As the countdown to the new year approaches, they say it’s time to turn over a new leaf -- So why not make it a grape leaf?

Temecula, which has become known as being central to Southern California’s wine country, is continuing its tradition, which began in 2009, of skipping the “ball drop” seen in Times Square and other city centers, and instead, symbolically dropping a cluster of grapes.

And at 12 feet tall by 7 feet wide, these grapes are bigger than actual size. 

“Its a great place to grow grapes. And it’s been huge for us. It is the identity of who we are, and it’s a big part of our local economy,” says Temecula Mayor Matt Rahn.

What’s funny is that wine grapes are actually a lot smaller than the ones in your supermarket’s fruit section as explained by Mount Palomar’s winemaker, James Rutherford.  

“For eating, table grapes we want great big fruit, great big berries. But wine grape’s are different. We want small berries, the smaller the berries the more intense the flavor,” said Rutherford.

To use a word from winemaking language, it’s Temecula’s terroir -- which means the environment the wine is produced in -- that makes it so unique.

The soil, the land, the climate in Temecular are perfect for winemaking. The first grapes were planted in the Temecula Valley in 1820 and today there are over 30 wineries. And thanks to a central location in relation to Los Angeles and San Diego, tourists are spending over $700 million a year on wines in Temecula.

“We’re really in the center of all of those places that we get a lot of tourism coming in on a daily basis coming from all of those cities. Whether they’re here for just a quick day trip, or they’re capitalizing on the nearby hotels and resorts in the valley and making a little staycation out of it too,” says Shar Martin, Mount Palomar’s Tasting Room Manager.

And as the ball drops at midnight most people might be poppin’ champagne. But maybe the Temecula Grape Drop can serve as your New Year’s inspiration to turn over that new “grape” leaf and toast to 2019 with a glass of wine instead.