Growing Attractions

On Monday, I drove to La Jolla Shores to interview an architect, interior designer and homeowners for a home feature. (Please visit my blog in March to read about that experience when the article is published.) Yesterday, I was back in La Jolla for a fundraising event. Today, I ventured only to the other side of the building to the KUSI television station.

 I made my inaugural KUSI appearance on the morning show, during which I took the opportunity to remind viewers (as I am now reminding readers of this blog) that this is the gift-giving season and subscriptions to San Diego Home/Garden Lifestyles make wonderful presents — especially for those interested in architect, home décor, gardening and cooking.

As much as I myself am interested in those topics, I also am passionate about wine. So I was delighted when Liz Crocker, our community development director, offered to introduce me to Ross Rizzo, president and winemaker of Bernardo Winery, who was doing a food-and-wine pairing segment on KUSI with Joe Russo, chef of Café Merlot at the winery. (The above image of Ross Rizzo, KUSI morning show co-anchor David Davis, and Joe Russo comes courtesy of KUSI.)

I’ve done considerable research on wine (my favorite part being the tasting of it) and have spent many vacations visiting wine regions, primarily in California. I’ve written many articles about wine, hosted wine tastings in my home and last May gave a wine presentation on a cruise from San Diego to Vancouver. But today I learned something that had escaped my attention all this time: The oldest winery south of Fresno is right here in San Diego.

Bernardo Winery, Ross told me, was founded (in 1889) only four years later than the oldest winery in Fresno. He is a third-generation owner, his grandfather having purchased the winery from the founders in 1927.

After the TV segment was shot, I grabbed one of the winery brochures. The property not only includes the restaurant, but also a wide range of shops, including studios selling art (another of my passions), and “varietal” parking lots. (Does one prefer to park in cabernet, merlot, syrah, or zinfandel? I think I’ll have to try them all.)

When I weighed the advantages of moving to San Diego, among them (I kid you not) was that I would be a half-hour closer to Temecula wine country than I was in Palm Springs, where the weather and soils are not so wine-grape friendly. Now I realize that the bonus is even greater and will be exploring San Diego County’s wineries, probably starting with Bernardo, which Mapquest indicates is just under 21 miles from the apartment I’ll be moving into on Saturday.

First, however, I have to continue exploring mattress stores, so I don’t end up spending too many nights in a sleeping bag. 

Janice Kleinschmidt