i think if you asked most married couples on the secret to a successful relationship, they’d probably answer with some form of this answer —“never stop dating your husband.” as cliche as it sounds, with almost eight months of marriage (tomorrow!) under our belts (which makes us experts, obviously), i can already attest to the fact that having a special occasion to look forward to break you out of your normal domestic routine really helps keep the spark alive. while our normal weekly date nights tend to include a casual outfit and a meal at one of our local favorites (we tend to rotate the same five restaurants because we’re such creatures of habit!), this past weekend, my husband suggested a shake-up to our usual routine.

“how about we go wine tasting in temecula and stay for dinner?”

SOLD.

i researched wineries in the area and picked a spot for dinner, and you know what? we had the most incredible time. only proving that a) my husband has really good date ideas and should speak up more often and b) sometimes it’s good to shake up the old routine. like taking a day date to temecula or in terms of fashion, like wearing eyelet, a fabric traditionally reserved for summer, into the next season.

as soon as i spotted this ruffle-front top in madewell’s fall collection preview back in july, i virtually dog-eared it immediately. and you know from my latest fitting room fables post that i ended up snagging it after loving the way it looked and fit in person. though temecula tends to be a good 10-15 degrees warmer than where we live, i took the risk and wore this long-sleeve blouse on our mini getaway, figuring that the perforated fabric would act as its own cooling system. luckily there was also a consistent breeze to keep the sunny day quite pleasant.

 

 

madewell eyelet top || j.crew factory denim shorts || soludos shoes

madewell belt || hobo clutch (c/o) || natalie borton earrings (c/o)

 

 

we visited two wineries -the first being chapin family vineyards (where these photos were taken), located just past wilson creek (purveyors of almond champagne) along rancho california road. since weekends tend to be quite crazy in temecula wine country, we tend to seek out smaller venues to avoid the crowds. we found chapin to be quite charming, perfect for a more intimate experience. we opted for an al fresco tasting, splitting five varietals, alternating between whites (my favorite) and reds (S’s favorite). from chapin, we headed west back along rancho california road toward our second and final stop, lumiere winery. located on a hill, lumiere has stunning views of the countryside, with vines as far as the eye can see. there we were treated to a tasting with the owner of the winery herself, she and her husband purchased the property thirty years ago and entrusted their son to manage the production of the wines.

after two wineries, it was definitely time for some sustenance (yours truly was feeling it!), so we headed into old town temecula and had an early dinner at the goat & vine. with a menu of sandwiches, salads, and pizzas, it was the perfect spot to refuel before heading home.

 

 

shop the post:

madewell eyelet top || j.crew factory denim shorts || soludos shoes

madewell belt || hobo clutch (c/o) || natalie borton earrings (c/o)

 

i get a small commission for purchases or clicks made through links in this post. thank you for supporting the brands that keep this blog up and running.

 

p.s. snag your first pair of tassel earrings (or one of the many gorgeous one-of-a-kind designs) from natalie borton at a 10% discount using my code SHAWNA10 at checkout.

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