Temecula Valley Wineries - Riverside County
American Viticultural Area

This print painted by artist Kerne Erickson depicts the Temecula Valley AVA located in southwestern Riverside County. It was established as an AVA in 1984 and today has over 1300 planted acres of vineyards. Hot air balloons are a fun way to appreciate this region. Temecula is subjected to drier and higher temperatures than its northern AVAs. As the sun warms the inland valleys east of Temecula Valley during the day, the air rises, which draws the moisture from the Pacific Ocean inland overnight to cool the grapes. The cool nighttime temperatures are critical in developing of high quality grapes. Temecula Valley soils are another significant influence on wine quality. The soils are created from decomposing granite and are excellent for growing high quality grapes. Grapevines require well-drained soils; they don't like their roots to be constantly wet. The granite soils permit the water to drain through quite easily. These soils contribute to clean, pure varietal flavors without odd or herbaceous flavors that wetter soil may cause. The top grape varieties are: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Merlot.
Some of the wineries here are: Frangipani Winery, Callaway Vineyard, Hart Family Winery, Vindemia Vineyard, Longshadow Ranch Vineyard, Keyways Vineyard, Leonesse Cellars, Europa Village, Monte De Oro Winery and Bella Vista Winery.