The wild west, open skies, big horses, carriage rides, frontier ranching, rebel cowboys….. and wine making! Meet the valley's most out of the box, independent thinking, cowboy rancher/wine maker….. John Brodersen of Longshadow Ranch Vineyard & Winery.

John is truly one of my wife's and mine favorite personalities in Wine Country. He has rankled many others in the valley by doing things independently, his own way, and very successfully, at that!

This is by far the most atmospheric, and family friendly winery facility in the valley. Beautiful open lawn areas, big shade trees, a kid's petting zoo, bonfire pits, music band stands, and lots of horses… big horses! So where did the big country idea come from?

John grew up in the Big Sky Country of Montana, around horses and ranching. In the early eighties, as a young man, his passion for playing music in a punk rock band led him to Hollywood. As a successful musician and studio session man for much of the 80's in and around LA, he found himself missing the touches of home and "the country". After marrying, the Brodersen's decided their kids should grow up in the country surroundings that were so good to him, and in the middle 90's headed out to south Riverside County, looking for "country". So, in the small little north/south valley, centered along Temecula's Calle Contento, "country" was found…. including lots of room for horses! So what do ranchers do in wine country? Well they grow grapes of course. And so the Brodersen's not only planted horses, but they planted grapes.

John tells the story, when you ask him, of how they named the ranch. Their house sits up upon the side of the hills to the west of the valley floor, above the ranch." In the warm setting sun of summer evenings, the kids would jump up and down on their trampoline, and watch the sun cast their longshadows across the ranch", so his wife Susan said, "We should call it the ranch, Longshadow". And that family, old time, old west touch truly casts a "longshadow" across everything else they do at the ranch…. including the emergence of surprisingly well crafted wines. Working a lot with the valley's red wine guru, Marshall Stuart, Longshadow has produced their Rheata Red, a meritage–type blend, that is full of rare blueberries and dark cherries. Another delight is their White Feather Chardonnay, certainly one of the "white" standouts in the valley, along with their Muscat. 

Now, you can even taste their wines more conveniently! Longshadow now has a rustic storefront/saloon, at 25800 Front Street in Old Town Temecula (next to the Palomar Hotel at Fifth Street). Extended evening entertainment hours make for a whole new Longshadow experience, in the Old West tradition you've come to expect from them. Call the shop at 951-699-1600, for all the details.

In the spring and summer months, Saturday nights feature live music, bonfires, and family hoedowns, out on the ranch. Sometimes you'll even see John revisiting his music years, up on stage with the evening bands. When you do, go up to the stage and tell John that LeRoy & Phyllis at ShopTemeculaWines.com sent you.