To the west of Temecula, lie over 25 wineries with over 1500 acres of vineyards currently under production. Up to a few years ago, many Californians did not know where Temecula was located, not to mention the remainder of the country. But things began to change in 2008 when a Temecula winery, South Coast won the Winery of the Year Award at the California State Fair. All of a sudden Temecula was on the map.

The wineries lie to the east of Interstate 15 about one hour northeast of San Diego and an hour and a half southeast of Los Angles. The Temecula wineries are close to the interstate and within a ninety-minute drive for close to twenty million people.

According to Joe Hart from Hart Winery, one of the misconceptions that people have about Temecula is that it is hot. Even though it can reach over one hundred degrees during the summer months, between 3:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon, cool winds from the ocean make their way to the valley and drop the temperatures. This is good for the vineyard grapes as well as the thousands of visitors that are discovering and visiting the wineries.

Perhaps another misconception is that California Wineries are not the friendliest of places to visit. However after spending a week visiting wineries in Temecula, we have met the friendliest owners, winemakers, tasting room managers and chefs. When visiting Temecula wineries, you will be welcomed. They do not talk down to visitors and truly appreciate your interest in their wines. If you haven’t visited this wonderful wine country consider it for a future weekend getaway or weeklong trip.