When most people think of California wine country they think north of San Francisco. Places like Napa, or maybe Sonoma. They don't think Southern California. But maybe they should, because a small area around Temecula is a recognized viticultural area that's seen a real boom in small wineries over the past few years. Oenophiles in the Los Angeles or San Diego areas will find Temecula to be a great weekend getaway, since it's only a couple hours away via I-15.

There are currently about 15 wineries in Temecula, some small, some not very small. Almost all welcome visitors with tasting rooms open daily from about 10am to 5pm. Most of the wineries charge a nominal amount to taste the wines -- usually $3 to $5. At some (such as Mount Palomar), you can keep the tasting glass as a souvenir. Some of the wineries also offer tours, but you often need to arrive at the right time to get in on it. It's usually not a problem though, since if they tell you the next tour is in an hour, you have time to go to the next winery then come back. (Callaway told me that tours are generally at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm).

In one day, you could probably do at least three tours plus visit at least that many more wineries for tastings. The wineries I toured on my visit included the Callaway, Hart, and Thornton vineyards. Each offered a unique vista into the world of winemaking, although I was particularly impressed at the Thornton winery, which is very modern and which produces champagne-style wines (not very many small U.S. wineries try to do that). Thornton also has a trendy restaurant, a very pleasant tasting bar, and a souvenir shop. The Callaway vineyard was also very large and modern. Their arrays of fermentation tanks was an awesome sight! The Hart winery was one of my favorites, though, in that things were done on a small scale and the tour felt much more personal and casual. The Hart winery had a feel to it that seemed like the place was a labor of love by winelovers, not just a business operation. I kind of like that feel.

I stopped at several other wineries in the area, but for tastings only -- I did not tour them, either because they did not offer tours or because I was not there at the right time. The Van Roekel vineyard had some interesting wines that I didn't find elsewhere in the area, one was a sweet dessert wine along the lines of a sauternes. Most of the wines were along the lines of cabernets or chardonnays. Lots of other varietals too. I found lots of "souvenirs" to bring home, most in the $10 per bottle range.

So if you're into wines and you find yourself in southern california with an extra day on your hands, check out the wineries around Temecula. You might be pleasantly surprised. I sure was.



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