How can Temecula, California, U.S.A. be a good region for growing wine grapes?!
How can Temecula, California, U.S.A. be a good region for growing wine grapes?
This area has a wine grape producing region., however it's notorious for being very hot, dry and smoggy. I thought wine grapes needed a more forgiving and moist climate.
Answers:
It's not a good region climate wise. I really think it is just because the area with the rolling hills, kind of looks like Napa, and that got people to buy into the idea. The vineyards look neat, I.E., the area "looks" like Napa, but if you dig down, you will find that any decent wine produced with a Temecula label is usually at least mixed with grapes from Napa or Santa Barbara, and a lot of times, they are completely made with grapes from those other regions. This is especially true with the Reds.There are a few somewhat palatable whites from the Temecula area, I stress the word "somewhat".. (and golf magnate Eli Calloway has done Ok with his champagne stuff, but even a good champagne gives me a big hangover . Just my 2 cents
I was just in Temecula Yesterday
The hotter climate is particularly well-suited to grapes such as the Rhone varietals, Cabernet and Zinfandel, and less well-suited to growing cooler climate varietals, such as Pinot Noir, though Chardonnay is plentiful in the region because of that varietal's popularity.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/temecula#wi...
Temecula has an OK climate for grape growing. A moist climate causes mildew and other diseases.
The problem in Temecula is not the climate, it is a disease called Pierces that kills grape vines and is spread by a insect called the glassy winged sharpshooter.
It is because Temecula vineyards were devasted by Pierces that many of the wineries had to import juice to make wine just in order to survive commercially.
Pierces has spread from the southern midwest states and is a very serious problem. Outbreaks have been found in more famous vineyard areas of northern California.
For information on Pierces in California see http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/pubs/fshee...