LEFTCOAST Destination Services

LEFTCOAST DESTINATION SERVICES

SEA TO SLOPE, BORDER TO BORDER, AND ALL THAT IS FOUND BETWEEN…  
CALIFORNIA, ARIZONA, OREGON & WASHINGTON STATES.

LEFTCOAST DESTINATION SERVICES offers seamless planning and implementation for an organization’s event, activity and tour requirements throughout the Pacific Coast and Western United States.

Our team of hospitality and destination professionals strive to plan and orchestrate Innovative, Precise, Engaging…FUN! experiences surpassing our client’s expectations.

Some of our more unique accomplishments:

A one day rally from Las Vegas to San Diego’s Coronado Island for a well-known Italian corporation. 120 of their top executives, in 30 SUV’s, competed in a scavenger hunt stopping at strategic points on the route to complete challenges.

A two week over the road tour of zoos and national parks arranged for 30 scientists for an international zoological association.

Tours and activities for 1,200 conference attendees in Dana Point, California, incorporated wine tasting, sailing, whale watching, deep sea fishing, Universal Studios Hollywood tours, guided local city tours, and a Festival of the Arts excursion.

We’ve coordinated a number of exclusive client appreciation programs for companies where we converted unique, non-traditional space into event settings that, because of their distinctness, were indelibly sealed in the memory of attendees – exactly what our clients sought to keep their name in the forefront of their customer’s thoughts.

LEFTCOAST WINE TASTING EXPERIENCES

Is there interest in visiting one specific region, or does your group seek an over-the-road wine adventure encompassing visits to multiple Western AVAs? Our forte is creation of personalized visits that incorporate a cross-section of different sized and different styles of wineries in a given region.

We are always pleased to formulate a sample itinerary providing our suggested flow for the day, potential wineries to be visited, food service options, with pricing that includes transportation, wine tasting, food service, staffing, all taxes and gratuities.

Virtually anyone interested in the culture of wine is familiar with Napa and Sonoma in California. Below we have identified a few of the many other fascinating wine regions, traditional and emerging, to be found in the western United States worthy of consideration for a future visit.

SAN DIEGO COUNTY

This region has been growing grapes longer than virtually any other area in California with the first documented wine grapes cultivated at Mission San Diego de Alcalá, for religious rites, somewhere around 1779. Appropriately called the California Mission grape, these vines thrived in San Diego until about the mid-1830s when drought and disease killed them off.

As a result of immigration related to the Gold Rush, vines returned to California and eventually migrated south to San Diego. Next came prohibition and a period of patchy history. Wineries once again began to thrive in the region in the mid-1900s. The Mediterranean climate of warm days and cool nights is perfect for grape growing. There are now over 115 vintners spread out throughout greater San Diego County.

RAMONA

Nestled in the front range of the Pacific coastal mountains of Southern California, the Ramona Valley has a rich history of vineyards and wine making, dating back to the early missions. Hot days and cool nights, influenced by the coastal marine layer and fog, contribute to conditions that produce quality wine grapes.

The Ramona Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a broad valley that is ringed by hills and mountains that isolate it from the surrounding areas. Located approximately 35 miles northeast of San Diego at 1,400 feet above sea level, this AVA incorporates 89,000 acres covering 139 square miles of rural north central San Diego County. Home to more than 80 commercial vineyards and 20 bonded wineries, new vineyards and wineries are being developed each year.

MALIBU

No longer just a preferred residence for entertainment stars, over the past twenty-five years, numerous boutique wineries have taken root in the fertile mountains in Malibu, along the Pacific Coast north of Los Angeles.

There is a perfect micro climate in the hills above the ocean, aided by coastal fog often rolling in from the sea, augmenting the excellent soil and prevailing weather conditions prominent throughout the year.

SANTA YNEZ

Located halfway between Paso Robles and Santa Barbara, Santa Ynez Valley sprawls across 300,000 acres, featuring over 120 wineries, large estate vineyards to small boutique vintners. This was the AVA featured in the Academy Award nominated movie Sideways. A wonderful enhancement to visiting the area is exploration of the city of Solvang and its northern European atmosphere, founded by Danish-Americans in 1911.

PASO ROBLES

Between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Paso Robles Wine Country is home to more than 200 wineries, mostly comprised of boutique and small family-owned vineyards and vintners. With innovative and proprietary Paso Robles blends of Bordeaux, Rhône and Zinfandel varietals, many young boutique wineries in the region have gained recognition for their fine California vintages.

OREGON’S WILLAMETTE VALLEY

Over two-thirds of the state’s wineries and vineyards will be found in the region, now home to nearly 500 wineries. It is recognized as one of the premier Pinot Noir producing areas in the world. Other cool-climate varieties such as Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling and Gewürztraminer are cultivated in this AVA.

EASTERN WASHINGTON

The vineyard region of Washington State east of the Cascades is known as Washington Wine Country and includes the Tri-Cities, Walla Walla Valley and Yakima Valley.

Award-winning wines, straight from the source, are often poured by the wine-maker at many small boutique tasting rooms. The region’s first AVA – Yakima Valley AVA, originated in 1983. Over 240 wineries utilize grapes from the exceptional regional AVAs of Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley, Yakima Valley, Red Mountain, Rattlesnake Hills, Horse Heaven Hills, Snipes Mountain and Naches Heights.

These are but a sampling of the many western United States wine regions that await discovery and exploration.

The staff of LEFTCOAST DESTINATION SERVICES is eager to assist with planning, coordination and implementation of an itinerary that focuses on one specific area, or even better, a multiple day experience that incorporates visits to a variety of wineries within one region or amongst several.