Small Temecula-area wineries say land proposal squeezes them out

Some small wineries in Temecula Valley Wine Country fear an upcoming land-use plan could bottle up their livelihood.

They're concerned about a provision of the Wine Country Community Plan that would require wineries that include hotels, restaurants or special events venues to be at least 20 acres to offset noise and other nuisances. Resorts would need at least 40 acres.

Vintners with less than 20 acres say the rule would stifle their ability to make a living and lead to the demise of mom-and-pop wineries that create a diversity of experiences for Wine Country visitors.

Frank Bellino / The Press-Enterprise
Chef Michael Cragg teaches a cooking class at Oak Mountain Winery, a 10-acre facility that could be deemed too small for some types of events if a Wine Country proposal is OK'd.

"The bigger wineries have their draw to certain people," said Valerie Andrews, co-owner of the 10-acre Oak Mountain Winery.

"But at the smaller wineries, you can talk to the owners. They're working at the winery. They have a passion for what they do. You get to ask them questions and have a personal relationship with them."

Wine Country already has at least 30 wineries, ranging from husband-and-wife operations to medium-size facilities with restaurants, tasting rooms and venues for weddings and parties.

BLUEPRINT FOR GROWTH

Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Stone, whose district includes Wine Country, has said the region needs more wineries to be a viable, world-class destination.

A steering committee of Wine Country winery owners, developers, equestrian enthusiasts and residents is helping Riverside County planners create the community plan, intended to be a long-range blueprint for the region's growth that balances wineries' interests with those who live and ride horses there.

County supervisors could vote on the plan late this year or early next year.

In its current form, the plan would add the neighboring Valle de los Caballos region to Wine Country and divide the area into three zones -- residential, equestrian and hospitality. Rules for development would be tailored to those zones.

Andrews' winery opened five years ago and she said she's already limited in the number and size of events she can host. Cooking classes and live weekend music are among Oak Mountain's offerings.

Andrews said she's been told her winery would be grandfathered into the new plan. But she said the 20-acre requirement could come into play if she tries to expand. Rick Buffington, co-owner of Cougar Vineyard & Winery said the new rule could end his plan to add a deli. Cougar occupies roughly 10 acres on DePortola Road, about two miles from Oak Mountain.

Mitra Mehta-Cooper, a county planner helping to coordinate the plan, said it was the winegrowers who asked for the 20-acre rule.

"Our bias is going to be for the long-term sustainability of the area," she said. "We do realize we have to address this situation one way or the other."

Elisa Niederecker, a Wine Country resident who serves on the steering committee, said the rule came about before she was named to the panel.

While she's open to compromise, Niederecker said smaller wineries do cause a lot of the noise problems for residents.

"They have to realize that a lot of the homeowners have been out here a long time," she said. "We don't want to have to put up with all of the traffic and all that."

Said Andrews: "We're not mean ogres out here ... We live in Wine Country ourselves."