TEMECULA WINERY TOUR 

Feb 22, 1997

"THE VOLVINOS RIDE AGAIN"

By Scott hic-cup Harrison

     Well we did it again and many of you missed out. The San Diego Volvo Sports America team put together another beautiful event with a great turnout of cars and people. The weather, location, views and drive couldn't have been better. From the early P-1900 to the middle aged 544 up to the varied collection of 1800's the spectrum of classic Volvos was well represented. And yes, the wines were the best ever.

     The usual early morning grand slam breakfast at Denny's got the south county enthusiasts out on the road with fresh coffee. The open road to the north toward Temecula was an invitation to touch the redline in at least three out of four. The season was finally here to roll down the windows, enjoy the warm blue sky and really savor the hobby that we indulge ourselves in.

     Our first meeting point was the popular Thornton winery, famous for their full selection of wines and varied champagnes. We arrived early enough to park side by side in the center of the main lot and attracted a lot of attention from the passersby. Unknown to us, the local Ferrari club also had planned on the same meeting place which added even more color to the lot.

     Some of our group chose to take the well organized tour of the winery while most of us ran straight to the wine tasting sign up table! It was worth the surprising $6.00 charge. They brought us up to a beautiful large dining room overlooking the patio fountains and furnished with linen covered tables decorated with baskets of bread. The staff then presented mini lectures on each of the four wines and two champagnes that we generously sampled from a souvenir glass. The fragrance and flavor of two reds, two whites and two champagnes blended with fresh country air and warm sunshine helped us forget our challenges of the past week. We once again enjoyed the company of friends and the few moments of the good life we rarely get to enjoy.

     Before the last few bubbles of champagne dried on our chins, we were off again to the next winery. There are twelve or more to choose from in a few short miles but we decided on the Palomar winery because of its public picnic area. We found a nice parking lot next to the picnic tables on top of a grassy plateau surrounded by vineyards and orchards.  It was picture perfect, literally.  So why not take advantage of the location and the beautiful cars. One by one we rotated the cars out onto the grass and captured the beauty of the classics and the results of each owners hard work on film.

     Of course we took advantage of the very quaint wine tasting room there. It offered a unique selection of wines, a gourmet deli and fun conversation with the visitors from everywhere you could imagine. The rest of the afternoon was spent at the scenic picnic area in the orchard overlooking the vineyards. We shared our potluck lunches, refreshments and "just a few" stories about Volvos. What else do you need on a beautiful Saturday afternoon?  Where were you!