We exited the freeway at Rancho California Road, and drove east through pasture, scrub bush and rolling, featureless hills. In three miles. We reached the first building, Joe Hart’s winery.

It was 1982, and Hart had founded the winery two years before to take advantage of some of the French grapes that had been planted in the area about a decade earlier.

It was a risky venture for Joe and Nancy Hart, who joined a tiny group of pioneers determined to beat the odds. Wine scientists had long decreed Temecula too hot and too arid to make fine wine.

Move forward 27 years. After more trials and headaches than most fine-wine regions in California, the Temecula Valley remains vibrant and successful — by any measure.

More than two dozen wineries now host literally hundreds of thousands of tourists who jam tasting rooms. The Temecula Valley Wine Society coordinates fund-raising activities to benefit local charities. And the sleepy town of Temecula, with 10,000 inhabitants in 1982 has grown. And how!

Today, from the freeway at Rancho California Road, you’ll hit thick traffic, and nearly every bit of the road east to Hart’s winery is filled with housing. The population has grown tenfold and adjacent Murrieta, once a tiny resort area, now boasts more than 100,000 of its own residents.

Once the primary wineries were Hart, Callaway (founded by textile magnate Ely Callaway, who later became a golf magnate), Cilurzo (founded by Vince and Audrey Cilurzo), radio station owner John Poole’s Mt. Palomar, Filsinger, (founded by German expatriate Bill Filsinger), and many now-gone pioneers.

Today, the Cilurzo’s are retired, their old winery sold and renamed. Callaway has new owners. Hart and Filsinger still operate their own properties, and have been joined by many more who are doing a stunning job of wine making. Among them:

South Coast: Founded by shopping center developer Jim Carter, this energetic project has made remarkable progress with a huge range of wines made by talented Jon McPherson and a dedicated team.

Using grapes from Temecula as well as some of Carter’s superb fruit at a remote area called Wild Horse Peak, McPherson has made South Coast the leading property in the area, and Carter has added a gorgeous resort and astounding restaurant to the mix. A property not to be missed.

Among South Coast’s successes are sauvignon Blanc, semillon, dry rosé, riesling and many sparkling and dessert wines.

Maurice Car’rie and Van Roekel: Owned by Buddy and Cheri Linn, these projects are two of the most popular stops for tourists. Wine maker Gus Vizgirda has made stellar white wines, including riesling, sweet blends, and a red grenache under the La Cereza brand.

Phil Baily, at his small Baily vineyards, is a skilled wine maker whose rieslings are in great demand, but he also has made a wide array of other wines that do brilliantly in competition. I love his dry wines.

The white-bearded Hart remains a stalwart in the area with a wide array of excellent wines, notably dry rose, and some excellent red wines.

The fact that Temecula is here at all surprises many. A decade ago, Pierce’s disease here was the talk of the industry. A vine-killing pathogen, it is one of the most difficult vine problems. It seemed as if Temecula was doomed. But diligent work by wine scientists and a commitment by most local wineries has kept Pierce’s disease under control, for the most part.

One key to the popularity of the wines here is the population base. Napa and Sonoma may be known as California’s wine country, but to the 20 million or so who live in Southern California, this is wine country — an easy day trip to what once was a barren, bucolic countryside and today is a place to sip great wine.

Wine of the Week: 2008 South Coast Muscat Canelli, South Coast ($18): Wild carnations and gardenia-like spice in the aroma with hints of tropical fruit, and a sensual        5 percent residual sugar balanced by perfect acidity. Gold medal at numerous wine competitions, and always a winner. One of the tasting room’s most popular wines.

Dan Berger lives in Sonoma County, where he publishes “Vintage Experiences,” a weekly wine newsletter. Write to him at danberger@rocketmail.com.