Visiting the Ramona Ranch Winery

On a nice hot June afternoon (102° F) the San Diego Chapter of the American Wine Society (AWS) gathered at the Ramona Ranch Vineyard and Winery, I attended my first meeting of this group. I had recently joined the AWS as a member of another local chapter, and upon learning that our metro area had 2 chapters I immediately had joined both. Twice the opportunities to learn, evaluate and exploring.wine!

The owners of Ramona Ranch, Teri & Micole, had also recently joined the AWS and had agreed to present & host the meeting this month. The topic was to be the history & current status of the Ramona Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA). The hosts had set our group up on the covered patio overlooking the vineyard. Between the shade and cross-breeze the temperature had come down to something more manageable and enjoyable.

Our afternoon started with Teri pouring their 2015 Burlesque (link), a very aromatic White Wine that was refreshing and a great contrast to the heat of the day. We all sat at the table and began our meeting. It consisted of the Officer Reports, planning upcoming meetings, and then an introduction of Teri, Micole & I as the newest members. At this point the meeting was turned over to our hosts.

Teri stood and introduced herself & her husband Micole, the winemaker. They poured their 2015 Viognier (link), 100% Ramona Valley AVA, and began their presentation about the history of the history of the Ramona Valley AVA. Throughout the presentation, it became very apparent that the AVA would not have come to existence without the Ramona Valley Vineyard Association (RVVA). Their work of establishing the AVA & then working with the San Diego County Board of Supervisors to help craft a San Diego County zoning ordinance to create a tiered winery definition allowing boutique wineries to offer tasting rooms.

Next in our glass was a 2013 ZSM (link), a light bodied red wine made from Zinfandel, Syrah & Montepulciano. While they presented this wine, the presentation moved into the history of Ramona Ranch and how they got into winemaking. After moving to Ramona in 2004 so that they could have some chickens & horses. In 2006, looking for a way to use their rural land to its fullest, they planted a small test vineyard to see what would grow well.

With that, we were onto the next glass a 2013 Syrah (link), 100% Ramona Valley AVA, that had a lot of ‘old world’ character. This wine caused a bunch of discussion around the table, as lots of people were commenting on the nose of the wine. Our guests continued with their tale of planting a more substantial vineyard in 2010 after identifying what grew well, what they wanted to grow and what kinds of wine they wanted to make. Choosing to go with Italian varietals as their core plantings.

Our glass of 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon (link), 100% Ramona Valley AVA, again interrupted the presentation as lots of conversation sprang up upon tasting the wine. People asked a bunch of questions about the fruit, winemaker handling and why it was not cold stabilized? (Apparently, equipment malfunction was to blame.) During the ensuing conversation, Teri gave us a lively recounting of the night they decided to go from home winemakers to opening a boutique winery. It was a hoot, and you should ask when you visit, to hear the tale while seeing the winemaker smile as he remembered that evening.

Our cheese plate was just beginning to look a little sparse, when a friend of our hosts came by to offer some ‘Caprice Lollipops’ in Ramona Valley Organic Olive Oil and another great appetizer that went well with the next wine, a 2014 Super Tuscan by Ramona Ranch (link). Our meeting was wrapping up and Teri was fielding questions.

This is when Micole appeared with another bottle. He had gone into his library wines and retrieved a 2011 Allianico. This Light purple beauty was the complex wine of the day. With layers developing in the glass with each new sniff, and the palate playing out on my tongue like a good orchestra performing an elegant composition. The long finish made it hard to notice all the nuances, as I just kept wanting to drink more before the lingering flavors had concluded their performance.

This was the conclusion of our meeting, and I began to ask a barrage of questions to my fellow attendees about their opinions on the presentation. Mixed was what I got. Those who had taken an interest in the history of the AVA & RVVA were delightfully pleased and engaged. I talked to a few who had gotten lost in evaluating the wine, and missed the second part of the presentation. And there was the lady I talked to who was really surprised at the level of quality, because she had tasted Ramona Valley wines in the past and had been avoiding them based on that experience. I believe she went home with more wine than me.

All said and done, it was a hot blustery day in San Diego’s East County with some of the nicest winemakers I have ever had the pleasure to meet. Throughout the experience, they mentioned several times that they were focused on sustainability, environmental responsibility, and other ways to make their winery more harmonious with nature. Well they did it! Certified California Sustainable Winegrowers! Read more here. I would highly recommend to anyone visiting the area to stop by and taste what they have on release.