Temecula: Southern California's Wine Country

Years ago we went to Napa Valley, never knowing southern California is also home to Wine Country. A co worker told me how they visited Temecula and I would love it, so one weekend we decided to drive from Phoenix to Temecula.

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Temecula, California Overview

Southern California’s Napa Valley is in Temecula. It is 60 miles north of San Diego and 90 miles south of Los Angeles. If you’re flying I would suggest flying to San Diego and then renting a car so you can drive to Temecula. The city is just over 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean.

We visited Temecula in April, which was a great month to visit. The weather was perfect. Daytime temperatures in April were in the low to mid 70’s.

Temecula Farmers Market

We started our first morning in Temecula with a visit to the Temecula Farmers Market. Fresh berries and coffee for breakfast.

Temecula Wineries

If you’re like me I came here for the wine. With over 40 wineries it is hard to choose where to start. There is no shortage of opportunities to sip and taste.

As you can imagine the wineries are spread out, so if you would rather leave the driving to someone else there are several winery tours to take.

Europa Village Wineries

While we tasted wines at various wineries we chose to take a tour of the Europa Village Wineries and it didn’t disappoint. We had a great tour guide and the winery was gorgeous. The Europa Village Wineries are unique as it is actually a multi-winery resort. There are three distinct areas:

Bolero (Spain)
Vienza (Italy)
C’este La Vie (French)

We chose a winery tour here and it didn’t disappoint. We learned all about the grapes grown here, tasted lots of amazing wines that were paired with meat and cheeses.

In addition to winery tours, Europa Village offers wine tastings, dinner options and a place to stay (Inn or Casitas)

Callaway Vineyard

The Callaway Vineyard is another beautiful winery. This one has some great views from the hilltop.

Mount Palomar

The views from Mount Palomar were beautiful. My favorite part was the seating areas under the pergolas. It made you feel you had the whole winery to yourself.

Peltzer Winery

Where a farm and winery meets you’ll find Peltzer Winery. I loved the rustic feel of this winery. It’s a cool laid back place where you might sip some wine and watch your kids play. It is only 21 and older on Friday and Saturdays.

Heritage Rose Garden

The roses were blooming in April, so we just had to check out the Rose Haven Heritage Garden. This pretty garden has over 2,000 rose bushes and beautiful views of the mountains. If you’d like to take a nice leisurely stroll this is a great place to visit.