on sunday, S and i took a day trip to temecula. albeit a tad bit chilly in the morning, by 11:00 a.m. it was a perfect 75-degrees, conducive to sundresses and exposed limbs (hallelujah). in addition to a few other activities, we added “wine tasting” to our day’s agenda. we picked two wineries to visit -both off the beaten path, which meant we were able to avoid the crowds taking advantage of the three-day weekend.

first stop was danza del sol. we pulled up to its hacienda-style tasting room about midday, parked, and wandered inside. after purchasing our six tastings, we found a spot at the end of the counter and set-up shop. S and i decided to split our reds & whites -opting for three a piece. while we may be completely compatible in every other aspect of our lives, we couldn’t be more mismatched when it comes to our preferences in wine. he loves a dry, smokey, full-bodied red, while i habitually choose the wine with the highest sugar content on the menu. but we remained open to at least sampling each of our options -i embraced the bitter qualities of his cabs and merlots and he shocked his taste buds with the saccharine flavors of my muscats and roses. team S, right down to our wine tasting.

oh and it should come as no surprise that my favorite selection of the half-dozen we tried was the super syrupy orange muscat with flavors of citrus, peach, and bubble gum. yum!

wine tasting at danza del sol.

after we finished up at danza (and took our complimentary logoed stemless wine glass!), we headed 0.6 miles down the road to leoness cellars, the second and final stop on our mini wine tour. having both visited the picturesque vineyards before, it was great to be back -this time together –and on such a gorgeous day.

leoness winery.

we found our way into the tasting room and tasted another six varietals with our very gregarious and knowledgeable hostess, holly. saddened to hear that they were out of their signature muscat, i appeased my sweet tooth with their white merlot and chocolatey port (which holly encouraged we try with a complimentary truffle to enhance the flavors) and S was in heaven with his very own side-by-side taste test with the winery’s two reds-their 2012 syrah and their 2011 VS syrah (he preferred the latter).

after we had sipped every last drop, we lingered on the grounds for a while, soaking up the views and the sunny summer-like weather. at only about 30 minutes away from home, it’s amazing how transported you feel in temecula wine country. it’s like having napa in our very own backyard. and with january feeling more like july, it was the perfect way to spend our sunday.

it’s safe to say, we’ll be back soon.

“tim” & i at leoness.