Temecula Adventures... Great Times January 2017

No man needs a vacation so much as the person who has just had one. ~Elbert Hubbard

First Visit Of The Year With Bob And Donna

No pickups!  No place we have to be... We are free! Bob and Donna and us visit with an open agenda... Go where the nose of the car points us! Yeah!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Bon takes his first and last serious look at the wine!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Serious discussions about wine underway

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Interesting structure... Could be converted into a church if need be!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Today's "map-ologist"... Donna sets the directions!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Catch the secret? Habanero

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Serious planning is underway!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
"Bob... What is a kilo mile?"

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
We know how to spice up the day!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
"I have an idea... Let's go to lunch here!"

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
We dine outside... since they did NOT have an inside.... Twas a bit cool!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Interesting way to serve trout!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Donna did the salad

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Bob went for the beef

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Sue tried the veggie stack!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Goodbye Ponte!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
We had to visit The Cave

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
It was a beautiful day to visit The Cave

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
It was indeed built into the side of a hill

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
And cool on the inside

Did You Know? - The cave is 104 feet underground and will store more than 400 barrels of the winery's wine, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It also houses its own kitchen, banquet room and tasting rooms.

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna

The front entrance to Oak Mountain's cave will be set off by a large bronze, mirrored door.

There is another entrance to the north that connects to the winery's banquet area.

The cave has more than 500 linear feet of tunnel, and the main tunnels are 14 feet high and 20 feet wide. The cave is 65 feet below the ground surface near the two portal areas and ranges up to 104 feet below ground near the deeper tunnel areas. The 10,000-square-foot, multi-purpose cave took longer than expected to complete, but it is expected to provide significant benefits as envisioned by Oak Mountain's owners, the husband and wife team of Stephen and Valerie Andrews.

 

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Through these doors...

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
He was watching us carefully

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
"Dang... Missed another opportunity!"

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Made from corks... Someone is handy!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Gershan Baccuss Vinteners

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Beautiful property

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Inside sitting rooms for tasting! Wonderful idea!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Set up for weddings.... Yes!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Overlooking the property

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Axel was there to meet us!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Seven years old and friendly as can be!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
We snuggled a tiny dog who was visiting the winery

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Grandma Feltz lives up the hill overlooking the facility!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
The crushed rock driveway was hugh... Easy to turn around

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Flowers in the middle of winter? Yes! It is California!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
They were open!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Bob finds a chair and tasting can begin!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
#3 - South Coast Winery

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Paul looks terrified!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
We did a short "fly-by"

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
...until these two got together!

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Champagne makes them smile!


"Come on ladies... We must away"

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
#4 - Europa Winery... Perhaps our favorite

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna
Bob captured the moment

A January 2017 visit to Temecula with Bob and Donna