The Tehachapi Mountains white wine country is entering into its own with tasting rooms offering acclaimed wines, food and home entertainment every weekend.And now a new tour business uses extensive red wine trips. Discover Tehachapi, an endeavor
by couple Chris and Clare Scotti, is now a licensed trip operator in the mountain neighborhood. Their inaugural offering is an all-encompassing red wine trip currently readily available on weekends. Touting great wine, delicious food and a comfy
trip, they offer their signature wine tour for$125 per individual. The package includes pickup in Tehachapi, checks out to three local wineries with tastings included and gourmet box lunches specifically produced to match visitors ‘food preferences. An added bonus offer is temperature-controlled storage for bottles
of white wine acquired throughout the trip, onboard snacks and water and helpful commentary about Tehachapi’s vineyards and surrounding countryside.Chris Scotti was at the wheel during a current tour offered media and others, consisting of
volunteers at the Tehachapi Visitor Center. Wife Clare was doing a volunteer stint at the center in downtown Tehachapi operated in collaboration with the city and the Tehachapi Tourist Commission, an arm of the Greater Tehachapi Economic Development Council.The couple has resided in Tehachapi for about three years.Attention to detail Scotti showed equal interest for the community and his trip visitors with terrific attention to detail. Along with water and snacks, he offered guidance
— the top problem after red wine tours, he said, is a headache, which he credits to dehydration, not alcohol.Friendly and expert, he examined the van for safety and guaranteed that everyone was using seatbelts and observing the current COVID-19 safety measure of using face masks. Hand sanitizer was supplied, together with packaged moistened towelettes before lunch.His commentary during the flight from town west toward the Cummings Valley– where most of the area’s vineyards lie– consists of a history of red wine growing in the area.He explained that the area’s current classification as an American Viticultural Location– or AVA– enables growers to include the term “Tehachapi Mountains”on their labels. The terroir is unique, he stated. Tehachapi’s vineyards grow at a higher altitude than any red wine grapes in the
country and are able to flourish due to the fact that the warm air from the San Joaquin and Antelope valleys protect the vines from frost.Tasting rooms Currently, five wine tasting spaces are operating in Tehachapi. Scotti stated Discover Tehachapi’s Signature Wine Trip rotates in between 3 of the four and prepares to establish an unique trip for the fifth.Guests on the weekend trips may go to Dorner Family Vineyard, Tehachapi Red Wine & Cattle Company, Tehachapi Winery and Triassic Vineyards. The rotation– and the order in which each is on the tour– differs with each tour.The ambiance at each of the areas is as various as the owners and their stories. However all share an enthusiasm for growing wine and collaborating to cultivate a friendly environment for visitors.A reward– however never assured &– is a possibility of satisfying the winegrowers or winemakers and discovering more about each of them.For those who want to check out by themselves, Discover Tehachapi posts an informational function,”Today in Tehachapi Wine Country,”on its Facebook and Instagram pages each Thursday with the latest information from each of the places. Numerous deal music and other home entertainment and have food available.More information Reservations may be made online with pick-up in Tehachapi. Present cards are likewise offered.Claudia Elliott is an independent journalist and previous editor
of the Tehachapi News. She resides in Tehachapi and can be reached by email: [email protected]