September arrives in Temecula Valley with a different light — lower on the hills, amber through the vines — and the whole region shifts into harvest. Wine Month runs all September: 40+ wineries host barrel tastings, harvest tours, grape stomps, and chef's dinners that sell out weeks in advance. The annual CRUSH wine and culinary showcase anchors the month — a ticketed event that fills faster every year. This is wine country as it is meant to be experienced. Not on a party bus on a Saturday afternoon. Not in a tasting room optimized for throughput. When the people who actually work the land are at their most alive: winemakers …