Photo: Joseph Sochor, all rights reserved

On a hot and balmy June 1, wine lovers, wineries, and wine organizations came together to celebrate the vineyards of San Diego County. Hosted by the San Diego County Vintner’s Association, the annual wine festival was held at Bernardo Winery in San Diego. The festival, beginning in 1992 laid down for a decade in the Noughties, and resumed in 2012, spotlights the abundant grape varietals and winemaking styles of the county with unlimited pours and conversations over the course of three hours.

I had not been to the festival in about six years and there were many new wineries to learn about. My first task was to meet or greet all the owners, winemakers, and winery representatives that I could. The final hour was spent sampling some select wines. All wineries will be covered in this rundown of the festival. A spoiler for my conclusion: all of these wineries seem well worth a visit to explore them in greater detail.

The sprawling campus of Bernardo Winery (founded 1889) is chock full of vineyards, a tasting room, artist studios and specialty stores, a café, a coffee roaster, and a fitness gym (you can work out with views of the vineyards!). I parked outside the winery and walked to the festival area, a circle of booths surrounding several vineyards with additional booths in a shaded area. Admission included a spry charcuterie plate, and for the serious hungries you could order wood oven pizzas and have them brought over to the festival.

Bernardo Winery had a booth and was sampling Luminosa (a Syrah-tinged Grenache), Grenache Blanc, a white Merlot, a Cabernet Franc, and Amanti, divvied almost evenly between Petite Sirah and Zinfandel. They have recently planted a tiny bit of Albariño (ready in 2 years) and some Aglianico (ready in 4). The winery is turning a focus on fortified wines with a 2018 Ruby Port, an Estate NV Port, and a 50-y.o. Reserve Tawny. They are also producing an Angelica dessert wine, a throwback to the early Mission grapes grown in California.

Another winery at the festival with a San Diego tasting room that opened at the beginning of this year is Castelli and Pizzaro Family Vineyards (CPF). Their vineyards, planted in 2009, with an Italian underground wine cellar, are located near the Ramona Grasslands preserve and are only open twice a month. The new tasting room in the Merge 56 District off the 56 and Camino del Sur includes an espresso coffee cart. Manager and Assistant Winemaker Kim Van Schaick Zillesen, a sommelier, was pouring at the fest: Chardonnay, Rosé of Sangiovese, Estate Sangiovese, and Enorme II, an estate Syrah with some Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot. The Sangiovese tasted of bright red berries and is structured for food pairing.

Two wineries at the fest producing wine from the county with tasting rooms located in San Diego were Charlie & Echo and San Pasqual Winery. Charlie & Echo, in the Miralani Makers District, sources their grapes from county vineyards. The name is derived from the NATO phonetic alphabet with owner Clara as Charlie (making it veteran and woman-owned) and winemaker Eric as Echo. They poured from colorfully labeled bottles a dry and off-dry sparkling wine and a dry red blend, grown at Valentina Vineyards. The off-dry, Whoa Jake!, tasted of passionfruit and everything Hawaii. They are currently bottling a sparkling Marsanne.

San Pasqual Winery pours their wine from a tasting room in Seaport Village. At their table the offerings were an Albariño, Cabernet Sauvignon, and RBG a half Tempranillo, half Petit Verdot blend. Additionally, there was a wine fermented from passionfruit – Summer Vine with Habanero. The gentle touch on the habanero chile was not a palate-wrecker and would be refreshing enough to serve as an aperitif.

The tasting room of Burtech Family Vineyard is located in Vista where they pour many wines made from Northern California and Central Coast grapes. Today there was a Sauvignon Blanc, a Rosé and a Bordeaux Blend. If you visit the tasting room, make sure to try their beautifully austere Encinitas estate vineyard wines, a Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a cool climate Syrah.

Two of the seven East County wineries known as the Wineries on Highway 94 were pouring: Granite Lion Cellars and Valentina Vineyards. Granite Lion in Jamul is a large estate, growing many different varietals tucked into a cool, sheltered area of Jamul. Winemaker Miriam Valdez offered two red blends, a Merlot, and a Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, all estate.

Valentina Vineyards in Dulzura grows grapes for several wineries in the county and produce their own wine (and honey and olive oil). Owner and winemaker Lance Hafen poured quite the lineup: Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Rosé of Grenache, Nebbiolo (yeah!), Malbec, and Cabernet Franc. All are estate and grown with organic agricultural methods. Valentina is the daughter who adorns the bottle labels with her artwork.

The wineries of Highland Valley, in west Escondido and approved as an AVA, were well represented by four of the nine wineries located there: Mia Marie Vineyards, Highland Valley Vineyards, ZXQ Vineyards, and Speckle Rock Vineyards. Mia Marie, at the far western side of the valley on a hill is a scenic estate, owned by Mia Marie Redmond and her family with Kiara Boccia-Fenlason as the winemaker. They are pouring Dry Muscat (an aha moment for Mia), a flagship Rosé of Tempranillo, and a Cabernet Sauvignon. All wines are produced from estate or neighboring vineyards.

Owners, growers, and winemakers extraordinaire Ray and Jeanine of Highland Valley Vineyards were at the festival to pour a Merlot, Mourvèdre, and Señor Emillion, a 60% Tempranillo/40% Cabernet Sauvignon blend smelling of blackberry vine with a rich olive tapenade on the palate. This wine is ready to drink now but would age nicely for several years. The winery specializes in Bordeaux varietals.

Another Bordeaux varietal grower and winemaker, Andy Klotz of ZXQ Vineyards, was there to pour an unoaked and oaked 2017 Cabernet Franc (a specialty of the winery), On Belay and Starvation Mountain, both red blends. Also debuting is the first Rosé of Cabernet Franc that he made, with a unique palate split between strawberry and darker fruit leather. All with a backdrop of green watermelon rind. A sophisticated refresher.

Located at the far eastern side of Highland Valley, Speckle Rock Vineyards is pouring the newest vintage of their Double Gold Toast of the Coast-winning Falanghina, a citrusy Southern Italian grape with crisp acidity. They were also offering fest attendees a Sangiovese-Merlot, a Rosé of Grenache, and Tälynlu, a Grenache-leading red blend. Most of the Italian, French, and Spanish varietals are grown on estate.

Two wineries from other parts of Escondido are at the festival: Forgotten Barrel Winery and Hungry Hawk Vineyards and Winery. Forgotten Barrel Winery is on the grounds of the former longstanding Ferrara Winery and its tasting room features many wines made from San Diego County grapes along with others from destinations north. Winemaker John Eppler had former experience in Northern California working for Mondavi, Rosenblum, and his own winery brand. At the festival Chris is pouring Zinfandel and Rosalita, a Rosé of Sangiovese grown near Pala. The light-bodied Rosalita has floral aromatics and tastes of crisp watermelon rind absent any bitterness. I’m excited to learn that the winery produces a 100% Tannat from the same property.

Hungry Hawk Vineyards and Winery, northwest of Highland Valley, brought their newly released BriArs Albariño, an Estate Reserve Malbec, and an Estate Reserve Tempranillo for tasting. The Malbec carries a deep flavor of dried blueberry and huckleberry. The winery is proud that their Estate Sauvignon Blanc and the Estate Bordeaux blend, Queue Rouge, won Double Gold awards at Toast of the Coast and Orange County Commercial Wine Competition respectively.

Four Ramona wineries, all located a short distance from each other, 5 to 10 minutes off Hwy 67, were at the festival. Sky Valley Cellars, the northernmost, has a table hosted by owner Houman Dahi, MD and Michael of the tasting room staff. Open now for two years, Houman tells me that originally, he intended to be a grower for other wineries, but being so intensely busy as a physician during Covid in 2020, he needed to have someone else turn the grapes on the vine into wine and they started to envision a tasting room. They pour a Sauvignon Blanc, a Rosé of Sangiovese, a Sangiovese, a Syrah, a Petit Sirah, and Red Horizon, a red blend. All wines are estate grown. I’m glad that the deeply satisfying Syrah, with spiced plum and graceful tertiary flavors of earth and tobacco, made it into a bottle in 2020. Delightful wines.

Kim and Scott Flinn of Mermaid Valley Vineyard were pouring a Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel, Late Harvest Zinfandel, and Siren’s Song (wait for it, acronym fans) a GSMCCT. That’s Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre, Counoise, Cinsault, and Tannat. It’s a perfect synthesis of raspberry pie and herbaceous flavors. The 2018 Siren’s Song was awarded Double Gold and Best of San Diego County at the 2022 Toast of the Coast Wine Competition. Kim and Scott planted 4½ acres in 2014 and opened their winery in 2019. They specialize, as you might guess from the GSMCCT, in Southern Rhone varietals.

Principe di Tricase Winery pours a Malvasia, a Dark Rosé (Aglianico), Zinfandel, and Aglianico Piedi from their flagship grape. All wines are natural with no sulfites or preservatives and minimum oak.

The fourth western Ramona winery, Woof ‘n Rose, is treasured in the county by those who love wine and love dogs. You can visit Tawny, a 15-year-old Yellow Lab and Matilda, a young Lab mix at their tasting veranda. Marilyn Kahle, owner and winemaker with Stephen Kahle, is there to pour Puppy Love, a Grenache blend; a Reserve Estate Cabernet Franc; and Eglantine, a red Meritage blend. All wines are estate grown or from Ramona vineyards.

The east side of Ramona is represented by two wineries: Poco Montaña Vineyards & Winery and Scenic Valley Ranch Vineyards. Poco Montaña is the newest winery at the festival, opening in August of 2024. Winemaker David Castro grows Italian, French, and Spanish varietals on estate and uses some from neighboring vineyards like Bellena Vista Farms and Sagelands Vineyards. David does a deep dive into researching traditional methods of producing wine from the 14 varietals that he works with. The winery is pouring an Albariño, a Malbec, Le Petit Lion, a Left Bank-style Bordeaux blend, and a dessert Grand Lion, a Port-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec aged for four years in American bourbon barrels. The Albariño is fermented with cider yeast and has a characteristic waxy texture with lemon pith and traces of honeycomb. The Malbec produced from Sagelands Vineyards grapes is embracing, plush, and only softly tannic with berries and violets. Two visitors to the booth, Matilda and Michelle, carry WSET 3 certifications and confirm that David’s treatment of varietals is very authentic. Poco Montaña is open on Saturday afternoons for wine tasting. They are currently scheduling wine dinners at the winery.

Scenic Valley Ranch Vineyards off the Julian Highway in Ballena Valley also offers a tasting patio on weekends. They won five awards at the prestigious 2025 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition including two golds. At the fest they offer an estate Albariño (Silver award), a Rosé of Merlot, a Petit Sirah (Bronze), and The Last Scene (Silver), an equal blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. All wines are produced from estate grapes or Ramona Valley vineyards and include a Flame Tokay (Gold) from 90-year-old vines!

Live music from Carlos Calvo graces the wine tasting, including the most seductive cover of Paint It Black I’ve ever heard.

Several organizations host booths at the festival. The Women’s Wine Alliance empowers and supports women wine professionals in the San Diego area. They offer scholarships, education, networking, and social events for members. Their booth hosts a DIY wine glass charm ring station.

San Diego Beer, Wine & Spirits Tours offers walking tours in Old Town and La Jolla and chauffeured vineyard tours with pickup and drop off, and private tasting parties. Founder and published author Shira Bliss began by offering wine tours in La Jolla which expanded to include beer and spirits. Their table has a drawing to win a free tour.

Edible San Diego is a strong supporter of the San Diego winery industry and supports the wineries through events and articles in their seasonal print and online publications and newsletters. The magazine and website are amazing resources for discovering the vast food and beverage world of San Diego County, approaching it from many angles like agriculture, home cooking, and restaurants. Copies of the magazine were available at their table.

The festival illustrates that San Diego is a progressive and growing winemaking and viticulture region. Winemakers are working with numerous unique varietals, experimenting with fermentation techniques, and discovering what flourishes in our climate, soils, and exposures. It is an exciting and important time to be accessing these treasures of our county. The larger wine world exerts robust marketing budgets that often obscure San Diego County’s unique wine achievements. I urge you to visit our county’s wineries for a relaxing afternoon, get to know the winemakers (one of the easiest areas to do so), and ask for San Diego wine when you dine in San Diego. If there are no glasses or bottles on the menu, please then ask why not?

San Diego County Vintners Wine Festival 2025

ALTIPIANO VINEYARD & WINERY