When one thinks of California wine country Napa and Sonoma generally come to mind. Ending your impression there leaves out one burgeoning region in a very 
unexpected location. Southern California is home to a unique piece of wine country, Temecula. A short drive from Los Angeles or San Diego, Temecula is a relatively recent addition to the US wine repertoire. This region came to be with the founding of Callaway winery in 1974.
Many picturesque resorts and inns located right in the vinyards themselves provide a relaxing nearby escape for those in the southern California region. I was certainly surprised to find how fast and easy it was to get to the area – how had no one mentioned this region before? Well it was time to explore. The majority of wineries are charming and unpretentious, a far cry from the opulence of some of their counterparts to the north. I wouldn’t say I noticed a specialty in the area in terms of varietal or wine type, but I did notice that many wineries featured at least one or two unique and interesting departures from the norm such as chocolate wine and almond champagne. This region certainly wasn’t afraid to place their labels on bottles that might seem downright offensive to wine purists. Well I’m not one of those, and the chocolate wine was quite delicious.
So if you live in the southern west coast or have some time off while out in LA, take the short trip out to Temecula, it’ll open your eyes to some new wine experiences in a relaxing, unhurried setting.
The Grapevine* 