Early last year [2025], I was in San Diego again and met up with Steve and his girlfriend Melissa. On Thursday, we went wine tasting at La Mesa Wine Works along with Steve’s sister, Cecile, and her neighbors, Rob & Jeff, along with Sandy and Sara. We played Trivia; they do that on Thursday nights. It’s a blast!
What a great time! Our team, The Usual Suspects, came close to winning, but Blue’s Clues won. Cecile said they usually won. Two of their members live near Melissa. One team answered every question wrong on purpose; they had hilarious–but wrong–answers.
Click on the photo of their building to go to their website…
Being that this blog is about wine, I should tell you more about their wines and vineyards. Here is what they say…
Long-time La Mesa residents Mike and Linda McWilliams bought San Pasqual Winery in 2009 when it was San Diego’s first urban winery, then located in Pacific Beach. After working with City Hall to update La Mesa’s zoning regulations to permit the production of wine and beer, they established a larger production facility on Center Street. This led the way for what we refer to as La Mesa’s Industrial Revolution, resulting in two breweries and now Wine Works, all located within easy walking distance in La Mesa’s industrial area. Mike and Linda are active in the San Diego County Vintners Association, with Linda currently serving as President.
My favorite was one of their white wines… 2025 Golden Hour (Blush Blend) – San Diego County, dry blend of 60% Albariño, 40% Rosè of Cabernet Franc & 3% Tempranillo.
My favorite reds were the 2014 Syrah and the 2012 Zinfandel, both labeled as San Diego County wines. Both were great examples of their grapes.
