Ohhh I can feel the warm weather approaching now that the sun is out past 6pm here in LA. You know what one of my favorite things to do is during the summer (well lets be honest, all year around really,)? Wine tasting!!
Did you know that Temecula has one of the fastest growing wine regions in the world? They get more visitors each year than Napa!
Temecula is located in Southern California between Los Angeles and San Diego. This prime location attracts people from all over the country as well as locals looking for a weekend getaway.
The region has a very similar climate to France and Italy so you will finds lots of wines typical to those regions such as Syrah, Sangiovese and Viongier, but Temecula is awesome because they they have so many different types of wine. Most of the wineries are located on the same road which is very convenient, but I wouldn’t recommend walking. There are plenty of ubers in the area if you don’t want to drive as well as some buses that will take you!
I’ve complied a list of my top wineries in Temecula. For reference, while I enjoy all wine, I am a huge red drinker and if possible always choose the red only tastings so my reviews are based on mostly red wines.
Top Wineries in Temecula
Monte de Oro
Hands down my favorite winery in Temecula. So much so that I joined the wine club! What I love most about this place is that the wine is fabulous, but also reasonably priced. The venue is very large and can get extremely crowded on the weekends so I would suggest getting there early. The staff is wonderful and eager to answer any questions you may have.
35820 Rancho California Road, Temecula | (951) 491-6551 | open daily 10am-5pm
Tasting Fee: $18 – 6 tastings OR $23 – 6 tastings + 3 reserve
Europa
This place was adorable! The staff was SO friendly and helpful that we stayed chatting for a long time. If you love red wine, make sure to splurge for the reserve tasting. The Cabernet on there is to DIE for. This winery produces mainly French, Spanish and Italian wines under 3 different labels. You can taste all of them during your tasting!
33475 La Serena Way, Temecula | (951) 491-0825 | open daily from 10am to 5pm
Tasting Fee: $20 – 6 tastings OR $30 – 6 tastings + 2 reserve
Ponte
35053 Rancho California Road, Temecula | (951) 694-8855 | open daily 10am-5pm
Tasting Fee: Not listed
https://www.pontevineyardinn.com/
Churon
33233 Rancho California Road, Temecula | (951) 694-9070 | open Mon-Fri 10am-4:30pm and Sat-Sun 10am-5p
Tasting Fee: $15 – 5 tastings
* $8 Early bird special tasting 10-2 Sun-Fri
http://innatchuronwinery.com/churonwp/
Thorton
32575 Rancho California Road, Temecula | (951) 699-0099 | open daily from 10:30am – close
Tasting Fee: 10 different tasting to choose from varying from $17-$28
Doffo
Such a fun winery to visit! The family owns tons of motorcycles which you can look at. Doffo is known for their red wines, and while I would highly recommend tasting here, to me their bottles are way over priced. Try out their dessert tasting menu for something different!
36083 Summitville St, Temecula | (951) 676-6989 | open Mon-Fri 11am-5pm and Sat-Sun 10am-5p
Tasting Fee: $15 Standard, $25 Premium Red Wines
Callaway
32720 Rancho California Road, Temecula | (951) 676-4001 | open daily from 10:30am – 5pm
Tasting Fee: $20 – 6 tastings
http://www.callawaywinery.com/
Cougar
39870 De Portola Road, Temecula | (888) 363-8767 | open daily from 11am-6pm
Tasting Fee: $17 – 6 tastings
http://www.cougarvineyards.com/
* Only Italian wines. Only US place to produce some
Falkner
40620 Calle Contento, Temecula | (951) 676-8231 | open daily 10am-5pm
Tasting Fee: $15 – 4 tastings OR $20 – 6 tastings
Wilson Creek Winery
Be sure to try the almond champagne! That’s what they are known for!
35820 Rancho California Road, Temecula | (951) 491-6551 | open daily 10am-5pm
Tasting Fee: $20 – 5 tastings
http://www.wilsoncreekwinery.com/
For those of you planning to visit from outside Southern California, be aware that while the vines will be the prettiest June-September, it will also be HOT. Like, really really hot. Make sure you bring plenty of water to balance out the copious amounts of wine you are about to consume.
Do you have a favorite winery in Temecula? I’d love to hear below!
