California's Temecula Valley Wines

Temecula Valley is where the wine action is in Southern California. No wine region south of Santa Barbara has seen the kind of explosive development we are seeing in Temecula. Just a decade or two ago Temecula was a sleepy town with historic roots on the I-15 between Riverside and San Diego. A handful of pioneer wineries (Callaway-1969, Mt. Palomar-1975, Cilurzo-1978, Filsinger-1980, Hart-1980) tried their luck with the grape varietals fashionable at the time.

Disaster struck Temecula vineyards in 1996 in the form of Pierce's Disease. Whole vineyards were wiped out. One winery relocated much of its operations to the Central Coast. Others resigned themselves to the fact that they would lose around 20% of their vines every year in perpetuity.

Large vineyard areas were replanted with new varietals budded onto rootstock known to be less susceptible to Pierce's Disease: Dolcetto on Chenin Blanc rootstock, Nebbiolo on Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay on White Riesling. Today a wide spectrum of varietals graces Temecula vineyards: Sangiovese, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Malbec, Dolcetto, Merlot, Chardonnay, Roussanne, Palomino, Viognier.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel have not performed well in the valley, but are sourced from nearby vineyards on Wild Horse Peak and Cucamonga. Temecula Valley is discovering its viticultural niche and certain grape varietals appear to be outperforming their competition elsewhere in the state. Dolcetto and Malbec are prominent examples.

To satisfy the appetites of burgeoning Rancho California, upscale inns, hotels, and restaurants have been established. Beautiful new wineries have been built - 25 and counting. World class chefs and winemakers were brought on board. In little more than a decade Temecula has become Southern California's leading wine destination.

It's like Napa Valley reduced to manageable proportions and free of crowds. In this article and the next we will suggest places to stay, restaurants and wineries to visit, and provide reviews of many currently available Temecula Valley wines.

Big money and viticultural know-how have transformed this peaceful valley into a New World version of Tuscany. The County of Riverside even contributed 500 Italian Cypress trees, along with substantial plantings of olive and cork oak trees. You can enjoy limo tours and balloon tours.

For a peaceful, elegant overnight, we recommend the Inn at Churon Winery, which offers fashionable accommodations in the country French style, with gas fireplaces, Jacuzzis, country French furnishings and beautifully tiled powder rooms. Every room features a splendid hilltop view of the surrounding countryside and guests are treated to a complimentary wine tasting every evening and hotel style breakfast each morning.

South Coast Winery Resort and Spa offers 76 stylish private villas with jacuzzi, fireplace, and private terrace. In addition to its luxurious accommodations, South Coast Winery is home to one of the regions finest restaurants, the Vineyard Rose, whose executive chef Dan Saito trained at Maxim's in Paris, Spago in Hollywood, and Masa's in San Francisco.

Of course, Temecula's main attraction is the wine. Located directly east of a gap in the Coast Range, Temecula Valley is one of Southern California's only inland viticultural areas that enjoy the blessing of coastal influence. It's cooler than Cucamonga to the north and the vineyards of San Diego County to the south. Our next article will provide detailed reviews of a spectrum of Temecula Valley wines together with procurement information.

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