Temecula Valley is Southern California’s best-known wine region, and it works well as a single big day out from North County. The visitor bureau calls the area “Southern California Wine Country” and says it has nearly 50 wineries, which is too many to see in one outing. The trick is to choose a small plan and let it be a good one.
Decide who is driving
Do this first. A wine day means tasting, and tasting means someone should not be behind the wheel. Either name a designated driver who skips the tastings, or arrange a ride for the day. Visit Temecula Valley has a Tours and Transportation section on its site covering tours by air or by ground and transportation, so start there if you want a driver or a guided option, and check each provider directly for what is included. If you are weighing it up, a booked tour or driver is the simplest answer.
Choose two or three wineries, not ten
The Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association lists wineries on its website, and the visitor bureau offers an official valley map and winery FAQs. Three members to get you started, each with something different on offer:
- South Coast Winery Resort & Spa has a tasting room, a restaurant called The Vineyard Rose, and villas and suites if you decide to make it an overnight.
- Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyard offers tastings and tours (its site also mentions regenerative agriculture tours), plus a restaurant, Creekside Grille, which describes a seasonal menu and locally sourced ingredients. Its site invites you to reserve a tasting or tour, with a Contact Us link beside it.
- Doffo Vineyard & Winery lists a standard tasting, a private tasting, and a winery production and vineyard tour, with booking links for the last two. It also advertises brunch on its garden patio.
Offerings change, so check each winery’s own site before you go for current hours, prices and whether you need to reserve. Reserving ahead where a winery offers it is an easy way to keep the day from turning into waiting around. If a winery lists a food option, such as a restaurant or a patio brunch, building lunch around it saves you a separate stop.
Add a balloon ride at sunrise
If you want a different view of the vineyards, the visitor bureau lists hot-air ballooning in the valley. Its page says flights are available year-round, weather permitting, at sunrise only, because of afternoon and evening winds, and it describes a panoramic view of Southern California’s topography. That means a very early start, well before any tasting room opens. Book ahead and expect weather to decide.
Save time for Old Town Temecula
Between winery stops, or at the end of the day, Old Town is a good place to eat and stretch your legs. The visitor bureau describes it as a walkable, easy-to-navigate hub of shops, restaurants, hotels, entertainment and events. Eating a proper meal there is also sensible after a few tastings.
Pick your season
The visitor bureau’s things-to-do page sorts the year by season. It suggests wine tasting at award-winning wineries in summer, and in spring visits to wineries offering seasonal pairings along with that balloon ride over the rolling vineyards. For autumn, which it calls harvest season, it mentions grape stomping events, exclusive wine tastings and Temecula Valley Wine Month in September, along with vineyard landscapes that change colour; it also points to Old Town’s shops, restaurants and historic charm in cooler weather, and in winter it lists ice skating at Temecula On Ice in Old Town. In other words, there is no wrong month, only a different kind of day. The Winegrowers Association also promotes a weekday tasting passport that covers more than 30 participating wineries; look at its site for what is currently offered and the terms.
A simple plan for the day
- Sort out the driver or tour the week before.
- Open the official valley map and group your stops so you are not zigzagging between them.
- Reserve tastings or tours at the wineries that offer it.
- Plan a lunch stop, either at a winery restaurant or in Old Town.
- Keep the day to two or three tasting stops and leave margin for traffic on the way home.
Please drink responsibly: plan a designated driver or book a tour so everyone gets home safely.
Base yourself in North County
A wine-country day pairs nicely with a few days at the coast. The Sunset House, a two-bedroom, two-bathroom rental with views in Twin Oaks Valley, Vista, gives you a place to come back to after the tastings. For how the different parts of the region compare, see our guide to where to stay in North County San Diego. If you would rather stay closer to home for your wine, our roundup of wineries near San Diego covers other options.
