The 14 Best Temecula Wineries To Visit (2024)
Want to know all the best Temecula wineries? We’ve got you covered with everything you need to know!
JP and I love to visit Temecula wineries for a day or weekend of wine tasting at least once a year.
I even spent the day before our wedding out in Temecula with my grandparents and brothers and still refer to that day as my unofficial bachelorette party since I never had a real one.
Since our first visit, we’ve been to over a dozen wineries in the Temecula Valley region and we’re always looking forward to our next trip to add more to this list.
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Best Temecula Wineries To Visit
The best Temecula wineries offer a variety of experiences, from casual tastings to elegant dinners.
Whether you’re looking for a place to relax with a glass of wine or enjoy a special occasion, you’ll find it in Temecula Valley.
Here are the best Temecula wineries (in order of when we visited, because it’s really hard to rank these due to personal wine preferences).
1. Churon Winery
Address: 33233 Rancho California Road, Temecula, CA 92591
Winery Hours: Monday – Thursday 11 am – 5 pm (last call 4:30 pm)
Friday and Saturday 10 am – 6 pm (last tasting 5 pm and last call 5:30 pm)
Sunday 10 am – 5 pm (last call 4:30)
Tasting flights, glasses, and bottles of wine are available on a first come first serve basis, unless your group has 6 or more people, then you need a reservation.
They play live music Saturdays from 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm.
Churon Winery is a French-inspired winery in Temecula.
It’s known for its award-winning wines, its beautiful views, and its luxurious accommodations.
My personal favorite wine of theirs is their Tempranillo.
They also have a chocolate dessert wine that is very rich.
2. Briar Rose Winery
Address: 41720 Calle Cabrillo, Temecula, CA 92592
Briar Rose is a family owned and operated, premier boutique winery in Temecula.
It’s known for its life-size replica of Snow White’s Cottage that the original owner built for his wife.
He worked for Walt Disney and was one of the artisans that built Fantasyland and Toon Town.
Reservations are required and sometimes same day reservations are available if it’s a slow weekend in Temecula.
Winery Hours: Friday – Sunday 12 pm – 5 pm (last seating at 4 pm), closed most holidays
My personal favorite wine is their Estate Barbera, which is great for making mulled wine in the winter.
Their tasting menu changes, but you can expect to try wines like Tempranillo, Malbec, Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and blends.
They also have some cats roaming around that love to make friends.
3. Bolero at Europa Village
Address: 41150 Via Europa, Temecula, CA 92591
Europa Village is made up of several areas representing different parts of Europe, including France, Italy, and Spain.
Europa Village has 3 different wineries now, representing each area, with their latest addition being Vienza, opening later in 2023.
We did our wine tasting at Bolero, a Spanish winery.
Here they have bold, vibrant, full-bodied wines.
Bolero doesn’t take reservations and is seated on a first come first serve basis.
You can try the $25 wine tasting flight of 5 wines, or wines by the glass and bottle.
Winery Hours: Daily 11 am – 6 pm (last call 5:30 pm)
For us, the experience was more about exploring Europa Village and didn’t end up taking any wines home.
4. Vitagliano Winery
Address: 36101 Glenoaks Road, Unit D, Temecula, CA 92592
Winery Hours: Wednesday – Friday 2 pm – 7 pm and Saturday and Sunday 12 pm – 7 pm
Vitagliano Winery is known for their Super Tuscan Style blends.
They offer a premium wine tasting paired with a charcuterie board of gourmet cheeses.
These first four wineries we visited all in one day on a recent weekend getaway.
The next 3 wineries we also visited all in one day on a recent day trip out to Temecula.
5. Fazeli Cellars
Address: 37320 De Portola Road, Temecula, CA 92592
Fazeli Cellars is a Persian-inspired winery in Temecula.
It’s known for its award-winning wines, stunning architecture, and delicious Persian food.
You can choose from over 20 varietals, including their most popular wines like Cab Sauv, Sauv Blanc, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre, Viognier, and Chardonnay.
Winery Hours: Daily 11 am – 6 pm, plus Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am – 3 pm
You can also dine at Baba Joon’s Kitchen daily from 11 am – 5 pm on a walk-in basis only.
6. Leoness Cellars
Address: 38311 De Portola Road, Temecula, CA 92592
Winery Hours: Monday – Thursday 11:30 am – 5 pm, Friday 11:30 am – 6 pm, Saturday 11 am – 6 pm, and Sunday 11 am – 5 pm
Reservations are recommended for groups of 6 or larger.
Leoness Cellars has amazing views of the surrounding mountains and is a great photo-op spot.
Our favorite wine of theirs is the Syrah.
7. Robert Renzoni Vineyards
Address: 37350 De Portola Road, Temecula, CA 92592
Winery Hours: Daily 11 am – 6 pm
Reservations are recommended, but not required and they also have live music regularly.
They are also Southern California’s first 100% solar powered winery!
Our favorite wine of theirs is the Tempranillo.
They have a lot of award winning wines including their Barbera Reserve, Tra Amici Blend, Barbera, Fiore Di Fano Blend, Petite Syrah, and their Blank Di Sangiovese.
If you’re looking for a place to eat, Mama Rosa’s Trattoria serves Italian comfort food and is the only restaurant in the area with a brick oven.
The next two wineries we visited on another day trip to Temecula.
8. Monte de Oro Winery
Address: 35820 Rancho California Road, Temecula, CA 92591
Winery Hours: Monday and Tuesday 12 pm – 5 pm and Wednesday – Sunday 11 am – 5 pm.
We went here because we had a free tasting for 2 coupon that we received during our stay at Welk Resorts San Diego.
Our coupon also included a bottle of wine to take home with us.
Their best wine is the Muscat Canelli.
Monte De Oro is known for its 100% estate wines, its four vineyards with over 70 acres producing 12 red grape and 5 white grape varietals.
They barrel age their red wines in 100% French Oak for up to 28 months to produce beautifully balanced wines accentuating the terroir and grape characteristics of their four vineyards.
Their Zinfandel is barrel aged in 85% American Oak.
9. Frangipani Estate Winery
Address: 39750 De Portola Road, Temecula, CA 92592
Winery Hours: Daily 10 am – 6 pm
Walk-ins are welcome, but parties of 8 or more are encouraged to call ahead.
We visited Frangipani because we were able to get a 2 for 1 tasting coupon off of Groupon.
We were each able to choose any 5 wines off of a list of whites, reds, dessert wines, and specialty wines.
This was another winery that had a friendly cat that just loved JP’s attention!
This next winery is one that we visited on another trip out to Temecula and it’s the only one we visited that day.
10. Lorenzi Estate Wines
Address: 36095 Monte De Oro Road, Temecula, CA 92592
We visited Lorenzi Estate around Christmas time and it was beautifully decorated even though it was still 80+ degrees outside.
Most of the wines on their tasting flight are red wines, which we love.
We’ve found that beginning wine drinkers tend to gravitate toward white wines and we were taking JP’s adult children wine tasting, who did not have a whole lot experience with wine tasting at the time.
But, we were able to find a couple wines that everybody liked, plus a wine that we loved, and took home several bottles with us.
The Chardonnay was a crowd favorite, so we got a bottle for us and a bottle for them.
We also loved the Cabernet Sauvignon Cuvee and Payload, so we got a bottle of each of those too.
Lorenzi Estate is open 11 am to 5 pm daily for wine tasting indoors and outdoors.
Their wine tastings are $30 per person and you can expect to spend about an hour here.
These next 4 wineries we visited all in one day on a recent day trip out to Temecula.
11. Falkner Winery
Address:40620 Calle Contento, Temecula, CA 92591
Falkner Winery has a brand new facility that opened Summer 2022, though the vineyard has been around for over 35 years.
They have a $50 per person VIP Wine Tasting Experience that includes a short tour of the facility, a souvenir wine glass, and 6 wine tastings.
Falkner is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.
We love that this one opens so early, because when we’re visiting on a day trip, you can only fit so many wineries into a short amount of time.
But being open at 10 am gave us an extra hour in our day and we were able to get there before it got too busy.
We happened to visit on a day they were having an event, and they have a restaurant, so by the time we left there were a lot of people.
Our favorite of the wines here was the Syrah.
We loved it so much we bought a bottle to take home with us.
This wine tasting menu had a mix of reds and whites.
We started with 3 white wines – a Sauvignon Blanc, a Viognier, and a Dry Rose.
Then we followed up with 3 red wines – Amante, Meritage, and Syrah.
Their Amante wine is a Super Tuscan Style red blend of 50% Sangiovese, 25% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Cabernet Franc.
It’s on the light side, more like a Pinot Noir than anything else.
Their Meritage wine is a Bordeaux Style red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, making it a little bolder and richer than the Amante.
12. Gershon Bachus Vintners
Address: 37750 De Portola Road, Temecula, CA 92592
Gershon Bachus is open for tastings Monday through Thursday from 12 pm to 6 pm and Friday through Sunday from 11 am to 6 pm.
Tastings are $22 plus tax per person and includes 6 varietals.
When we got to Gershon Bachus, the first thing we were asked was, “do you like red wines?”.
We said they are our favorite and they said, “Good, because it’s all we have”!
When you start your tasting, they give you a laminated menu and marker to take notes and rank the wines as you go to get an idea of which types of wines you like.
The main thing we noticed with each one is they all had a great aroma.
This location was also more quiet and secluded than the other wineries we visited this day, so we consider it one of Temecula’s best hidden gems.
We started with the Grenache, called Hesperus, and it was so good we bought a bottle to take home.
It’s on the lighter side and has a little bit of notes of spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
Our other favorites were the Tempranillo, called Porta Accanto, and the Petite Sirah, called Caelus.
The Tempranillo has a hint of molasses and honey and the Petite Sirah is a bold, full-bodied wine with a dark fruit flavor.
We actually found that to us, the Petite Sirah was similar in taste to the Grenache, but bolder.
Some other wines we tasted included 2 red blends, a Malbec, a Merlot, and a Cabernet Franc.
13. Halter Ranch Winery
Address: 41300 Avenida Biona, Temecula, CA 92591
Halter Ranch is open for wine tastings Sunday through Thursday from 11 am to 6 pm and Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 7 pm.
Here you can try a red flight or a mixed flight.
You can enjoy your entire tasting up at the bar or take each drink out to the patio and come back at your leisure for the next wine.
Their wine tasting is $35 per person and the fee can be waived if you purchase any 2 bottles of wine.
These tastings include 5 wines.
We tried the reds only flight which included a Barbera, Chaparral Blend, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Ancestor (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Petit Verdot).
The mixed flight includes a Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Rose, Place of the Sun (a red blend), and Ancestor from the red flight.
On the back patio they have live music and a pizza oven serving Carmine’s Pizza on the weekends.
Our favorites here were the Syrah and Place of the Sun.
The Syrah is fruity and slightly dry.
Place of the Sun is a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.
It was the least dry of the Cabernet Sauvignon blends, smooth, and a bit more on the bolder side.
14. Wilson Creek Winery
Address: 35960 Rancho California Road, Temecula, CA 92591
Wilson Creek Winery is a huge property, with several options for wine tasting indoors or outdoors.
They are open for wine tastings Sunday through Thursday from 10 am to 5 pm, Friday from 10 am to 8 pm, and Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.
There is also a bar and grill in the courtyard and the Creekside Grille Restaurant.
We saw a lot of groups here and is by far the busiest of all of the Temecula wineries we visited, so you know it’s good!
Their wine tasting includes 6 wines and ranges from $25-$30 and we didn’t have wait for a spot.
Their Golden Jubilee wine is a fan favorite.
It’s fruity and sweet, with a hint of apple, pineapple, and guava.
It’s a very light and refreshing wine, so we bought a bottle!
Of their red wines, the Malbec is also a fan favorite.
It’s earthy, which I tend to enjoy in a red wine, but also light and fruity, making it popular for those that aren’t as accustomed to red wines.
A fun combo you can do with your wine tasting is Chocolate Decadencia mixed with a splash of their Almond Sparkling Wine.
It tastes like a tootsie roll and it’s a great way to enjoy a dessert wine for those that feel they are too rich.
We bought both of those so we could recreate it at home.
Where To Stay When Visiting Temecula’s Best Wineries
The rooms at the wineries are usually pretty pricey (but rightly so), so we tend to avoid them since they’re out of our budget, but occasionally there are some great deals.
➡ The Inn At Churon Winery
The night of Thanksgiving one year, we were able to book a stay with Churon Winery for about $200.
This room is the Standard King Vineyard View Room with Ensuite Jet Bath.
It included a complimentary bottle of wine and complimentary sit-down breakfast for 2.
First thing in the morning we did the wine tasting here and took home a bottle of Tempranillo since that was our favorite.
Check out the full room tour video on Youtube.
Click Here To Book Your Stay At The Inn At Churon Winery in Temecula Today!
➡ Europa Village
Europa Village‘s rooms are stunning and well worth the little splurge.
With your stay, parking is free, breakfast is free, and WiFi is free, so you get quite a few perks.
Europa Village is one of the wineries we recommended above that is home to 3 wineries representing Spain, Italy, and France, so it’s a great home base when wine tasting around Temecula.
Click Here To Book Your Stay At Europa Village Today!
Where To Eat When Visiting Temecula’s Best Wineries
In-between all of your wine tasting, you’ll want to check out some of the popular restaurants in Old Town Temecula.
✅ Swing Inn Cafe
Address: 28676 Old Town Front St, Temecula, CA 92590
Swing Inn Cafe has been serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, since 1927.
They are open daily from 6 am to 3 pm for breakfast and lunch and 4 pm to 9 pm for dinner Wednesday through Sunday.
Their menu is reasonably priced, with just about every dish under $20.
They serve mostly American food like burgers, sandwiches, bbq platters, and more.
✅ 1909
Address: 28656 Old Town Front St, Temecula, CA 92590
1909 is a popular bar and restaurant in Old Town Temecula.
They are open Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 10 pm, Friday from 9 am to 2 am, Saturday from 8:30 am to 2 am, and Sunday from 8:30 am to 10:30 pm.
For an appetizer we tried the Tikka Masala Poutine, which is used very loosely.
It’s a mix of tater tots and ribeye, flavored with the Tikka Masala sauce, served with a slice of naan bread.
For our meal, we shared the 1909 Burger, which is an 8 oz special blend patty, bacon onion jam, sharp white cheddar, tomato, wild baby arugula, and garlic aioli on a brioche bun.
1909 is a little bit on the pricier side, our appetizer was $15 and our burger was $18, which is normal for the area, but the main courses that are more elevated meals are priced in the $18-$48 range, mostly in the $30 and $40 ranges.
More Wine Regions To Visit In California
In Southern California, outside of Temecula, you can go wine tasting in San Diego and a small town outside of San Diego called Ramona.
Ramona is one of the newest designated wine regions, but it’s already winning awards.
Up in Los Angeles, there are several nearby destinations that are perfect for a Winery Day Trip.
As you make your way up the coast, towns like Ventura, Santa Barbara, Solvang, and Carmel-By-The-Sea have seemingly endless wineries and tasting rooms.
Of course there’s also the Napa Valley Wine region that also includes places like Sonoma and Calistoga.
Lastly, over in the mountains of California in gold country, there’s a small town named Murphys in Calaveras County that has wine tasting rooms from the area wineries.
Conclusion: Best Temecula Wineries To Visit
With its stunning scenery, delicious wines, and friendly people, Temecula is a great place to visit for a weekend getaway or day trip.
Temecula is home to some of the best wineries in the country, with a wide variety of styles and price points to choose from.
Whether you’re a seasoned wine connoisseur or just starting out, you’re sure to find a winery in Temecula that you’ll love.