Songwriter now rated on his wine

It wasn’t a peaceful or easy task to squeeze into Jack Tempchin’s show at the Wine Gallery in Laguna Beach on April 3.

The singer-songwriter, whose Eagles hit “Peaceful Easy Feeling” recently lent its title to a brand from South Coast Winery, performed to a packed room during a live broadcast on KX 93.5 FM.

After his set, Tempchin gingerly made his way through the crowd to an outdoor area behind the restaurant, where he met fans and autographed bottles. (As of Monday, Wine Gallery owner Chris Olson said the restaurant still carried the brand, which has an official listed price of $19.99.)

A large, mounted banner in the signing area proclaimed, “He’s a great songwriter,” with the quote attributed to the Eagles’ Don Henley.

Fair enough — but how good is the wine? The Coastline Pilot took a survey of those who bought a helping of Peaceful Easy Feeling at the show:

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Analysis: “I thought it was really good. It had big fruit on the front end, but a very smooth finish.”

What would you pair it with? “I think, in addition to steak and lamb, it would probably be pretty good with some Italian food too — a red, garlicky sauce.”

—Vicki Pope, Lake Forest

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Analysis: “It was, honestly, a bit bitter, and that was just the first glass. I think once it opened and sat for a while, I thought it was good. And I felt like there was no hangover. Perfect.”

What would you pair it with? “I would probably pair it with a good meat, a meaty dish.”

—Patricia Romero, Laguna Beach

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Analysis: “I thought it was delicious. I like Pinot Noirs and Cabernets, but I thought it was an incredibly great price for the wine.”

What would you pair it with? “A filet mignon.”

—Pat Hawk, Laguna Beach

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Analysis: “I thought the wine was good. It had a smooth, peaceful, easy taste.”

What would you pair it with? “I think it would go good with some kind of red meat, which most red wines do.”

—Jim Nathan, Buena Park

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Analysis: “It was one of the better Temecula Cabs I’ve ever had, especially for the price. It’s not a bad wine for the money.”

What would you pair it with? “Any steak, filet mignon, short ribs, hamburgers — even ribs or some good, hard cheeses too.”

—Chris Olson, owner of the Wine Gallery