An Introduction

Greetings! My name is Aaron Saltzman, and I’m the administrator for Temecula Wine Ratings. I’m a WSET Level II certified wine and spirits professional. I’ve had a passion for wines and spirits since 2011, when a couple close friends and I founded a tech start-up for alcoholic beverage brands called Slingr. I believe wines and spirits embody a unique confluence of art, science, history and culture, and I have tremendous respect for those who’ve mastered the craft of winemaking and distilling.

I moved with my wife and dog to Temecula Wine Country in July 2017, and quickly fell in love with the area. As a winemaking region, the Temecula Valley AVA is the quintessential start-up. For decades, it was considered too difficult a climate to produce outstanding wines. But with time, education, and iteration, the region has come into its own. In fact, Wine Enthusiast listed Temecula as a global top 10 travel destination in 2019.

This blog is my way of sharing that love for Temecula wines — especially those wines which are a cut above the rest.

I believe wines and spirits embody a unique confluence of art, science, history, and culture.

Before continuing, a disclosure:

Most wine ratings focus on “how much the traits of a particular wine ‘typify’ the style and region it’s from.” And all wine ratings are subjective. With that said, Temecula is a relatively new winemaking region, offering a range of styles. While I will certainly try to focus on how varietals and blends should taste (e.g., typicity for similar regions/climates, identifiable faults, etc.), much of these ratings will incorporate how enjoyable the wine was to drink — which, like all wine ratings, is entirely subjective.

All that aside, if you’ve stumbled on this site, I hope these ratings are a helpful guide into the eclectic world of Temecula wines.