Southern California Wine Country Moto Riding and Christmas Shopping!

The fall season in SoCal is upon us. That means temps start to drop enough that we have to remember where we put that removable liner from our 3 season riding jacket. It also means that Christmas shopping is in full swing. I have spent so much money on Motorbike related matters this year that I won't be expecting much with my name on it under the Christmas tree. My understanding wife, on the other hand, supported me, my racing and My Motorbike Obsessions all year and so she deserves a little consideration from Santa. I combined a weekend ride with a little shopping to do just that. This post is how it all went. Enjoy!

The Doffo Winery tucked away in Temecula, CA is in the heart of this area's wine country. All around and even across the street were beautiful vineyards and resorts offering tastings of the local vintage. If you dig into the brochures, I'm sure you'll find every type of winery and vineyard around, but of course this blog is all about fun on two wheels. Doffo winery combines vintage motorcycle racing and the fruit of the vine in a pretty cool little package. From what I've learned, the owners have a thing for older, European race bikes. The winery helps to provide funds for racing, restoration and a small museum on the property. My ride was to check out the museum, get out a bit away from the joys of office life and hopefully pick up a bottle of something for my sweetie.

The tasting room of Doffo is as cool as these pics show. It is a nice mix of classy winery and vintage  motorcycle racing. Tucked just about everywhere you could are reminders of moto related passion. I cruised through the tasting room soaking in the sites and checking out the shirts and other merchandise. I was tempted to try some wine, but since I had many more miles to put on the FZ1 that day, I reluctantly refrained. One day I'll have to bring the Mrs. here so that we could enjoy the experience together.

The decorative bikes placed all around the property show that while Doffo takes wine and motorcycle racing seriously, they don't take themselves seriously. How can you if you display an old Kawasaki CHP bike? The property is small and easily navigated. The grounds are welcoming and relaxing. The view from the parking lot is spectacular. Strolling around seeing the combination of vine and motorcycles was fun. Bikes of every conceivable make, model and era were all around. I don't do stuffy suits and formal occasions more than once a year or so. When I do, I'm usually in uniform. This place made me feel classy wearing my riding boots as I walked around.

The Barrel room is where the real action is. In the outside seating area bikes decorate the structure. Extra large poster sized reproductions of vintages race flyers take you back in time a bit. Just like the others areas of Doffo, the variety of bikes in the collection had me fascinated. I saw a reproduction board track racer from the 1920's, various European enduro style bikes from the 1960's and even a mini sidecar race rig. Every bike was labeled with its vital information and the building itself would make a great moto & wine related event location. I'm sure that wasn't by accident.

Inside the Barrel room are some of the nicer bikes in terms of restoration. Bikes of all descriptions with a heavy dose of European machinery line one of the walls. Another wall is decorated with glass cases full of moto related nick-nacks. Engines and gas tanks also add to the air of vintage motorcycle racing. These bikes had more work done to them to pretty them up. A few looked almost ready to ride. The 1960's was well represented in this collection. Lots of smaller displacement bikes. Scrambler styling back when scramblers were actually scramblers. The little red Moto Guzzi single shown here would be great for this area. With the mellow, winding roads, a bike like this would be right a home loping along as the rider and pillion enjoy the crisp fall air.

How can you beat that view? The beauty of this area when the skies clear and the sun comes out from the clouds was undeniable, if a bit distracting. I had to focus on proper bike operation while still trying to enjoy the sights. I picked my gift and loaded up. I wanted to ride and enjoy more of the area, but also wanted to hang out more. The staff was in full swing so I was left to my own devices. It'd be cool to have a chat with the owners and talk about bikes while enjoying some cured meat and a little bottle of red wine.

I hope you enjoyed my recap of last weekend's ride. I will be doing a little more ride/shopping this weekend to put together a nice little gift for the lady that has helped me to get this far with my moto life. I also will be getting back into the shop to rebuild the CRF450R's water pump. I haven't ridden that bike since my Moto Anatomy class and really want to get back onto the flat track. My online class is winding down so I'll have more time to concentrate on the blog. Enjoy your weekend fans! Ride safe.

Blue