Modern Temecula winemaking began in 1968 when Hollywood lighting director Vincenzo Cilurzo and his wife Audrey planted the valley’s first commercial vineyard. Guided by agricultural expert Dick Break, who recognized that the “Rainbow Gap” funneled cool coastal air into the valley, the Cilurzos successfully cultivated Chenin Blanc and Petite Sirah. While Ely Callaway Jr. established the region’s first tasting room in 1974, Callaway Vineyard & Winery, the Cilurzos remained the movement’s anchors, eventually opening their own dedicated winery facility in 1978.

This pioneering effort paved the way for the Temecula Valley to gain formal recognition as an American Viticultural Area (AVA)(opens in a new tab) in 1984. Today, the Cilurzo legacy remains physically divided between two historic sites: their original 1968 vines continue to produce fruit at Ultimate Vineyards & Maurice Car’rie Winery, while their 1978 estate and winery building now operate as Bella Vista Winery. Together, these locations preserve the footprint of a family that helped shape the story of Temecula wineries and transformed a quiet cattle ranching outpost into a premier wine destination boasting nearly 50 wineries.