It was mid-April this year when I drove from Capistrano Beach
to the Temecula wine region. I only had a few wineries I really wanted to visit
and the first stop was a complete delight. Bella Vista Winery is well named, resting
on a hill that overlooks much of Temecula. There I had the privilege of
meeting the owner, Imre Cziraki, and a more fascinating man would be hard to
find.
The Dream of Imre Cziraki
Generous, affable and with a firm passion for his wines, he
regaled my wife and I with stories of his escape from Hungary during the
Hungarian Revolution of 1956. One of his friends told Imre that his name was
high on a list of those considered enemies of the state. That was all the
motivation he needed to make his way, eventually, to the US.
Knowing only a few words of English he’d learned from his
grandfather, also a winemaker, he managed to make his way to California. He
purchased La Cresta in 1982, Bella Vista Vineyards in 1998 and the former
Cilurzo Winery in 2004. The few words he’d picked up from his grandfather he
later learned were all curse words. One can imagine the confusion his new American
friends must have experienced when he used them.
A self-made man, one would think he’d take his own path to wine-making and that proved to be correct. The tasting room is expansive and
could accommodate multiple tour bus crowds. The grounds are large, with plenty
of areas to stroll and enjoy the views while sampling the wines. The website offers photos of some of the
many events that take place here, and everyone seemed to be having as good a
time as my wife and I.
Bella Vista Wines
Many of Bella Vista’s wines are unique and well-priced. The
list is a long one, so I’ll focus on a few of my favorites. We had to try the 2007 White Cabernet Sauvignon. Many
years ago, my wife Barbara was dining at an up-scale Chicago restaurant and
asked the waiter for a Cabernet Sauvignon. The waiter replied, “Did you want
the white or the red?” “Oh, I’ve never had the white, why don’t you bring it,”
she said, rather disingenuously. After a
while the server returned, red-faced, and said, “I’m sorry, we’re all out of
the white.”
Well now, we could finally try a White Cab. Actually the
wine has a darker Rosé cast to it, fruit-forward with hardly a hint of tannins.
Tart cherry and spice make this a very drinkable wine, perfect for those that
are tannic-challenged. The 2007 Petite
Sirah Rosé is a wine with greater depth than one would assume from a Rosé. Layers
of red fruit hovering around cherry and a satisfying mouthfeel will make this a
summertime favorite.
The 2005 Grenache
weaves of complex tapestry of earthy dark fruit and ripe red fruits and is one
of the best domestic interpretations of this Rhone grape I’ve ever tried. Not
so heavy that it would overpower the bird, I’d try this one on Thanksgiving. In
fact, I will try this one on turkey
day. The 2004 Petite Sirah Reserve
was another favorite of mine. Taken from some of the oldest plantings in
Temecula, it shows maturity and youth in each sip. Earth and spice and rich
fruit, this wine should continue to evolve for years, but hard to resist now.
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