February 8, 2012

Las Piedras: The Undiscovered Gem Grown on Mt. Palomar

Grapes Las Piedras

Today’s pick was inspired by an article I wrote for my site, WhatsWorthDrinking.com. In that post I reviewed a Sangiovese by what has become one of my favorite wineries in the Temecula area. Las Piedras is the private label of Steve Hagata, the winemaker at the Temecula Valley’s own Falkner Winery. Clinging to the slopes [...]

TOT Lunch Meet Up At Pizzeria Venti – Tuscany at Home

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As the Roving Wino I’m expected to be ambling about town having a great time doing nothing but tasting wine and sampling the town’s best restaurants. Nothing is further from the truth because in actuality I am hand-cuffed to my computer day in and day out. It always thrills me to get a chance to [...]

Tastes, Tapas and a Whole Lot of Fun – By Johanna Lack

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I haven’t been on Facebook for a while, there are always some pages that need to be checked out to make sure I didn’t miss anything.  Middle Ridge Winery is one of these must-read pages because owners Chris and Melody Johnston always have something fun going on.  So when they posted their Tapas With Chris & Wine [...]

Wishes For Children Founder Charlie Pate “Making a Difference’

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There’s hardly a person in the Temecula Valley that doesn’t know of Wishes for Children and associate it with their affable founder Charlie Pate. Charlie is so committed to his foundation that I made it my assignment to find out what makes Charlie Pate tick? When asked the typical interview question of what motivates him [...]

Pizzeria Venti – A Family Restaurant With Heart

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The first thing that’s noticeable about the new Pizzeria Venti Restaurant is how much the décor changed from when it Pizzeria Venti was Anthony’s Ristorante. The interior walls have been removed and large windows line the walls. It’s now bright, light and airy. As I walked up to the friendly faces behind the counter I [...]

TOT Announces New Charity Widget

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Taste of Temecula’s Daily Pairing Charity Program is Now Here! It’s June which means that ToT is celebrating our two year anniversary of being Temecula Valley’s Premiere Online Social Magazine!  It’s been a fantastic opportunity to support the best local businesses in our Valley as we host our popular Lunch Meet & Greet every other [...]

Fergie’s Yellow Squash and Potato Gratin

(photo by Jeanette Ferguson)

Living in the Temecula Valley is such a blessing food-wise! We are lucky to have an abundance of beautiful produce. For me, it’s not only important that food taste fantastic, but why not make it beautiful too? Take a couple extra minutes and set a nice table… Garnish your food with some fresh herbs. There [...]

It’s Balloon And Wine Festival Time

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  Who: The 28th Annual Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival. The festival was first launched in spring 1984 and known then as the Rancho California Balloon & Wine Festival. It was a monumental success for a town of only 9,000 residences. Their mission is to enhance the charitable, cultural, educational, and economic developments of [...]

ToT’s Lunch Meet-Up @ The Bank

Ian & Lisa of ToT. (Photo by Dan Viescas)

As “The Roving Wino,” I have had the pleasure of sampling some of the finest food and beverages at a variety of eateries. Recently I was recruited by Taste of Temecula to visit local establishments and do what I do best – eat & drink. My first assignment was to join their bi-weekly Meet-Up Lunch [...]

Grow Organic at Home

Organic Tomatoes - Photo courtesy of GOAH

They say that late Spring is the perfect time to plant a garden.  It’s all so overwhelming, though; isn’t it?  How much space do I need? How will I irrigate it?  What types of plants will grow well in my backyard?  I confess I have attempted a garden more than once and been spectacularly unsuccessful [...]