Temecula Valley wine makers focus on growing an image, gaining

Temecula Valley wine makers focus on growing an image, gaining respect.

In the tasting room at Hart Winery, a wall is covered with ribbons and medals won at competitions. So it might seem odd for owner/winemaker Joe Hart to talk about a lack of respect.

Like others in Temecula Valley Wine Country, he admits that the region’s wines have not been as esteemed as those from Napa or Sonoma.

The quality is there. The image is not,” said Hart, one of the area’s first winemakers.