PAGE 24


Visiting Our Vineyards By Susan Montgomery Fazeli Cellars recently opened


the Temecula Valley Wine Coun- try’s newest wine tasting venue— a majestic Mediterranean-styled structure on De Portola Wine Trail atop a hill with one of the most in- spiring and breath-taking views in the valley. We recently talked with per-


sonable Bijan “BJ” Fazeli, founder and owner of the winery, about this dream-come-true venture. BJ has been making wine in the area for eight years. He first sold his wines at the Collective in Old Town Temecula (now called Crush ‘n Brew) and then opened a popular tasting room, which is still open in Old Town. When planning his wine coun-


try structure, rather than starting “small,”as many wineries do, BJ started “large” with more than 200,000 square feet of building space that will accom- modate events of all sizes. He will soon move in all the equipment needed to produce his wines onsite. BJ describes his building’s architecture as “Modern Moorish” with its combination of A-frames, hexagons, and squares. At the front of the building are two long winding staircases that symbolize open arms welcoming guests to the winery. The stylish, spacious tasting room is the centerpiece of the winery. After getting


your glass of wine, you can wander outside to the patio and immerse yourself in the stunning panoramic views that surround you from every direction. BJ situated his tast- ing room with a southwest view


that


would capture the maximum amount of sun during the day and the moon-


Welcome to our Winery Experience.


rise at night. He points out that “Nature has given us this beautiful art and all we had to do was frame it. So that’s what we have done.” He makes the point that his goal was to create an inspiring experi- ence for his guests and he has certainly done that. In the construction and de-


sign of the building, the goal was to be environmentally friendly so recycled materials are used throughout. BJ is pleased that no trees were cut down to construct the winery. We were particularly enthralled with the counter tops of the two bars in the tasting room that are made of polished walnut with beautiful copper and turquoise swirls. Fazeli Cellars is deeply rooted in BJ’s Persian heritage. Two slo-


gans reflect his inspiration in creating and developing the winery. “Our Roots Run Deep” is etched in concrete at the winery’s entrance. The other slogan is on each Fazeli wine bottle label and reads: "Inspired by the ancient traditions of Persia, rooted in the modern expressions of California.” BJ points out that Persia has a rich history of making wine. The oldest wine flask


ever found, estimated to be 7000 years old, was discovered on the western side of Iran. BJ also grew up in a family where he learned to appreciate good food and wine. He loves to cook and many of his favorite Middle Eastern dishes are available at the winery’s Baba Joon’s Kitchen, which is open daily from noon to 5 p.m. Why the name? In Farsi (Persian language), Baba means father or grandfather and Joon is an affec- tionate term of endearment that BJ’s grandchildren use when addressing him. I can attest to how delicious Baba Joon’s food is since I have tried most of the


small plates offered, including stuffed grape leaves, beef and chicken kabobs, fava bean hummus, baghlava, plus flatbreads and sandwiches. These dishes pair espe- cially well with Fazeli’s nicely balanced, flavorful wines. Head Chef Anthony Bartolotta does an outstanding job of preparing dishes and running the kitchen.


View of the Winery from behind the hill. A beautiful stairway


welcomes visitors to this ‘Modern Moorish’ structure.


MARCH 2016 Fazeli Cellars Opens in the Wine Country


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48