Vindemia Winery

This holiday season, take a break from the usual hustle and bustle and drive out to our local vineyards for an afternoon.  Only a couple of miles away from the Temecula Mall is an entirely different world, one where rolling hills of grapevines meet panoramic mountain vistas.  Where it’s quiet enough to hear a distant bird call from the trees.  Where you can relax with a glass of wine and watch the sun’s shadows move across the Valley.

This is a world that David and Gail Bradley have gotten to know well over the past 24 years as owners/operators of California Dreamin’.  Their hot air balloon tours have allowed hundreds of people to soar over Wine Country and experience a different, more relaxed kind of Temecula.  “I think the more people get immersed in the experience, the greater opportunity they have to see something almost life changing,” says David.  “I know that sounds kind of corny, but when you go up in the balloon you realize how beautiful the Temecula Valley is, flying over the grapes, and then later having wine made from those vineyards that they’ve been over, and understanding the terroir from a visual perspective, and then tasting the fruit; it is very impactful.”

Being a part of the winemaking aspect of the experience has been a goal of the Bradleys since they first came to Temecula.  Now after growing their hot air balloon business for almost 20 years, they are finally merging their land and air adventures as they open their new winery, Vindemia, by the end of this month. “Initially we thought that a winery would make a great venue for meeting passengers for our balloon flights and feeling really immersed in Wine Country,” says David.  “But for people to really understand the fruit, and the wine that they’re having with friends, and memories of tasting good wines, I think that’s a great thing that we can do in Temecula, and we wanted to be a part of that.”

In 2002, the Bradleys set in motion their plan to open a winery.  They purchased 10 acres on Vista Del Monte that included Chardonnay vineyards decimated by Pierce’s Disease.  The property also featured a European-style home that they’ve since turned into a small Bed and Breakfast called La Vindemia.  They pulled all the old vines, and in 2004 replanted the vineyards with four red grape varietals:  Zinfandel, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Grenache, as well as olive trees and a patch of lavender.

David’s first winemaking experience came from finishing wines, basically purchasing grape juice and then finishing it in his own oak barrels.  From there he took winemaking classes and looked for a little help from his friends.   He credits many local Temecula winemakers, including Jon McPherson and Javier Flores from South Coast Winery, Nick Palumbo from Palumbo Family Winery, and Marshall Stuart from Stuart Cellars, for helping him learn the craft and get started on his own wines

In 2004, Vindemia created its first Syrah, followed by a 2006 Zinfandel Port.  But it wasn’t until the 2007 vintage, that came from their own estate grapes, that David began to earn some significant accolades for his wine.  His 2007 Zinfandel earned a Silver Medal in the California State Fair, as well as Bronze Medals in both the San Francisco International Competition and the Los Angeles County Fair. 

Now Vindemia has a whole slate of wines ready for sale, including Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a seasonal wine, their Grenache Rosé.  “It was the first time I made Grenache, and I wasn’t aiming really for the Rosé, but then we shifted gears and made sort of a French-style wine,” says David.  “It’s a little bit darker than a regular Rosé and has about 1% residual sugar.  It goes beautifully with turkey for the holidays.” 

Just in time for Christmas, their tasting room will officially open this month under spacious special events tents.  Guests can also wander to their rose garden area and enjoy wine at bistro tables with beautiful views of Vindemia’s vineyards, with Mount San Jacinto in the background.  The tents are temporary, as the Bradleys have submitted plans to the County to build a 3,500 square foot Italian-style villa as their permanent tasting room.  The groundbreaking should take place early in 2010.  “It’s going to be what I would consider a European-style setting,” says David.  “Vindemia is an old Latin world.  It’s meant many things actually:  it’s meant the process of making wine, the harvest of the wine.  We really like that Old World feeling and want to make that part of the experience at our winery.”

As they expand Vindemia alongside the hot air balloon business they have built over the years, the Bradleys are excited to continue introducing visitors to the world of Temecula that lies just outside the city limits.  Soaring over the Valley, the Bradleys have long understood the appeal of Wine Country.  With Vindemia Winery, they’re just looking at it now from ground level.

Vindemia Winery is located at 33133 Vista Del Monte, just off Calle Contento in Temecula’s wine country. The tasting room is currently open by appointment only, with plans to be open to the public before Christmas.  For more information, contact them at (951) 699-0601 or online at www.vindemia.com

Visiting Our Vineyards is a continuing series featuring the wines and wineries of the Temecula Valley.

When you visit the local wineries, don’t forget to mention you read about them in Neighbors!