The cover story in the latest issue of the San Diego Reader leads with a sentence proclaiming wine tasting in Ramona to be a "religious experience."
The author speaks with many key players in the Ramona wine scene, which is up to about 25 wineries now, including a man described as the "Godfather" and "Johnny Appleseed" of Ramona wine, John Schwaesdall.
The story also describes a day during harvest season with Joe Cullen at Scaredy Cat Ranch and Cactus Star Vineyard. Described as the smallest bonded winery in Ramona, the author shows you can't judge a winery by it's size, since the cover proclaims the product to be "magic in a bottle."
The vice-president of the Ramona Valley Vineyard Association compares Ramona wine tasting to Temecula- claiming better wine and fewer limos, and gets into the specifics of the "Ramona Valley American Viticultural Area," one of only three officially designated wine areas in Souther California.
The article includes many interesting details about costs of setting up a winery in Ramona, starting with an estimated $15,000 per undeveloped acre, and the struggles with tasting room laws and turning a profit.
Wineries featured in the article include: Woof’n Rose Winery, Cactus Star Vineyard, Schwaesdall Winery, Pyramid Winery, Edwards Winery, Kohill Winery.
Read the story at the San Diego Reader website
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