‘HERITAGE DISTRICT’ ESTABLISHED FOR WINE COUNTRY

Supervisors approve move intended to boost advertising and tourism

The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a special assessment district encompassing the Temecula Valley Wine Country intended to generate revenue for promotional campaigns seeking to ramp up tourism in southwest Riverside County.

“This will help us get the word out that we make world-class wine,” Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards CEO Bill Wilson told the board March 2. “We want the right people to come here, come here for the right reasons and stay longer. That will help everybody. This is the mechanism to get that done.”

The new Temecula Valley Wine & Agriculture Heritage District covers the area just east of the city of Temecula, stretching north to Lake Skinner and south toward Vail Lake, with the very northeast corner of the district stopping at Benton Road, near the Sycamore Hills community.

No local, state or federal revenue will be used in support of the district.

A total of 51 vintners are within the district and will each be paying 1 percent in annual gross sales receipts to support it over the next five years. The district is slated to expire as a revenue-generating entity on March 31, 2026. However, it could be extended.

The heritage district, which is analogous to a business improvement district that is self-sustaining, is expected to generate about $1.27 million in its first year of operation.

The Wine Country was formally recognized by the board in a 2013 vote, led by then-supervisor Jeff Stone, that defined its boundaries within a 19,000-acre space.

“We make wines that compare favorably with anywhere in the world,” Temecula Valley Wine Growers Association spokesman Phil Baily told the board. “Success flows from the region where wines are made.”

The money raised from the vintners will be directed into advertising, special events that draw attention to Wine Country and special projects specifically geared to enhancing the district’s image, according to county

Economic Development Agency documents.

“With this money, we can be more independent and more in charge of our destiny,” said BJ Fazeli, managing director of Fazeli Cellars Winery on De Portola Road. “We are trying to put Temecula Valley Wine Country on the map more than its pioneers did. This is a hidden jewel, and we need to promote it properly. This will help the valley and the wine growers.”

Winery owner Dan Stephenson told the board that the area “needs a lot more promotion” and needs to expand into international marketing.

“Taxing this district and using the funds to promote it is a nobrainer,” he said.

The district management plan mentions that job creation is one of the goals of drawing more people to the location.

The plan contains provisions for participants to challenge assessments and stipulates that records will be maintained to comply with state law.

Because of the ongoing coronavirus public health restrictions, most wineries are operating under restraints, with prohibitions on indoor dining and large gatherings of any kind. Grape cultivation and sales of wines, however, have not stopped.

Wilson acknowledged that 2020 “was a horrible year,” but added that “we’re going to move beyond that and look out to see what the Temecula Valley has become. It’s incredible.”