Lorimar Winery is my favorite place to go wine tasting in Temecula. They recently started offering food service at their winery so I grabbed a few friends and we went to check it out. 
I love wine! You know this. But wine tasting can be a little bit intimidating. That is one of the reasons that I like Lorimar Winery so much (they hosted our food and wine tasting, full disclosure). Not only do they produce amazing, flavorful wines, but they are really laid back and fun. Every time I've been to their tasting room, there has been such an amazing atmosphere and the staff has to be the best in the valley. I am a big fan of their sparkling wines and this was my first time trying their new sparkling rose wine. YOU GUYS! Yum! I'm so sad I only picked up one bottle to bring home with me. I'd also like to note that they don't make you pour your own wines as shown in the photo above but we had finished the tasting and bought another bottle because we were having such a great time and enjoying the wine so much. We were literally there ALL DAY!
On this visit it was pouring rain so they opened up their member's only tasting lounge so everyone could enjoy their wine comfortably. When the weather is good, they have a large outdoor patio and feature live music. This is not a stuffy winery. The staff is all about fun and you can always expect to find all the guests enjoying themselves too.
On this visit, we did a premium wine tasting. We tried 6 different wines and started with the sparkling and moved on to the whites, then reds. I have never met a Lorimar wine I didn't like. The Sangiovese was a highlight for me. And I adore their Field Blend.
But this was my first time having their food! Pairings is their food truck and is available on weekends for guests to order from. I would have gotten a photo if it hadn't been raining because, you guys! My hair would have totally frizzed out. That's not a good look. The menu is half shareable plates and half personal sized burgers and entrees. We let them choose their favorite plates for us to try.
I'm still dreaming about the Cajun Shrimp! It's served in a creamy buerre blanc citrus sauce with toast points for $11. I think we all liked this one way more than we thought we would! It reminds me of a shrimp dish my mom used to make when we were little. Mmmmmmmmmm. When the bread got soaked in the sauce…that's what dreams taste like. I'm sure of it.
All charcuterie boards are not created equal. This one from Pairings was fantastic! It featured pastrami brisket, prosciutto, ham, pastrami genoa salami, mortadella, capocollo, stilton and baked brie. It's served with toasted baguettes, flatbread crackers, apples, honey, candied pecans and figs for $24. We need to take a moment for the baked brie. It's baked in to some sort of bread crust and topped with a light arugula salad… OH MAN was that amazing! We all tried to be civil and share it but we all really wanted to eat that whole thing ourselves. 
THE FRIES! I love a restaurant that knows that offering a few varieties of french fries is the best idea ever. They come in Salt & Vinegar, Spicy Cajun, Salt & Pepper, Truffle Oil, Parmesan and Applewood Bacon for $7 an order. We did the Truffle Oil and Parmesan & Bacon. We were so happy with these. The fries were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I need these in my face again soon. So good. 
The Pairings menu gives suggestions for wines that pair well with the dishes which is such a cool feature. There are so many amazing sounding dishes on the menu that I can't wait to go back and try! A perfect summer afternoon would be snacking on some delicious Pairings food, with a glass of something sparkling listening to live local music on the patio at Lorimar…
If you're looking for a great place to plan a girl's getaway or just want to get away for the day with your husband, you have to check out Lorimar. (There are tons of great local hotels to stay at and Lorimar Winery is a short uber ride from most of them!) I'm so excited about their food! I can't wait until my next trip!
Learn more about Lorimar Winery from my previous visits:
Lorimar Sleepover : Downtown Temecula
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