Christmas In Temecula Followed by Happy Hour

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold; everything is softer and more beautiful.

Time To Taste Wine In The Vineyards And At Old Ranch!

We decided to go to Temecula and pick up our wine order, meet friends, and thereby avoid boating in Lake Old Ranch!

Faulkner Winery In Temecula Was Our First Stop

More than 40 years after Richard Break and Leon Borel first planted 56 varieties of wine-making grapes in five different locations for the newly formed Rancho California Development Corporation, the Temecula Valley has become recognized as a full-fledged appellation. It has more than two dozen wineries and more than 3,500 acres (14 km2) of producing vineyards. The wine country is east of historic Old Town Temecula, with a variety of tasting rooms. The annual Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival is held at Lake Skinner.

Temecula 1909
Remember when?

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Our destination is in the clouds

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
The bird is watching you!

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula

Did you know? - The term peafowl can refer to the two species of bird in the genus Pavo of the pheasant family, Phasianidae. The African Congo Peafowl is placed in its own genus Afropavo and is not dealt with here. Peafowl are best known for the male's extravagant tail, which it displays as part of courtship. The male is called a peacock, and the female a peahen. The female peafowl is brown or toned grey and brown. Its young is called a peachick.

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Bob and Snappy (Oops, Carri)  The camera is about worn out from snapping pictures!

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Time for a Vanilla Extract on the rocks

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
AJ and Laura

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Giggles go on

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Ah... Adult supervision has arrived!  Oh oh... These are the adults?

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Stories continue

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
AJ tried to find a red shirt but alas...

Did you know? - The word red comes from the Old English rēad. Further back, the word can be traced to the Proto-Germanic rauthaz and the Proto-Indo European root reudh-. In Sanskrit, the word rudhira means red or blood. In the English language, the word red is associated with the color of blood, certain flowers (e.g. roses), and ripe fruits (e.g. apples, cherries). Fire is also strongly connected, as is the sun and the sky at sunset. Healthy light-skinned people are sometimes said to have a "ruddy" complexion (as opposed to appearing pale). After the rise of socialism in the mid-19th century, red was used to describe revolutionary movements

The ancient Romans had a set ritual of applause for public performances, expressing degrees of approval: snapping the finger and thumb, clapping with the flat or hollow palm, waving the flap of the toga, for which the emperor Aurelian substituted handkerchiefs (orarium) that he had distributed to the Roman people. In Roman theatre, at the close of the play, the chief actor called out "Valete et plaudite!", and the audience, guided by an unofficial choregus, chanted their applause antiphonally. This was often organized and paid for.

Similarly, a claque (French for "clapping") was an organized body of professional applauders in French theatres and opera houses who were paid by the performer(s) to create the illusion of an increased level of approval by the audience.

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Paul goes into a trance attempting to elevate the empty wine glass

Did you know? - Trance denotes a variety of processes, ecstasy, techniques, modalities and states of mind, awareness and consciousness. Trance states may occur involuntarily and unbidden.

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Trance is now over... The glass is being refilled... Life is good!

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Applause is appreciated!

Did you know? - The custom of applauding may be as old and as widespread as humanity, and the variety of its forms is limited only by the capacity for devising means of making a noise (i.e., stomping of feet or rapping of fists or hands on a table). Within each culture, however, it is usually subject to conventions.

Away To Thornton Winery

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Carri is looking for a dry Vanilla Extract now

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Vanilla Extract is working

Did You Know? - Vanilla extract is a solution containing the flavor compound vanillin as the primary ingredient. Pure vanilla extract is made by macerating and percolating vanilla beans in a solution of ethyl alcohol and water. In the United States, in order for a vanilla extract to be called pure, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires that the solution contains a minimum 35% of alcohol and 13.35 ounces of vanilla bean per gallon. Double and triple strength (up to 20-fold) vanilla extracts are available.

Vanilla extract is the most common form of vanilla used today. Mexican, Tahitian, Indonesian and Bourbon vanilla are the main varieties. Bourbon vanilla is named for the period when the island of Réunion was ruled by the Bourbon kings of France; it does not contain Bourbon whiskey.

Natural vanilla flavoring is derived from real vanilla beans with little to no alcohol. The maximum amount of alcohol that is usually present is only 2%-3%. Also on the market is imitation vanilla extract, a wood by-product usually made by soaking alcohol into wood which contains vanillin. The vanillin is then chemically treated to mimic the taste of natural vanilla. = Wikipedia

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Meanwhile at the civilized part of the table we select champagne

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Running running.... Oh dear, we might get a drop on us!

Happy Hours Here We Come....

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Five days of rain makes the 18th hole a challenge!

Happy hour at Old Ranch
The storm was increasing.... Time to drink

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula

Happy hour at Old Ranch
Monica is counting her fingers

Happy hour at Old Ranch
Coordinating dance steps

Happy hour at Old Ranch
You don't ask... We won't tell!

Happy hour at Old Ranch
Oh la la

Happy hour at Old Ranch
Oy Vei

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Picture taken by the guilty parties

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula
Monica, Carri, Bunny, Paul, Sue, and Ernie... The Gang Of Six

Christmas wine tasting in Temecula

Time For A Christmas Movie Or T hree