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04/01/2010

AVA Spotlight: Temecula Valley

Southern California is known for its Hollywood celebrities and miles of sandy and sunny coastline, but less than an hour east of the glittering Pacific Ocean is the booming wine-growing area of Temecula Valley.

The American Viticultural Area (AVA) of Temecula Valley, located in southern Riverside County, is known for its great wine-tasting tours, hot air balloon rides and luxurious weddings that draw in wine lovers from all over Southern California.

The AVA is made up of more than 20 wineries with about 1,300 acres of vineyards located at an elevation of 1,100 to 1,500 feet. This makes for cool summer nights that are ideal for growing grapes, particularly the cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay for which the area is known. The vines of these varieties thrive off a warm daytime climate with cool nights and Temecula Valley’s low rainfall, particularly around harvest time in the fall, which is important for wine grape quality.

The close proximity to the Rainbow Gap, one of the lower areas of the Coastal Mountain Range, adds to Temecula Valley’s ideal climate by consistently providing morning fog and cool coastal breezes, even though it’s 22 miles inland of the beaches. The well-drained decomposed granite soil gives Temecula wine-grape growers the pure, concentrated flavors they desire in their grapes.

While the AVA’s chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and merlot have all been recognized with prestigious awards, the area has lately been producing more Mediterranean varietals, such as pinot gris and syrah, which have also received accolades.

Consider whetting your appetite for Southern California wines at the annual Temecula Valley Balloon & Wine Festival, the Harvest Wine Celebration or look for wines with the Temecula Valley appellation at your nearest wine shop.

Sources: Temeculawines.org, Temecula.winecountry.com, Wikipedia.org

Photos courtesy of Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association.

Temecula Valley is centrally located in Southern California and has something for everyone – wonderful wines, unique tasting tours, hot air balloon rides and beautiful special event settings.