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Temecula California's Unknown Wine Region
By: Ron Kapon	<< back   Page 2 of 2

It’s interesting visiting a wine region that puts so much emphasis on the food and wine connection. Temecula is unique in it’s ratio of restaurant to winery mix. There are six restaurants in wine country. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are available year round. Everything from five-star dinning to casual deli noshing is offered. According to Lynn Alley, San Diego Tribune’s food critic, “If you still think of Temecula as a culinary backwater, you've got another think coming. With the advent of Vineyard Rose, the new 12,000-square-foot restaurant at South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, Temecula can hold its own among the best San Diego County has to offer.” I agree. My lunch at South Coast Winery featured world-class cuisine with breathtaking vineyard vistas. What more could I ask for?

Temecula is a great day trip or weekend escape. Besides the wineries, leave some time to visit Old Town Temecula with over 640 antique stores, book a round of golf at Temecula Creek Inn, or reserve one of their wine country packages that includes a great room, dining and winetasting. Nearby Pechanga Casino and Resort offers Vegas-style gambling and nightlife. If you’re up for some an early-morning adventure, try a hot air balloon ride that will give you an eagle-eye view of all that Temecula Valley wine country has to offer.

More than 200 years ago winemaking began in California at the Mission San Juan Capistrano and the first winemakers were the mission padres. Temecula (means “where the sun shines through the mist;” the Luiseno Indian word for sun is temet) is a relatively young region with the first commercial winery opening in 1968. The late Ely Callaway (equally famous for the Big Bertha golf club) opened the first tasting room in 1975. By 1984 Temecula was an official winemaking region as recognized by the BATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms which now is known as the Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau- TTB). It is one of two California AVA (Approved Viticultural Area) south of Los Angeles.

Temecula is located 500 miles south of San Francisco, resulting in a slightly higher angle of the sun and greater solar intensity. This along with a relatively low rainfall creates an early growing season. The vineyards are irrigated from large underground aquifers, which are refilled by rainfall from the surrounding mountains. The cool air flowing inland from the Pacific Ocean (22 miles away) moderates the daytime temperature and creates warm sunny days and cool nights, ideal conditions for the vineyards. Since Temecula vineyards are located around 1,500 feet above sea level cold night air creates a double cooling effect at night which adds to the development of high quality grapes. Grapevines also like well-drained soils that are not constantly wet. The local decomposing granite soils permit the water to drain easily without adding an herbaceous flavor. The results are stronger vines and smaller grapes, ideal for highly concentrated flavor.

For a free color brochure call the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association at (800) 801-WINE or visit the website at www.temeculawines.org.

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