I've been told that wine making in Temecula (inland SoCal) didn't really take off at first because they were growing varietals typical to France, and the result

I've been told that wine making in Temecula (inland SoCal) didn't really take off at first because they were growing varietals typical to France, and the results weren't too good. They eventually switched to varietals more typical of Italy (which better matches the local conditions) and found more success.