Dan Atwood is no stranger to The Wine Company. He's been of part of it since its inception in its first location on Ynez Road. He was just much more in the background than he is now. Since the end of last year, however, Dan has stepped out of the shadows to take a much more active role. These days, more often than not, you're likely to find Dan either behind the counter and visiting guests from table to table.

Dan moved to Temecula twelve years ago. He purchased horse property on Rancho California Road that was also planted with Chardonnay grapes. Unfortunately, the vines had been attacked by the glassy-winged sharpshooter and needed to be torn out. Dan turned to a friend at Leonesse Cellars who told him he  should plant Syrah grapes in their place. With help from Leonesse, Dan has been producing a superior Syrah and is getting ready to release the 2006 vintage.

Dan hired Jim Lilly to build a wine cellar in his home and was asked if he might be interested in investing in wine store. They became partners and Jim ran the business for several years. Last year, Dan decided he wanted to try his hand at running the business, and he's implemented several changes already.

Dan's philosophy is simple. He wants The Wine Company to be a fun place to hang out... low-key and comfortable. There's a bigger emphasis on Temecula Valley wines now. Live music continues four nights a week. Future plans include adding an outdoor patio, and opening up the inside even more. If you want to try some good wine and get to meet some neat people, give The Wine Company a try.

As an added bonus, while I was writing this post, I saw Janice Sutton on twitter. After more than a year of visiting via active rain, we decided to meet in person at The Wine Company. Active Rain and twitter - a winning combination.

Murrieta Real Estate Expert – Tom Plant, REALTOR® - Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage – Active Rain Ambassador  (951) 907-9701

It would be my honor to show you the incredible Temecula Valley, a place I’m very proud to call home.

Taken with my Blackberry - sorry it's not sharper.

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