September, Temecula’s conventional grape harvest month, has been good to Rob Crisell. He has simply bought two tons of syran from his winery, and he has a brand new e-book popping out.
It’s known as “Temecula Valley Wineries,” and it’s from Arcadia Publishing, a home that focuses on regional historical past books with plentiful images.
Whereas Temecula’s grape-growing historical past goes again 200 years, Crisell’s e-book focuses on the right here and now.
In a telephone interview, he mentioned Temecula is exclusive as a result of massive numbers of varietals which can be grown there — roughly 40 — and the tourism expertise it offers.
“Not like Napa and Sonoma, in contrast to Paso Robles or Santa Barbara, we’re smack dab in the midst of a extremely populated space between Orange County, LA and San Diego. And so we profit in a manner these different wine areas don’t,” he mentioned.
“The way in which we all know these wineries is the best way these wines are distributed to us via our supermarkets or wine golf equipment. However Temecula doesn’t distribute. Individuals come to Temecula for the vineyard expertise as a lot as for the wine. It has actually led to a extra vibrant, extra user-friendly wine nation than these different locations.”
Crisell has been a instructor, lawyer and actor in addition to an creator with titles resembling “Shakespeare’s Ebook Of Knowledge,” “The Zoo of Unimaginable Animals” and “The Incredible Fables of Aesop.”
He added grape rising to the checklist when he and his spouse moved from Meadowview to a five-acre parcel in Temecula Wine Nation.
Crisell mentioned he began researching Temecula wineries for a e-book in 2015 but it surely received pushed to the again burner by his different pursuits.
“After which COVID occurred, and like many individuals, my ideas turned to wine.”
He began making wine from his personal grapes, received a Degree 3 certification from the Wine & Spirit Training Belief, and resumed researching the wineries round him.
The result’s a 12,000-word e-book with greater than 120 images, most in shade. Though it begins with Franciscan missionaries who introduced vines to Southern California within the 18th century, Criswell mentioned a pestilence within the Nineteen Nineties attributable to sharpshooter bugs was key to Temecula Wine Nation as it’s at this time. The pest worn out 60 p.c of the vines, and the brand new vines that changed them led to the excessive variety of varietals grown within the space at this time.
“That makes for simply an incredible experiment that’s happening right here, I believe distinctive to the entire world.”
There are actually 33,000 acres of vineyards and 47 wineries, in accordance with the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Affiliation. Some are resorts with resorts, and most have eating places and tasting rooms to draw vacationers.
A number of upcoming occasions will mark the 2023 harvest. Amongst them are grape stomps at a number of wineries and Crush 2023, an occasion by the affiliation.
However Crisell mentioned this 12 months’s harvest has been delayed by the moist winter.
We received a lot great water, and that’s good, as a result of it washes the salt out of the soil. It’s higher for the vines going ahead, most likely even higher subsequent 12 months,’ he mentioned.
“Proper now, nobody is harvesting. The sugars haven’t come as much as the place we wish them but. You don’t understand how good a 12 months goes to be till you style the wine.”
He has some recommendation to guests on how one can expertise Temecula Wine Nation.
Take your time: “Plan on two days of touring the vineyards, not more than three wineries per day. And my suggestion can be to exit of your consolation zone. Attempt totally different varietals than you assume you want, in different phrases not cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay.”
Plan your meals: “Do wine tastings, after which choose two lunches, possibly one in Wine Nation and one in Outdated City. Get a charcuterie and go to one of many tiny wineries that assist you to herald meals and have a picnic. And as a lot as attainable keep in Wine Nation at one of many many new boutique resorts or at an AirBnb. Simply benefit from the agricultural aspect of Temecula. That’s why Wine Nation exists.”
Be within the second: “Too many individuals get caught up within the wine of Wine Nation, when actually essentially the most fulfilling factor, even for a wine aficionado like me, isn’t the wine however the vineyard expertise. You don’t have to like wine — and also you don’t have to like Temecula wine — to like a go to to a Temecula vineyard. It’s an expertise you’ll be able to’t get in lots of different locations on the earth.”
‘Temecula Valley Wineries’
What: 96-page e-book by Rob Crisell from Arcadia Publishing, checklist worth $24.98.
Data: arcadiapublishing.com; robcrisell.com
Harvest occasions
Crush 2023: 7:30-10 p.m. Sept. 30, Monte De Oro Vineyard, 35820 Rancho California Street, Temecula, $135 plus charges, temeculawines.org
Fall harvest graduation: 4-8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8, South Coast Vineyard & Resort, 34843 Rancho California Street, Temecula, southcoastwinery.com
Grape stomp: 5-9 p.m. Sept. 14, Maurice Automotive’rie Vineyard, 34225 Rancho California Street, Temecula, $25-$40, ultimatevineyards.com
Grape stomp: 4-9 p.m. Sept. 24, Ponte Vineyard, 35053 Rancho California Street, Temecula, $144 for members, $160 for public, pontewinery.com
Nice Style of Europa Wine & Meals Competition: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 17, Europa Village Wineries & Resort, 41150 Through Europa, Temecula, $187-$277, europavillage.com
Harvest Winemaker’s Dinner: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 28, South Coast Vineyard & Resort, southcoastwinery.com
Non-public Grape Stomp Expertise: weekends via Nov. 26, Temecula Carriage Firm, $525 for as many as eight folks, 844-369-1852, temeculacarriageco.com
Stomp Out Most cancers: 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sept. 23, Peltzer Vineyard, 40275 Calle Contento, Temecula, $10, peltzerwinery.com
WilsonFest Harvest Competition & Grape Stomp: 6-9:30 p.m. Oct. 22, Wilson Creek Vineyard & Vineyards, $95, 35960 Rancho California Street, Temecula. wilsoncreekwinery.com
Data: visittemeculavalley.com
