Temecula Valley is Southern California's wine country, and it is bigger than most first-time visitors expect. The Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association counts 33,000 acres and 47 wineries in the appellation. Grapes were first planted here by mission padres in 1820, but the modern industry dates to the 1960s and 1970s, and the region was recognized as an American Viticultural Area on October 23, 1984. It became the Temecula Valley AVA in 2004.
What makes it work is the air. The valley lies about 22 miles from the Pacific, and gaps in the coastal mountains pull cool marine breezes in each afternoon. Most vineyards sit between 1,000 and 1,500 feet on well-draining decomposed granite. The result, in the association's words, is warm days and cool nights that let grapes ripen slowly.
The list below is not a ranking. It is a starting set of eight wineries that each show a different side of the valley: history, sparkling wine, resort weekends, family tasting rooms. Most line Rancho California Road; Leoness is on De Portola Road, the region's second trail. Hours and reservation policies change often, so confirm on each winery's site before you go. To build these stops into two days, see our perfect Temecula weekend.
