Wine Vault & Bistro is pleased to announce an extra special 6-course winemaker dinner featuring the cult status wines of Turley Winery. As you probably know, Turley's mailing list has been closed for years with a waiting list a mile long, so this is truly an extraordinary opportunity to sample some amazing wines that very few people are able to try. Christina Turley, Turley's Vice President and Director of Sales & Marketing, will be here in person to host this dinner. She is founder Larry Turley's oldest daughter and, after becoming a certified Sommelier and working in the NYC restaurant business for eight years, returned to her California roots in 2010 to join the winery full time. We hope you'll be able to join us for this exclusive opportunity to sample these super limited production wines.

 MENU

Fig Leaf Smoked Mussels + Scallops | Lemongrass Bisque | Melted Leeks | Pearl Couscous

2025 Turley Sauvignon Blanc (3 oz. pour)

Roasted Yellowfin Steak | Bacon-Braised Bloomsdale Spinach | Shiitake Mushroom Jus

2025 Turley “Bechtoldt Vineyard” Cinsault (3 oz. pour)

Grilled Angus Ribeye | Black Garlic + Miso Butter | Celeriac Puree

2023 Turley Cabernet Sauvignon (3 oz. pour)

Soy + Ginger Glazed Quail | Duck Fat Fried Rice | Hoisin Jus

2023 Turley “Old Vines” Zinfandel (3 oz. pour)

 ~ side-by-side with ~

2023 Turley “Ueberroth Vineyard” Zinfandel (3 oz. pour)

Cambozola Blue Cheese | Caraway Roasted Potato Skin

2023 Turley “Hayne Vineyard” Petite Syrah (3 oz. pour)

Spumoni Gelato

Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur (1.5 oz. pour)

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RSVP (IF ON A DESKTOP COMPUTER)

Click the “Contact the Host” button in the “Tell a Friend” box on to the right and respond with the info below.

RSVP (IF ON A MOBILE DEVICE)

Scroll to the very bottom of this posting. Click the “Contact the Host” button in the “Tell a Friend” box at the bottom and respond with the info below.

RESPOND WITH THIS INFO

1. your cell number and best time to call so we can call you to update your credit card info

2. how many people are in your party, and

3. answers to the HEAD’S UP questions in the paragraph below if you’re a party of 1 or 2.

HEAD’S UP

We have a very limited number of tables for couples who want to sit by themselves so please let us know if you’re willing to sit at long communal tables (“Last Supper” style) as that will greatly increase your chances of getting in. (Yes, we understand that this is a Valentine’s dinner and that most folks will want a private table and, yes, we will do our best to accommodate that but at some point we max out on private tables!) We also have a firepit table for two (https://www.winevaultbistro.com/fire-pit) available so let us know if you’re OK with that table if you want to sit by yourselves. Also, please consider inviting another couple or two to join you as if you’re a party of four or six there won’t be a problem getting your own table. 

LOCATION & PHONE

Wine Vault & Bistro is located in the heart of San Diego between Little Italy and Old Town at 3731-A India Street on the upstairs terrace. Follow the black handrail up the stairs from the sidewalk to our front door. Our phone number is (619) 295-3939.

PARKING

Metered and non-metered on-street parking is usually available within a 3-block radius. Try to find non-metered parking as the new meters are now enforced seven days a day until 8:00PM yet still only allow a maximum of two hours. You can also park in the free lot behind Shakespeare Pub two doors down, but do not park in El Indio's lot unless you want your car towed! If you can’t find parking next to the restaurant, there’s usually parking on the side streets behind the restaurant, on San Diego Avenue one block in front of the restaurant and on the adjacent side streets just past the Chevron station across Washington Street. If you plan to drive here make sure to allow yourself plenty of time to find a parking space but ideally use a rideshare app like Uber or Lyft so you don’t have to deal with it.

WINE NOTES & BOTTLE PRICES

2025 Turley Sauvignon Blanc ~ $37

(Napa Valley) Winemaker’s Notes: Classic, bright and lively, with citrus zest, crushed white oyster shell, lemongrass and a hint of nectarine. Refreshing, zippy and dynamic on the palate. Sauvignon Blanc was one of the first wines ever made from the Turley Estate in 1993. Those vines have since been replaced by Zinfandel, but we have replanted a small section of the estate to dry-farmed, head-trained Sauvignon Blanc from heritage Napa Valley budwood once again.

2025 Turley “Bechtoldt Vyd.” Cinsault ~ $29

(Lodi) Winemaker’s Notes: Violets, pomegranate, ripe cherries with a paper-thin chocolate coating. Delicate features and excellent bone structure; this is a high cheekbones type of wine if there ever was one. Also delicious with a slight chill. Planted in 1885, this Cinsault vineyard is certainly the oldest of its kind in the United States, and perhaps even the oldest Cinsault in the world! A light-bodied red grape, Cinsault (pronounced SAHN-so) is usually found in the south of France as a component of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in the Rhône Valley or consumed as Rosé in Provence. The Bechthold Vineyard vines are gnarly, head-trained and dry-farmed in deep, sandy soils. They’re also ungrafted, meaning they remain on their original vitis vinifera roots that were first planted 136 years ago, a phenomenon nearly impossible to replicate today. The wine is light bodied with fresh, high acidity, almost akin to a Gamay or a very light Pinot Noir. It’s fermented using only natural yeasts and aged in 100% used French oak.

2023 Turley Cabernet Sauvignon ~ $59

(Napa Valley) Winemaker’s Notes: Certified organic, single vineyard 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from our home in St. Helena in the heart of Napa Valley. Deeply saturated in color, it offers evocative aromatics of purple and red fruits like blackberries and currants alongside soft hints of savory earth. As always, this wine overdelivers on the palate: supple and velvety, with lovely, well-integrated tannins and a long, satiating finish. Planted in 1989 on the volcanic and alluvial soils found in northern Napa Valley, this vineyard forms the eastern border of the Turley estate and is framed on two sides by ancient, majestic oak trees and a 150-year-old olive grove.

2023 Turley “Old Vines” Zinfandel ~ $30

(California) Winemaker’s Notes: Dark brambly fruits, beautifully spiced, gingerbread and a touch of herbs de Provence. Smooth, harmonious and supple on the palate. Old Vines is composed of a variety of old sites from California that are either too small to be made into a vineyard designate wine or are “new” to the Turley family (and way of farming). Vines are anywhere from 50 to 130 years old, and a true representation of California old vine Zinfandel, hailing from vineyards in Napa, Sonoma, Mendocino, Lodi, Contra Costa, Amador and Paso Robles. 

2023 Turley “Ueberroth Vyd.” Zinfandel ~ $57

(Paso Robles) Winemaker’s Notes: Ripe blackberry, cranberry, wild raspberry, white pepper and game. Concentrated yet lithe, powerful and pretty, and undeniably one of our top wines. Ueberroth is one of the oldest of our Zinfandel vineyards. Located just a few miles northwest of Pesenti, you can smell the Pacific Ocean air from the top of the vineyard hill. These ungrafted, head-trained 130+ year old vines are planted on very steep limestone slopes. The high pH of the soil makes for a very high-acid wine, elevating the ripe fruit flavors from this historic vineyard. 

2023 Turley “Hayne Vyd.” Petite Syrah ~ $82

(Napa Valley) Winemaker’s Notes: A medley of dark fruits like plum, berries and currants alongside signature power, structure and longevity. Lay it down for up to 50 years or generously decant and enjoy now. Otty Hayne planted the Hayne Petite Syrah in 1953 while he was home from college visiting his grandfather. All head-trained, dry-farmed and organic, this Petite Syrah vineyard is one of the most exceptional sites in California. The wine is powerful and inky in its youth, and becomes more feminine and refined with age. Likely to outlive us all.

THE FINE PRINT

Due to fluctuations of supply, we reserve the right to make substitutions of equal or greater value in case any of the wines or foods become unavailable. Please, ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NO ONE UNDER THE AGE OF 21 ... even if your babysitter flakes out on you at the last minute!

Hope to see you here. Buon appetito and cheers!

Chris