Best of 2000: Best San Diego County Winery

Proprietor Alexander McGeary is 10 years into his 25-year project to hammer out a wine industry high on the eastern side of Mount Palomar, and things are progressing. Though frost -- a threat at 3500 feet -- reduced the harvest of his star white varietal, Viognier, two years in a row, he is rebounding by releasing a two-vintage bottling. Some of the wine has been in-barrel for 18 months, some for 10. The extra time in wood should prove an interesting addition to what was already a rich and aromatic Viognier, which should sell at around $18. Available now, a dry Muscat ($9), a Grenache Rosé ($8), and a Barbera ($15). McGeary's $10 Carrignane is a fine wine bargain. The tasting room, open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., has been relocated to the winery, and a picnic area has been arranged near the original Old Gus vineyard, planted in 1948. In its rehabilitation and expansion, you might glimpse the history and future of San Diego wine.