Temecula Wineries

Not Like Other Wine Areas

Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Mendocino, Santa Barbara…if you’ve gone wine tasting, chances are you went to one of these regions. With the movie Sideways not only did Pinot Noir get a huge boost in sales and people clamoring to taste the wine, the Pinot growing regions became hugely impacted. Before, going wine tasting in Paso Robles or other areas in Central California was a breeze…but not so any longer. Buses, lines, reservations, you name it—it is not an easy location to visit. Sonoma and Napa are fairly busy too.

About Temecula Wineries

The name Temecula is derived from the native American description for the "land where the sun shines through the mist". As far as the region itself, it’s not a secret that Southern California enjoys a good deal of warm sun…but Temecula gets a chill-down: the eastern valleys heat up, warm air rises, creating a low-pressure system. This helps draw cool misty Pacific air into the valley. The maritime influence refreshes the vineyards, effectively moderating the extreme heat of the southern California sun.

If it were not for this cooling influence, chances are you would see table grapes being grown instead of wine grapes. Since it is still a rather warm climate region for grape-growing, the types of wines that you will find here overall will be the bigger reds like Cabernet, Syrah and maybe Zinfandel (and some great Rosé wines!). One winery (more on that later) even produces sparkling wine—so you have a good selection of wine to choose from.

Temecula Wineries to Visit

Here are some wineries to put on your list the next time you go to Temecula:

• Callaway — One of the larger Temecula wineries in the valley. The tasting room has great views of the vineyard, and if you go to their website Callaway Winery you can download a coupon for a complimentary tasting. You can also sign up for a tour as well, but be sure to call ahead. This winery does some great Rhone varietals (try the Viognier and Roussane) among the others on the list.

• Thornton - Well known for sparkling wine and offers tours to the public. Check their website for more information and schedules on the tours at Thornton Winery If you have more time and would like a little more substantial experience, you can eat brunch in the café on premise as well. If you’re a fan of sparkling wine you should not miss Thornton Winery.

• South Coast Winery Resort and Spa- Yeah, you read it correctly. Spa and resort…and winery! Not many wineries offer wine tasting, a villa to stay in and a spa to get a massage all in one location. If you do a tour here it also includes barrel tasting—a great experience if you are curious of the wine evolution before it gets to the bottle. Tasting includes Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, and Cabernet…typical wines for Temecula wineries.

• Falkner Winery — Another winery that is more than just a winery. A restaurant is also on the premises that features Falkner wines. This winery has a great view and sweeping architecture. They make many types of wines, but for the tasting they have many options than just the normal tasting—the include a port tasting and a premium tasting where you can try the “reserve” type wines.

Plan Ahead

Temecula is a great place to visit and proof-positive that you don’t have to travel too far north in California to taste some good wines. As always, do some research first before you get in your car and just drive to the wineries on the road—stopping just because it was the next one down the road. By researching the wineries that are in Temecula, you can get an idea of which wineries you want to visit and which ones are not quite what you’re looking for. If you go to the [www.temeculawines.org Temecula Wines website] you will

• See a map of the Temecula wineries
• Find out what wines each winery produces
• Figure out if you need to make reservations

Planning your wine trip is best because it helps in minimizing any surprises or upsets.

Enjoy...With Food!

Although these are just a few suggestions if you're planning a trip to Temecula wineries, be sure to check out others as well before your next trip. Unlike most other wineries, many of these wineries feature a restaurant or deli as part of the building. This gives you the opportunity to take a break from your wine tasting, have some food and try out the local foods paired with the wines from the area—a great experience! Enjoy your next trip to Temecula wineries!