Marge Bitetti

Southern California Wine Country Through Time Marge Bitetti

Grapes have been grown in the Temecula Valley since the mission days in the 1830s, but the development of the region as a renowned wine-producing area occurred centuries later. Temecula Valley received formal recognition as an American Viticultural Area in 1984. Viticulture refers to the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. Temecula Valley has over forty licensed wineries, producing over 500,000 cases annually. The name Temecula comes from the Luiseño Indian word Temecunga--temet meaning "sun" and "-ngna" which means "place of." The Spanish settlers who came into the region translated the word to mean, "where the sun breaks through the mist." The city of Temecula is in the extreme southwestern section of Riverside County and is 58 miles north of San Diego, and 86 miles from Los Angeles. Visitors can enjoy award-winning wines in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere set in the beauty of the verdant Temecula Valley. In 2019, a popular magazine for wine connoisseurs named Temecula as one of the ten best wine vacation destinations in the world.