The last few summers have been pretty jam-packed and it seems the Temecula Balloon and Wine Festival hasn't quite made it on our calendar. Growing up in Temecula, it is often a last minute decision to attend the festival, as was the case this year. We headed over Friday night for the balloon glow, some concerts and of course, wine tastings. Yes, you can taste these wines anytime at the wineries, but it is just so convenient to have them all in one place. And you don't usually find funnel cakes and bbq ribs at the local wineries. So after purchasing wine tasting tickets and perusing the vendor area, we made our way to the food court. I enjoyed a tasty tri-tip sandwich then headed back for some more wine tasting.

Among the staple Temecula wineries was a tasting booth that immediately stood out. It could have been the man in the pirate hat or the line of ladies grabbing plastic "booty" out of a treasure chest. Plateau Vineyards is a small winery located in the Santa Rosa Plateau and farms fifteen acres of Bordeaux grape varieties. They may be off the beaten path with only two production wines, a Cabernet and a Merlot, but man do they know how to have a good time! (As witnessed by the two "Pirates of the Plateau" tattoos I acquired after my third taste of their cab) We will definitely be visiting their winery soon to get the whole scoop on Plateau Vineyards.

As the sun began to set, crowds started making their way to the festival gates to watch the massive hot air balloons being blown up. If you've never seen this in person, it is pretty amazing. After a little trouble getting the enormous Wilson Creek Almond Champagne bottle completely filled, the display of glowing balloons took over the skyline. This has always been my favorite part of the Balloon and Wine Festival, when everyone can walk right up to the balloon baskets and see first hand how they work. I love seeing kids' faces light up as the operators open up the flames for the glow.

We finished out the night listening to some great music from Lonestar, James Otto and Chuck Wicks. The TVB&W festival has really stepped up its entertainment, making the Friday night $18 entry fee well worth it. While this year was a quick trip out to see how the festival has progressed, you can bet next year The Temecula Insider will be out there in full force for the entire weekend. Maybe we'll even have our own tattoos!