Like many people, I am fascinated by flying. I love to get on an aircraft not only because it take me to faraway land, but also because it gives me a feeling of being lifted up in the sky. To me, it’s a great way to start the day with peace, tranquility and stunning views.

A few years ago my husband and I and some friends took a helicopter tour over volcanoes national Park on the big Island in Hawaii. Now that was a great time! The flight itself lasted approximately 45 minutes, which does not really seem like a long time. But we got to see a lot in those 45 minutes.

It seems like whenever I want to try a new adventure, I head for smaller and smaller aircraft, as is evidenced by this flight in a hot air balloon over the Temecula wine country. For my next adventure I’m really kicking around the idea of doing some hang gliding on the Oregon coast.

I loved the peace and tranquility of being up in the air with the birds, without the noise of a propelled craft. Although the sound of pumping hot air into the balloon to keep us aloft was quite noisy. Other than that, the absolute solitude was astounding. The views of the vineyards in the Temecula Valley was awe inspiring. I cannot imagine a better way to start the day!

We took the morning flight, which had us up in the air in the while it was still fresh. They served Champagne before the flight, and we departed from one of the Temecua Valley wineries. After the flight, we had lunch on a lovely terrace overlooking the vineyards and rehashed our flight. Then we continued on to the ground portion of our wonderful Temecula wine tour with an open air jeep tour. In addition to the wineries we visited, there was even some off roading to a spot with a great view of the valley from a cliff side vantage point, that was off the beaten track.

It is hard to describe how it feels to hang in the air. It is not quite the same sensation as being in an airplane, because an airplane is rapidly moving through the sky. A hot air balloon, while not motionless, is moving so slowly that it feels as if you are motionless. But, unlike the hang gliding I will try next, with a hot air balloon ride you have the security of a floor under your feet and walls around you.

And the views! I am a big fan of rooftop bars or tall buildings with views. As long as there is some type of railing or barrier between me and the view, my fear of heights does not kick in. My camera had a busy morning of it, capturing the oh so different angle we had of the vineyards. It was impossible to not end up with some great photos. It was also one of the most romantic mornings I have ever had in my life. Since my husband and I were the only passengers, our guide graciously left us alone unless we addressed him.

It was great to be able to see the vineyards from the air, and then to finish up my Temecula wine tours adventure in an open-air Jeep, visiting the wineries that I recently viewed from the air. It’s a good thing we did not do it the other way around. Although it would be great fun to climb into a hot air balloon after a day of wine tasting, since I swallow instead of spit when I am wine tasting, I cannot see them allowing me to do that.

If you’re going to talk about luxury homes in the Los Angeles area, one thing you have to consider is that many homes of the rich and famous will probably have a wine cellar of some sort. For many, it’s nothing more than a status symbol. For others, it’s a necessity if they’re either going to be doing a lot of entertaining, or just love wines of all styles and vintages.

Many people don’t understand what the purpose of a wine cellar is, or why it’s such a big deal. People who are connoisseurs of wine have an understanding of what keeps a wine good over the course of time. For instance, these items seem to be important for keeping a wine at peak condition over time:

• Keeping wine in the dark most of the time
• Keeping a consistent temperature, especially in the Los Angeles area where the weather is a bit warmer than normal; wines like to be kept cooler, around 70 degrees Fahrenheit
• Little movement, as wines don’t like being jostled too often
• Good humidity to keep the corks from drying out so they don’t shrink, as their purpose is to allow wines to breathe some, but not get contaminated by outside air
• Keeping the air still, as this also can dry corks
• If you’re going to collect a lot of wines, having them all in one place for convenience and safety

Of course, after those factors, all bets are off as to how they’re created. Some builders only use wood; others only use stone or brick. Some avant garde builders of wine cellars will use metals that actually look like coolers. In an expensive home, homes will usually be built with a wine cellar, though one can be added later; it costs more to install a wine cellar after the fact.

Los Angeles is truly a unique place when it comes to wine cellars. Even the mayor’s mansion has a wine cellar; that’s unheard of in most places around the country. In today’s world, where most celebrities will buy homes that already have this feature rather than build a home, the house of former television producer Aaron Spelling stands out not only because of its massive size, but because it also has a wine tasting room.

Another wonderful house that was formerly owned by both Kirstie Alley and Katey Segal, once again on the market for around $ 9.3 million dollars, has a large wine cellar also, with a lighted arch that can highlight the favorite wine of the owner at the time.

And the home of actors Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, which they paid $ 16 million for, came with a brick wine cellar, which they had to wait to use since, when they purchased it, Jennifer was pregnant.

Wine cellars in the homes of the rich and famous don’t conform to the same look or style either. Some have wines stacked on top of each other. Some have them facing each other, or side by side. Some have they spiraling either up or down, covering the equivalent of two stories. Some figure out ways to compact the space, while others want the space to be as large as their living rooms might be. And, because they have the money to pay for it, many will order customize wine cellars from Italy and France and have them installed in space set aside just for them.

No matter what, if you’re looking for a home in Los Angeles and have the money to spend, you’ll easily be able to find a home with a stylish wine cellar.