TEMECULA’S WINE COUNTRY

By Charles N. Stevens

Photos by Dolores Seidman

When we think of vineyards and wineries in California, the famous Napa Valley or the new wineries around Paso Robles come to mind. Yet the wine industry flourishes in Southern California too, at Temecula, just a few miles east of Interstate 15.

We’re on our way there today. Rolling along Highway 60, we soon angle off on Highway 71, past the exotic Hindu temple on our left and the dry Chino Hills on our right. We transition onto the 91 Freeway briefly, then turn south at the modernistic transition lanes at Corona to Interstate 15. Now we’re headed straight to our destination at Temecula. We pass Lake Elsinore and Menifee, at last arriving at the city of Temecula. We leave the freeway and turn left (or east) at Rancho California Road, passing through shopping malls, resorts, hotels and fine homes.

All of a sudden, it seems, we leave the houses behind and enter an area of vast rolling hills covered with vineyards. Our bus turns into the grounds of the Thornton Winery where we will have a tour with a bit of tasting afterwards. From the attractive patio of the winery we look out on the vineyards, deep green and healthy looking against the warm blue sky. High on the hill across the canyon from us is the Callaway Winery, one of the largest in Temecula.

There are 33,000 acres of vineyards in Temecula’s wine country. That is amazing, considering that the first vineyards were planted in 1968 after the area’s micro-climate was deemed perfect for the growing of grapes. The warm days are moderated by a sea breeze and the nights are cool. There are now 40 wineries in Temecula, many providing tours and tasting for a fee. Most of them can be reached along the Rancho California Road.

Our first stop on the tour is outside, the area where the grapes are crushed, the crusher  and receiving tanks gleaming silver in the sun and looking like a miniature oil refinery. Once we are in the thick walled winery, we enjoy the cool wine-scented air. We walk through shaded passageways, noting the stacked oak barrels stored in dimly-lit alcoves holding the aging wine.

The Thornton Winery also makes champagne. The long process of creating a good champagne takes from three to five years of aging and close attention. We walk by riddling racks where the bottles of future champagne lay on their sides at a 45 degree angle. Every day each bottle must be twisted a quarter turn.

When the tour of the facilities is over, we’re invited to long tables covered with white table cloths, small glasses gleaming at each place. The tables are shaded by an extensive tarp overhead. Waiters first pour Chardonnay into our glass, the men carefully holding the bottle by its base. The wine is cool and crisp, very satisfying. Next is a deep red Cabernet Sauvignon, rich, smooth and tasty. Following is their fine champagne poured into a small flute. Tiny bubbles rise in the glass. One can be easily mesmerized watching the slow action of the bubbles. Bubbles are always tiny in a top champagne while inexpensive champagnes, properly called sparkling wines, show larger bubbles. Topping off the tasting is a red wine with the distinct taste of chocolate. This would be a perfect dessert wine.

Our winery experience over, our bus takes us to the older part of Temecula, where the town actually began. Old Town is on the other side of the I-15 freeway.  Our activity here is to find a place to have lunch, shop or just look at the old buildings. This would have been nice if it were not such a blazing hot afternoon. We walk along the worn boardwalks looking for a good place to eat or a good place to get out of the withering sun. Dolores and I find I find a shaded outdoor restaurant with misters squirting a fine spray of water at strategic places. The spray is  refreshing. Seeing the Old Town is interesting, but it felt good to get back to our air-conditioned bus. We’re ready for the trip home.

Vineyards cover the Temecula Wine Country.

Large storage tanks receive the juice from the crushed grapes.

Wine ages in barrels within thick-walled alcoves.

The author and photographer pause to taste the wine at the Thornton Winery.

MONTEREY PARK AUTHOR PUBLISHES 4th BOOK – Seeking More of the Sky: Growing Up in the 1930’s:

Charles “Norm” Stevens, a 43 year resident of Monterey Park has recently published his 4^th book: Seeking More of the Sky: Growing Up in the 1930’s. This is the story of a young boy growing up in Inglewood, California in the l930’s. This was a time during the depression when unemployment was affecting many and the banks were closed, while the clouds of war were gathering in Europe. But he was lucky enough to be raised in a loving family, the power of that love reflected throughout his stories.

Stevens is the author of three previous books about his experiences during WWII:

An Innocent at Polebrook: A Memoir of an 8th Air Force Bombardier (Story of his 34 bombing missions from his base at Polebrook, England over Germany and France)

The Innocent Cadet: Becoming A World War II Bombardier (A prequel to the first, telling of his training in the U.S. before going overseas into combat.)

Back from Combat: A WWII Bombardier Faces His Military Future from Combat: (This book details the time from when he returned from combat in England until the end of the war.)

He is known to the readers of The Citizen’s Voice as the author of Travel Log Articles including “Cruising the Rhine and Mosel”,” Best of the West”, “In Search of Snow” ,  “From Paris to Normandy on the Seine”, and “Exploring New York”.  He is retired, having taught for 32 years, primarily in the Montebello Unified School District.

Those interested in purchasing an autographed copy of any of his books, may contact the author at 323-721-8230 or  Normstevens24@gmail.com.