the perfect amount of moisture.  A long growing season with hot sunny days and cool nights make this the perfect place for the Italian varietal grapes.

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Fratelli Perata is dry-farmed, meaning no supplemental irrigation.  With the current drought conditions, the harvest crop size is expected to be half of the normal production for 2014.  Barbera, Sangiovese, Montepulciano D’Abruzzo, Malfalda, Charbono, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petite Verdot, Petit Sirah and Cabernet Franc are all estate grown grapes at Fratelli Perata.  Each wine is handcrafted, aged in new oak barrels and is representative of a different region in Italy. [Read more…]