Temecula Valley Wine Country Arch Will Be 'Gateway To Wine Country'

TEMECULA, CA—The new entry to wine country project is getting closer to reality. The Board of Supervisors approved the final plans for the "Temecula Valley Wine Country Archway" on Tuesday and opened the project to contractor bidding.

Once a bid is accepted, the archway monument’s fabrication is anticipated to take approximately four and a half months to complete.

The monument, which has been under discussion since 2022, would start construction this summer at an estimated budget expense of $623,000. But what is branding the entry to Temecula Valley Wine Country worth? A spokesperson from the Department of Transportation discussed the project in the agenda item for the board's meeting.

"The Temecula Valley Wine Country and its many award-winning wineries is a major tourism draw for the county," they wrote. "The installation of the archway monument across Rancho California Road will create an improved and inviting gateway to the Temecula Valley Wine Country."

Officials submitted final plans and specifications to the board for consideration. The all-metal archway will consist of steel pipe columns and reinforced concrete pile foundations, span 75 feet, and display a "welcome" sign with the words Temecula Valley Wine Country.

The area, which received official designation in 2013, encompasses roughly 33,000 acres, though only about 9,000 acres are home to vintners, which number just over 50.

A special assessment district was established three years ago to support the Wine Country tourism district. However, funds for the monument's construction will be drawn from the Unincorporated Communities Initiative Fund and another county sub-account, separate from the General Fund.

The board set aside $10 million in the 2023-24 fiscal year budget for the Unincorporated Communities Fund, which was established in 2020 with the goal of providing revenue streams for projects specifically benefiting "disadvantaged unincorporated communities."

The fund's money is designated for equal distribution among the five supervisorial districts. Wine Country is in the third supervisorial district.

The archway sign previously established at Rancho California and Butterfield Stage roads was torn down during an infrastructure improvement project. The new monument sign will be set up a block away, at Rancho California and Avenida Biona.

Officials said the project will entail the installation of a new concrete dike and various curb and gutter improvements, along with the monument.

Along with approving the final project specifications, the board is slated to authorize the Clerk of the Board to begin advertising to solicit prospective bids on the project, with the close of bidding scheduled for April 24.

"Temecula Valley Wine County is a beautiful destination and can be considered the heart of California's South Coast wine region," the statement from the Department of Transportation said. "The archway monument will welcome people entering the Region via Rancho California Road."