Southbound: Temecula Valley

Thursday: Early departure from the Convention Center in Anaheim in a luxurious big bus: start of our fam tour to San Diego with over 30 participants, for the most part so-called "buyers" (tour operators), not media. First stop: San Clemente for a "Shopping Experience". We were greeted royally with a breakfast in the VIP Lounge and got vouchers of $ 50 each. Had to run to decide in only one hour on what to spend them for,,, but decided on an Eddie Bauer denim jacket since it didn't really warm up in the last couple of days.

Eating and drinking is always a VERY important part of fam tours, and, around 2 pm we had lunch on the sunny patio at Vitagliano Vineyards & Winery in the Temecula Valley (pic above left) with its rolling hills and vineyards, sort of a hidden-gem wine region! Never have been here before, even not, when we did research for our wine book in the late 1990ies. But, at the time there weren't a whole lot of wineries around, now they have almost 50 wineries, most of them pretty large, with gorgeously maintained grounds, lawns, picnic areas, tasting rooms, shops, event halls and,they are therefore a main wedding destination.

Next stop in the valley: Robert Renzoni Winery (pic above, on right). Great tasting of their superb wines, especially reds, particularly Syrah, Zinfandel and Cab. Same is true for Carter/South Coast Wineries (pics below), very top-notch ambience. At Carter, where we got a quick tour through the winery, they produce sparkling wine (champagne-style), whereas in its sister winery, South Coast, it's all about wine. At Carter they had prepared "pre-dinner appetizers" and served champagne and wine before the group checked into the two hotels, both part of the two wineries. We stayed at the South Coast Winery Resort, in a luxurious villa with jacuzzi and a patio directly in the vineyards. Excellent service and warm welcome, but unfortunately just too few time to enjoy!

Out again soon after check-in to drive into Old Town Temecula and have dinner at Crush & Brew. Just had a salad and a beer. Last point on the itinerary, before a long day ended, was a glimpse into an old, spectacularly furnished "Speak-easy" (a hidden bar) adjacent to the restaurant.

Gathering at 6 am for a Sunrise Breakfast and Hot Air Balloons in Temecula. At Wilson Creek Winery they had set up a breakfast with French pastries outside, while we group-wise boarded a balloon to get up a little in the air hold by tethers. For a regular balloon ride time would have been too short and group too big. And, again, it was foggy-cloudy in the morning (what they call "June Gloom" here), and, surprisingly cool (which is not usual for the time of the year).

Old Temecula, where we went for a stroll afterwards (to see the children's museum - see pic below -, an olive oil producer (pic) and a lavender store - both also grown in the region), is a very attractive wild-west-style town with wooden boardwalks, antique shops, boutiques and other stores. In the 1850s, Temecula became a stop on the stagecoach lines, a post office was set up and settlement increased. The railroad line boosted Temecula’s economy in the 1880ies further. The line was abandoned later due to damage from flooding. Because of its remote location, during the American Prohibition of the 20s and 30s, the Temecula Valley operated its share of bootlegging and speakeasies. At the beginning of the 20th century, a gentleman by name of Walter Vail arrived and bought property and created not only the Vail Lake in 1948 but his family also operated the Vail Cattle Ranch for nearly six decades. Later, the buyer of this ranch, became convinced that the climate and soil conditions in the valley were best suited for the growing of wine grapes and in the late 60ies wineries came up.

Look closely here: old and modern in one spot:

Temecula Valley is truly a beautiful piece of California! Would love to get back one day to see more individually. The local tourism reps did an amazing job in making our short visit very effective and delightful, which is not always easy with such a large group.