}

Temecula

 

Temecula is a wine-growing town located an hour north of San Diego, the southernmost city in California, and an hour and a half south of Los Angeles. Although it has a dry desert climate typical of inland California cities, it is only about 30km away from the west coast, and its valley location surrounded by mountains creates morning fog and day-to-night temperature differences that are said to be suitable for grape cultivation.

The history of winemaking in Temecula is relatively new in the New World, with the first grapes planted in 1968. However, starting in the 1980s, wineries that offered wine tastings began to appear, and now there are over 40 wineries in the area, making it one of California's leading wine regions, attracting over 3 million visitors annually.

In 2019, it was even chosen as one of the top 10 wine travel destinations in the world (10 Best Wine Travel Destinations of 2019).

SoCalization specializes in importing and selling Southern California wines that are not yet widely available in Japan, with a focus on Temecula wines.

 

The name "Temecula" comes from the Native American language meaning "land of the sun," and the Spanish settlers who arrived in the area translated it as "where the sun breaks through the mist." Temecula is the only city in California that still uses a Native American place name.