These Are the Best Temecula Valley Wineries to Visit

South Coast Winery Resort & Spa/Carter Estate Winery — Photo: Courtesy of South Coast Winery Resort & Spa

Temecula Valley, within an hour's drive of San Diego, Palm Springs or Orange County, bills itself as Southern California's Wine Country. Though it got a later start than its better known northern California counterparts—pioneers like Mount Palomar and Callaway set up shop in the late 1960s—the Temecula Valley today is home to nearly 40 wineries. There is also a thriving "wine country" scene here with resorts, restaurants, tours and activities geared toward wine tourism. The scenery alone is a draw, with rolling hills and seasonal snow-capped peaks. Many Temecula wineries take advantage of the grape-loving warm days and cool nights (many are at altitude and affected by the Pacific Ocean fogs and breezes) to produce extensive portfolios of different wines. There is surely something here for everyone's taste. —Richard Nalley

01 of 20

Baily Vineyard and Winery

Baily Vineyard & Winery — Courtesy of Baily Winery

The Baily family was among the Temecula's first wave of wine producers, planting their first vineyard in 1982. Founder/winemaker Phil Baily concentrates on Bordeaux-derived grapes, and gives the reds up to 30 months in barrel for added smoothness. There are several ways to taste: The main tasting room is at the Baily Visitor Center, where you can drop in for a $15 tasting of current releases; you can also have lunch at the Baily's restaurant, Carol's, which includes live music on Saturdays and Sundays (and a doggie menu on Sundays). There is also a by-reservation tasting of older wines available at the production facility, for $20-$30. And for those just passing through, the Baily Wine Country Cafe in Old Town Temecula is owned by Phil Baily's son Chris. bailywinery.com

02 of 20

Briar Rose Winery

Here's something you won't find everywhere: A winery whose buildings are replicas of Snow White's cottages in the 1937 Disney cartoon. Briar Rose's founder was a Disney employee who built the cottages a generation ago for his wife. Now under the ownership of the Linkogle family (son Larry is a famous motocross racer), the property began bottling its own wines in 2007. Though it is a self-proclaimed "micro-winery" (topping out at about 3,500 cases), Briar Rose produces a bevy of wines, including its unique Talking Frog bubbly, a blend of Viognier and lager beer. Two important notes on the fairy tale: reservations are required, and no one under 21 is allowed on the property. briarrosewinery.com

03 of 20

Callaway Vineyard and Winery

The foundational winery of Temecula's new age, Callaway opened its doors way back in 1969. The visionary was Ely Callaway, better known for his golf gear empire, but the winery passed through corporate hands before being bought by the Lin family, who own it to this day. Modest-sized by California standards, Callaway's 25,000 cases make it one of the larger operations in Temecula. It bottles a slew of different wines, including Zinfandels and Syrahs. It is also a prime wine tourism destination, with a large, handsome tasting room and gift shop, and a variety of drop-in tasting and tour options, including a $25 cellar tour with barrel and tank samples. The Meritage restaurant offers locavore meals, with many ingredients grown on the property, and an extensive slate of concerts. callawaywinery.com

04 of 20

Churon Winery

Churon bills itself as a bit of France in Temecula, and has a chateau to prove it. The chateau is actually a boutique hotel in the midst of the vines (rooms start at around $180), with a grand lobby and views of the very Californian khaki-colored hills outside. The winery's tasting room, off the lobby, offers five pours for $12 from winemaker Benny Rodriguez's extensive lineup that ranges out to bubblies and dessert wines. Retail prices for non club members are typically in the $25-$35 range, including a world-spanning line-up of reds from Zinfandel to Malbec to a rarely seen Ruby Cabernet. innatchuronwinery.com

05 of 20

Cougar Vineyards & Winery

Rick and Jennifer Buffington put in years as home winemakers before buying their original Temecula vineyard in 2005. They followed their passion, focusing the operation on their own estate grapes to produce Italian wine varieties. Some are familiar—like Sangiovese, the basis of the Chianti blend—others less so, like Arneis, the wonderful white grape of Piemonte. In some cases—like Falanghina and Brachetto—Cougar claims to be the only U.S. winery producing the varietal. Tastings are $12 for six samples. You can also augment your tasting with panini, salads and pizza from the winery's Sangio's Deli. On Friday nights and Sundays there is live music. cougarvineyards.com

06 of 20

Doffo

That classical music you hear? The Doffo family plays that to soothe the vines. Of course, the Argentine-born family patriarch, Marcelo, also vibes to less tame sounds: He is a vintage motorcycle racer and collector, whose MotoDoffo museum in the barrel room contains over 100 scooters and motor bikes (including a multi-decade anthology of Ducatis). The small-lot reds here, mostly Bordeaux-style blends, plus Syrah and Zinfandel, command stiff, often three-figure prices and some come in novel bottles like the jug-handled Zinfandel Reserve. There are also a number of specialty bottlings, including grappa and muscat brandy. Tastings start at $15, but reserve ahead for various vineyard tours. A visit to the motorcycle collection is free. doffowines.com

07 of 20

Europa Village

A destination spot in Temecula wine country, this ambitious, still-unfolding project includes a luxury, Spanish-style 10-room inn (prices begin at around $190) and a winery helmed by well-regarded veteran George Bursick. Under construction in 2017 will be additional components of the project, which will ultimately create three wineries and attendant resort facilities in the styles of France, Italy and Spain. The current wine lineup already seems to have the geographic bases covered. Over 30 wines are bottled here, ranging from dark reds to sparkling to dessert, with heritages that hearken back to all three countries and a few more. Tastings start at $15 for six samples. europavillage.com

08 of 20

Falkner Winery

The sweeping scenery from Falkner's 1,500-foot hilltop has made it not only popular for tasting visits, but for a brisk wedding business as well. The winery's aptly named Pinnacle Restaurant is a white-cloth place with wrap-around views and a creative touch with Mediterranean-influenced food (a Tamarind Ahi Lettuce Wrap, for instance). There is also a rentable private dining room amid the barrels down below. Like many Temecula wineries, Falkner produces an array of wines, topping out with the flagship Meritage Bordeaux-style red blend and Amante Super-Tuscan style red. The winery offers a menu of tour options, from a $20, 30-minute introduction and tasting to a $75, two-hour VIP tour with lunch at the Pinnacle. falknerwinery.com

09 of 20

Hart

One of Temecula Valley's pioneers, founded back in 1980, this is still a modestly sized (4,000 cases) family run operation, with family members pulling hoses in the cellar and pouring in the tasting room. In true Temecula fashion, the Harts' small production encompasses a nearly bewildering array of wines, from its much-awarded Sauvignon Blanc to Sangiovese and southern-Rhône style blends. The retail price entry-point is about $25. There is a $12 tasting fee for six samples, or $10 for a full glass. hartfamilywinery.com

10 of 20

Leoness Cellars

With its brick tower, Leoness is a familiar sight along the DePortola Wine Trail (deportolawinetrail.com), which begins not far from Old Town Temecula. Owned by two partners with deep roots in the valley's agriculture, Leoness benefits from the ground-up approach they bring to the wines, including the flagship Cabernet Sauvignons, some produced from the Rolling Hills vineyard just below the winery. The basic tasting here is $16 for six wines ($20 on weekends), but Leoness offers a slate of tours as well, such as a private $90-per person guided tour of the vineyard and cellar, which also includes a guided tasting. The well-regarded restaurant here is ambitious but pricey, with entrees running into the $40s. Book ahead or come early to get patio seating. leonesscellars.com

11 of 20

Longshadow Ranch Vineyards and Winery

Longshadow prides itself on its Old West flavor, but it is an upgraded version of the frontier, to be sure—complete with fine wine, carriage rides pulled by Belgian draft horses, and a very architectural version of a ranch house. The hillside vineyards produce a number of wines, among them Estate Sangiovese, Estate Syrah and a less usual Estate Cinsault. The event schedule here includes the "Legends of the Wild West" dinner theater on many Friday nights throughout the year. A pre-sale ticket is only $20, including dinner. Drop-in tastings are $15 for five wines—the panoramic view is free. longshadowranchwinery.com

12 of 20

Lorenzi Estate

Don Lorenzi's family has a long history of grape growing in southern California, but for him, it started as a hobby: He started as a home-winemaker, but in a matter of years he was making enough for friends to opening a winery. Finally, in 2013, he opened a tasting room. Lorenzi Estate, with the distinctive golden lion on the label, now produces 20+ different wines, though it is probably the rich reds that have garnered the greatest critical attention. Lorenzi's premium and super-premium priced lineup includes some exuberant, unconventional blends like the $95 The Phantom, which incorporates six grapes, including Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Call ahead or go online to make a tasting reservation. lorenziestatewines.com

13 of 20

Lorimar Vineyards & Winery

Brothers-in-law Lawrie Lipton and Mark Mansfield have a big-picture view of wine country life, which includes their lively, fruit-forward wines (nearly 20 bottlings), plus two tasting venues, both of which integrate live music and art into the visitor experience. The Lorimar Loft in Old Town Temecula provides six tastes for $14 and music Friday and Saturday nights. The winery facility itself, out in the vineyards and orange groves, expands the offerings considerably. Drop-in tastings are $14-$18 for your choice of six wines, or the guided Reserve Tasting is $25. There are also several tour options, up to the Soprano ($149), which includes tastings and an hour-long cellar and vineyard tour for two (book at least 48 hours ahead). The winery also has an extensive slate of concerts, plus the Pairings restaurant on weekends (the Pairings food truck has also attracted a following). lorimarwinery.com

14 of 20

Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery

Curiously punctuated Maurice Car'rie lays claim to the oldest vineyard in Temecula, planted back in 1968. The estate vineyard has now expanded to 91 acres, and provides the core of this winery's numerous bottlings under the Van Roekel Estate and Maurice Car'rie labels. The winery has garnered numerous awards, most recently for its whites, including the Gewurztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc. The place offers several perks to visitors besides its tastings ($15 for five samples), including its signature sourdough bread filled with brie, which can be consumed under the shade trees out on the lawn. On weekends, the winery hosts a craft fair selling everything from ceramics to designer handbags. mauricecarriewinery.com

15 of 20

Miramonte Winery

This hilltop winery has a laid-back feel during the week, with visitors dawdling on the patios and participating in VineyardFit fitness classes on the lawn. Things generally pick up on weekend days, and Miramonte offers live music Friday and Saturday nights. Miramonte describes itself as a Rhône specialist, with a notable Syrah, but there is an Iberian side to the place as well, with Tempranillo and even Sangria. Walk-in tastings don't require reservations, but the winery offers a slate of tours for those who book ahead. Other reasons to stop by include the healthy menus at the Flower Hill Bistro and the custom-etched wine bottle program for a special gift. miramontewinery.com

16 of 20

Monte de Oro Winery

Set on a picturesque hilltop with seasonal views of snow-capped mountains in several directions, Monte de Oro is one of the area's more heavily visited wineries, and it has a massive tasting room (with a glass floor view of the barrel cellar) to accommodate the traffic. The Rhône- and Bordeaux-influenced wines are available for sampling starting at $13-$15 for six tastes, or at the Monte de Oro Bistro on weekends. Go online to reserve a tour ($35-$60) or to buy tickets for special events. There is live music on Sundays and a summer concert series. montedeoro.com

17 of 20

Mount Palomar Winery

Set in the midst of its own 315 acres of vines, with views of snow-capped mountains, the locale at Mount Palomar is so scenic it advertises itself as a venue for photo shoots. One of Temecula's pioneer wineries, it helped set the paradigm for the Mediterranean-style grapes that have become a staple here. Among the winery's specialties are Italianate wines like the Kyanti blend (say it out loud), and Port and Sherry style wines, which they have produced for decades—Mount Palomar claims the oldest Sherry solera in the United States. Tastings are $16-$20 for a choice of six wines in the handsome tasting room. Also on the premises is the Annata bistro. The patio hosts live music on Saturdays and Sundays. mountpalomarwinery.com

18 of 20

Ponte Family Estate Winery

The Spanish Mission-style building that greets you gives way to a rustic-American, barn-style winery, all of it sleek and new-seeming at this well-funded winery and inn. The motto of the place is, "If you like it, it's good wine," and Ponte seems to being trying to produce at least one wine for everybody—its limited productions stretch over four distinct lines of wines, with the flagship reds priced around $35-$75. The tasting room isn't inexpensive either, at $20 for six tastes, but at least during the week you can count on a lot of personal attention. The Restaurant, with seating in the formal gardens, is open every day for lunch and dinner on weekends. The highly rated Ponte Vineyard Inn (rooms from about $219) makes a very comfortable home base for wine country visits. pontevineyardinn.com

19 of 20

Robert Renzoni Vineyards & Winery

The Renzoni story is both old and new. Old because the family started making wine back in 1886 in Italy. New because Robert Renzoni founded this winery in 2008, making use of the knowledge gained by his predecessors in Temecula viticulture. The winery concentrates on Zinfandel, Bordeaux and Italian varieties from its several sustainably farmed vineyards, including inventive blends like Big Fred's Red (1/2 Zin, 1/2 Sangiovese). Visitors can sample wines in the tasting room, which also offers a variety of prepared sauces and olive oils, or with Italian-inflected food from Mama's Trattoria. To see the place from an especially unique perspective, try booking the Renzoni hot air balloon. robertrenzonivineyards.com

20 of 20

South Coast Winery Resort & Spa/Carter Estate Winery

Real estate developer Jim Carter has merged his wine country dreams at this 38-acre resort property. On the wine side, the property produces a slew of different bottles under several labels, including the affordable South Coast Winery, the Wild Horse Peak, grown at elevation, and the pricey Carter Estate small lot wines. There are two tasting rooms here, including one for club members (non members pay $18-$22—on the weekend—for five tastes). There are also a number of book-ahead tour options. The well-equipped resort offers villas and suites (from around $200), spa treatments and the upscale Rose Restaurant. southcoastwinery.com

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