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| Tuesday, Jul 1 2008 10:05 AM
Last Updated: Tuesday, Jul 1 2008 7:37 AM
Escape the summer heat this weekend while you indulge your palate, savoring wines at the grand opening of the Souza Family Vineyard’s tasting room and gift shop.
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Souza Ranch is nestled in Cummings Valley, southwest of Tehachapi. The tasting room will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Those are its regular planned hours of operation.
Bob and Patty Souza bought 60 acres that used to house the Elijah Stowell estate, an 1888 Victorian home. They planted grapes on about 6 acres, and grow Primitivo Zinfandel, an Italian grape. Their gamble paid off.
“We’re really proud of it,” owner Bob Souza said. “We don’t know how we came out so lucky.”
Their “high mountain Zin” is a smooth-drinking wine with hints of licorice and pepper, he said.
The Souzas sell it under two labels: Quattro Stagioni, “four seasons” in Italian, and Tehachapi Wine & Cattle Co.
On a lark, they entered their first crush, from 2005, in the San Francisco Chronicle’s 2008 wine competition. They won a silver medal.
Visitors may sample and purchase wines from three Antelope Valley vineyards: Cameo, Antelope Valley and Leona Valley Winery.
“Our marketing mantra is locally grown,” Souza said.
About 25 different wines, including Port, Meritage, a higher-end red wine, and Chardonnay will be featured. Prices will range from $7.95 to $59.95, Souza said.
This weekend, visitors can say hello to musician and actor Mickey Jones, a longtime Souza family friend. Jones played drums with Bob Dylan and The First Edition and is a character actor with numerous credits, including a recurring role on the sitcom “Home Improvement.”
He’ll be signing copies of his memoir, “That Would be Me: Rock & Roll Survivor to Hollywood Actor.”
For more information about the tasting room, call 822-9233. The Souza Family Vineyard is at 26877 Cummings Valley Road.