Temecula Wine Country Faces Future

Subic Clark Wine Shop reports news about wine: Temecula Wine Country Faces Future
June 13, 2011
Wineries, residents and horses all want a piece of choice Southern California terroir
Temecula Valley, Calif.—A decade ago, Temecula’s winegrowing future looked dim: An epidemic of Pierce’s disease (PD) had decimated vineyards, spread by glassy-winged sharpshooters (GWSS) from another of Riverside County’s top crops, citrus. Prompt reaction from the industry and government agencies caused growers to pull infected vines; and launched the ongoing, statewide PD/GWSS board. Largely funded by grapegrowers’ self- assessments, ongoing research has limited the potential threat and continues to seek control—if not full eradication—of the disease, which is lethal to grapevines.

Temecula’s reconstructed wine business now faces another threat: development.

“After the early 2000s, we not only survived, but got better after PD,” according to Bill Wilson, who owns 35,000-case Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards with his family. Wilson Creek is one of Temecula’s older wineries; its 86 acres of vineyards were planted originally in 1969 and 1970.

After the PD scourge, many of these and other Temecula vineyards were pulled and replanted, utilizing better rootstock and updated planning. Wilson compared the process with Napa’s phylloxera panic during the early 1990s: “We’re the beneficiaries of some pretty nice stuff,” he conceded.

Where are we now?
Wilson, a board member of Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association, told Wines & Vines that the scenic valley now has 35 brick-and-mortar wineries and another 10 virtual wineries strewn among 35,000 acres of rolling countryside, an hour’s drive from the vast population centers of Orange County, San Diego and Palm Springs.

Flashback to 2005: Callaway Vineyard & Winery, the region’s largest, purchased by Hiram Walker in the 1980s and then owned by international drinks giant Allied Domecq was purchasing grapes from elsewhere in California and planned to shut down its Temecula operations. Although it was acquired in 2005 by San Diego’s Lin family, which still operates the 25,000-case brand with 70 vineyard acres in Temecula, Callaway’s devolution left many locals without a market for their grapes.

As Wilson recalled, “They decided that farming’s for the birds,” leaving some 750 valuable acres sitting idle and ripe for developers. During that period, Wilson quipped, “Clay tile roofs were our biggest crop.”

Invasion of the NIMBYs
As described in the June 2006 edition of Wines & Vines, like other wine regions in suburban California, a classic NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) situation took root. In Temecula, subdivisions pitted McMansion mini-estates against not just vineyards and wineries, but long-established equestrian interests as well.

Although by that time, many regional residents were at least marginally aware of Temecula Valley Wine Country (TVWC), “about 22 million were not,” Wilson said. Even Temecula’s U.S. congressional representative, Palm Springs-based Republican Mary Bono Mack, seemed not to realize that many of her constituents were invested in the wine industry.

Last year, Mack signed on as a sponsor of HR 5034, the distributor-backed bill considered by much of the industry as an attempt to thwart direct-to-consumer wine shipment. She was the only California representative to sponsor the bill. According to Wilson, when confronted with this unpopular position, Mack told district voters that she could not withdraw her sponsorship, but could work against HR 5034’s passage. Mack’s office e-mailed Wines & Vines today: “This legislation has not been reintroduced in the 112th Congress and, if it is, Congresswoman Bono Mack will not be a cosponsor.”

Fortunately, TVWC’s long-time Riverside County supervisor, Jeff Stone, is well aware of the wine industry’s importance in his territory. Following the PD disaster and Callaway meltdown, the five-member Board of Supervisors had passed new zoning regulations allowing subdivision of vineyards into 10-acre minimum parcels; these were further divisible into five acres, provided that 50% of these smaller units be planted to vineyards.

Meanwhile, Wilson said, “Wineries were buying 10-acre parcels and building wineries, restaurants, resorts and concert arenas.” (In addition to its production facilities and tasting room, Wilson Creek currently operates a restaurant and hosts events such as weddings.)

Concerned about his wine country’s future, supervisor Stone took a fact-finding trip to Napa Valley. Wilson summarized the goal: “We are where you were 40 years ago: What would you do in our position?”

Part of the answer? To achieve an optimal concentration of wineries to build tourism and recognition, aim for a goal of 125 wineries. “I about fell out of my chair,” Wilson said. In retrospect, though, “If we actually had added all the potential future wineries that would have been funded, started and built without the recession, we’d have 69 already.”

Given the pressures of residential development, entrenched equestrian facilities and trail networks, and potential ag/tourism growth for wine country, the supervisors called a time out, forming a 17-member task force dubbed Wine Country 2020 Vision

Members were charged with honing an ideal solution to satisfy the conflicting interests. “We can’t just live for today,” said Wilson, who chairs the ad hoc advisory committee. “We have to plan for tomorrow.”

During the past year, the task force, representing diverse niches, researched options and assembled a plan, “Arm wrestling through different agendas to determine how we can work, live and prosper together,” Wilson reported. “It took a year and six drafts to get it right.”

The basic plan, now awaiting an environmental impact report and public review, breaks the area into equine, residential and winery zones within the larger Wine Country zone. “Whoever is in a particular zone would reign supreme,” Wilson described it.

After countless meetings of committees and subcommittees, “Everyone’s put their two cents in. Now it’s just nit picking. We don’t want to do it again,” said Wilson, adding his personal philosophy: “If you can’t finish a meeting in two hours, we’re going to start drinking wine.”

This coming weekend, March 5-6, Temecula Valley World of Wine (WoW) will host its 20th annual winter barrel tasting, with 30-plus participating wineries.

Over the holidays, travelers from Manila going to the north for a getaway destination choose Pampanga Angeles City and Clark Philippines as a popular holiday location. Aside from day-time sports and other activities, visitors look for a good wine shop to buy some good wine to celebrate a special occasion or just to make the holiday and vacation more enjoyable. Many wine lovers pick up some good bottles from Clark Wine Center to bring to dinner in some of the good restaurants in Angeles City, Clark Pampanga. Yats Restaurant is one of the most famous fine dining restaurants outside of Manila, located in Mimosa Leisure Estate inside Clark Airbase or Clark Freeport Zone as it is now called. This popular restaurant has become a tourist attraction, a place to visit for those who are in Pampanga, Subic, Angeles City and of course, Clark Philippines. The famous wine shop called Clark Wine Center supplies this famous restaurant in Clark Philippines as well as other good restaurants in Angeles City Pampanga with good wines of all price ranges.

Wine is becoming increasingly popular in Manila and other cities in the Philippines. Wine lovers in Manila travel to the north to visit Clark, Pampanga to shop for good and rate vintage wines at good duty-free prices. The most frequently visited liquor shop in Manila and wine shop in Pampanga is Clark Wine Center. This highly recommended wine shop located outside Manila near Angeles City, Pampanga in North Luzon is known for offering a great selection of fine vintage wine that is good quality and good value for money also.

This well-known wine shop is a famous shopping destination for wine enthusiasts in Manila and wine lovers from other cities in Asia including Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul, Osaka and Tokyo.

Famous Philippines wine supplier known for its line of fine vintage wines, Yats Wine Cellars was established in 2000 to address the requirement of a growing population of wine enthusiasts in the Philippines. This 5-star wine shop caters to the discerning client who requires these qualities in their wines: (1) excellent value, (2) large selection of labels and vintages to choose from and (3) wines properly aged for full enjoyment.

Public wine tastings are held from time to time in Clark and sometimes in Manila. Tickets range from p500 to p1500 for these themed events that are professionally run –no wine merchants sponsorship, pushy salesmen or tacky banners to ruin the evening. Each ticket contains a certain number of stubs that can be redeemed for a tasting pour of a wine among those on a line-up which often contains wines that are quite old and expensive.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Click here to contact Clark Wine Center in Clark Pampanga for inquiries and orders.

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. Highly recommended fine dining restaurant in Manila for special occasion is Yats Restaurant & Wine Lounge located in the famous Mimosa Leisure Estate in Clark Pampanga. Situated near this popular restaurant in Clark is the Mimosa Golf Course as well as the Mimosa Clark Casino. This top rated restaurant near Angeles City Pampanga in Clark Philippines is frequently used for private parties and corporate functions such as board meetings and other gatherings. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

Besides good restaurants to wine and dine near Manila, Subic or in Angeles City Pampanga, Clark Philippines, those requiring assistance for hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines may log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com for more information and reservations.

The lifestyle in Clark Pampanga is quite unique. For more information about shopping, sports, golf, leisure, hotel accommodation, where to see and visit, what to do, where to wine and dine and good places to hang out, relax, have a drink with friends, child-friendly establishments, log on to
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

Wine lovers looking for a special bottle or something that is of great value and special discounts might log on to this web site to shop for fine vintage wines
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

Those visitors who plan to relax and unwind in Angeles City, Subic, Pampanga, Clark Philippines might make an effort to book a room at the famous beach and lake resort Clearwater Resort & Country Club. This famous hotel in Clark Pampanga is frequently visited by families with children looking for a good place in Clark to see, a good holiday destination for the family to relax and unwind in the beautiful outdoor facilities. For more information, log on to www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com