Temecula

A bit of history

Temecula traces to 1859, when the Butterfield Overland Stage route and the region's first inland post office in Southern California established it as a stagecoach waypoint. The area's first commercial vineyard was planted in 1968, and by 1984 the Temecula Valley had been designated an American Viticultural Area, launching its growth into one of Southern California's best-known wine regions. Facing rapid growth in the 1980s, residents voted to incorporate in November 1989, choosing the name Temecula over the developer-backed "Rancho California."