Great Temecula Toast Relay Record Attempt Draws Crowd To Old Town

TEMECULA, CA — Wine enthusiasts from across southwest Riverside County gathered in Old Town Temecula Tuesday to attempt something that’s never been done in the city before: a record-breaking toast chain and what organizers from Visit Temecula Valley called the "Great Temecula Toast."

The event, sponsored by Visit Temecula Valley, Libbey and the city of Temecula, was a feat of endurance and fortitude for all present as organizers worked the numbers, the glasses, the wine and so many Wine Country lovers.

The red-shirted participants stood shoulder-to-shoulder in front of Temecula City Hall, lining up in the shape of a giant wine glass.

After hours of waiting, the toasting began at noon with a “clink and drink, and clink and second drink” under the supervision of a certified Guinness World Records observer.

Complimentary wine glasses were filled with splashes of donated beverages. The participants were asked to reserve their sips until the toast. Some did, some did not, but all present experienced a bit of that Temecula springtime sun as the veil of morning clouds parted. The sun rose higher in the sky as volunteers maneuvered the crowd into position for what was deemed the most optimal toasting.

Shade was at a minimum as event organizers and the Guinness observer orchestrated the timed toast. One woman suffered a heat-related medical incident while waiting, and was taken away by Cal Fire/Riverside County Firefighters.

Christine Dailey, a nurse from Temecula, was on hand to lend assistance to the woman before the paramedics arrived. Dailey and her nurse friends helped the patient into the shade, worked to cool the woman down and managed her condition until help arrived.

Dailey spoke with Patch and said Tuesday was not her first time attempting to break a world record.

"I participated in a record-breaking Santa Claus 5K run in 2012 in Las Vegas," she said.

Dailey had dressed up as Santa Claus, along with 25,000 other race participants, to help break a world record for the largest number of Santas to run a 5K. "I still have the Santa suit,” she said.

So, what does it take to break a world record?

Time and patience, just as any good winemaker will tell you.

By 11 a.m., each of the 25-plus organized groups of toasters stood in their designated areas, waiting to sip from their glasses.

Longtime Temecula and Murrieta DJ Mikey Dellinger serenaded the crowd with rock 'n' roll from his new "Rock Box" party bus. Dellinger kept the mood light, announcing birthdays, cracking jokes and playing music for all ages

.Across the City Hall quad, it was a veritable who's who of Temecula, with nearly every winery represented, as well as local dignitaries, business owners and nonprofit organizations.

Among those who hosted toasting groups were Peltzer Winery, Doffo Winery, Refuge Brewery, Grapeline Wine Tours, Wine Country Chiropractic, Pechanga Resort and Casino, Be Good Restaurant, the Temecula Stampede, Side Car Wine Tours, Reality Rally, Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival represented. The Temecula Chamber of Commerce and Menifee Chamber of Commerce were also present.

The mood was amicable, and the more seasoned among the crowd brought chairs, snacks and water, which were in short supply for the less prepared.

Then, as the City Hall bells tolled at high noon, the toast relay began. The instruction for the record-breaking toast relay was to stand shoulder-to-shoulder, clink glasses with the person to the left, then sip simultaneously with the toasting partner, then do it over again with the person to the right until the chain of toasting was completed.

Why would anybody want to do this? Why not?

As for this reporter, it's the love of Wine Country and its people that drew me. Getting outside to catch up with people I've not seen in two years because of COVID was priceless.

How it went:

Smiles ruled the day even though people were tired of not being able to drink their wine before the noon start.

Guinness observed the entire event from the handing out of numbers pinned just so to each participant's right hip, to monitoring whether the crowd would top the 1,299 mark to send the toast relay into a world-record category.

When we were at last numbered and in the proper position for toasting, it was our turn. It took about 10 minutes for the toast relay to reach our group. With two clinks and sips, it was done.

As my group finished its part of the event, many more participants waited their turn to go down in Temecula history.

So, did they do it? No official announcement has yet been released but unofficially, it seems likely.

When was the last time you did something memorable?

As for me, I will remember this as something to talk about in my glory days.

So raise a glass, Temecula, and Live Glass Full.

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