Chapin Family Vineyards is at 36084 Summitville Street in Temecula’s wine country. Valley News/Shane Gibson photo
The Mystery WinoCheers from Temecula wine country! After last week’s stop at Leoness Cellars on the De Portola Wine Trail, I returned to Rancho California Road to visit Chapin Family Winery.Chapin is a boutique winery located 5 miles outside the city limits. In fact, it’s the last stop before Lake Skinner and the dragons that live beyond our eastern border. Such splendid isolation means fewer visits, fewer wine club members, a less crowded tasting room, and only 4,000 or so cases produced every year. Despite these challenges, owner Steve Chapin and his staff provide a consistently enjoyable wine-tasting experience, along with first-class wines.Sometimes driving to the end of the road is worth it.The BackgroundLike most area winery owners, Steve Chapin’s path to th
