How to Plan a Day Trip to Temecula (I’ve Been A LOT!)

I’ve been to Temecula a lot.

We lived in San Diego for seven years, and it was the closest wine region for not just decent wines, but award-winning varietals.

I’m serious. Southern California has wine, and it’s just about an hour’s drive from San Diego.

I’ve done enough research on the region at this point to offer a detailed guide to a delicious, even bubbly day trip to Temecula from San Diego.

Heck, I’ve even been to a wedding there.

Let’s get to sippin’!

What is Temecula best known for?

Temecula is best known for its wine. More specifically, they’re known for a more laidback, budget-friendly wine-tasting experience compared to wine regions like Napa and Sonoma. 

Don’t get me wrong. I love visiting Northern California and getting my fancy sips on there. 

I’m just not as big a wine connoisseur as I let on, and I’m easily intrigued by saving money. I’m also easily influenced by proximity, and living in San Diego made Temecula day trips quite convenient. 

How Many Days to Spend in Temecula

You only need one day in Temecula to introduce yourself to the wine scene there. If you’re already in San Diego exploring the best of America’s Finest City, Temecula is an easy day trip.

Note: Lightweights may only need a few hours in Temecula, honestly. It all depends on your stamina for wine country. 

How to From San Diego to Temecula

If you’re lucky enough to have a designated driver available, the easiest way to get to and around Temecula wine country is to drive.

It takes about an hour to get to Temecula from San Diego, which is why it was one of my favorite trips while living there. If you’re in the area for longer, Ramona is sort of on the way and home to more wine and goat yoga.

I wouldn’t joke about these goats.

READ MORE: Love San Diego day trips? Learn about Julian, my fall favorite and an apple pie mecca!

Guided wine tours are another option if you don’t have access to a designated driver. It’s the safe way to go if you’re visiting solo or on a terrific ladies’ weekend. 

Here are a few highly-rated options for that:

For those who aren’t traveling to Temecula to drink alcohol, you obviously don’t need a designated driver. I’m happy for you, proud of you, and I hope you have a nice time exploring the other fun things to do in Temecula that aren’t about wine.

Honestly, it’s not much, but let’s get to it!

Things to Do on a Day Trip to Temecula

I’m going to limit my list here to what I’ve personally experienced. As I’m typically exploring the best of Temecula Valley Wine Country on my visits, I’ve yet to experience the big bucket list stuff like hot air balloon rides over said valley.

That doesn’t mean I don’t think that sounds awesome. It sounds VERY awesome and is a popular thing to do while you’re here. I just can’t vouch for it myself.

If you want to hit the skies, here are some highly-rated options:

Let’s get into what I can speak with more experience about. 

Stroll Old Town Temecula.

Much like Old Town San Diego, the architecture you’ll see in Old Town Temecula is quite old. What you’ll see here dates back to the 1800s, which is why this is where you’ll see the town’s haunted sites.

For an American city, that’s pretty dang old.

Browsing the shops is what I see lots of folks recommend that you do here, but if you like having a destination in mind, head to the Temecula Olive Oil Company.

While their cold-pressed olive oil can’t compare to what I’ve tasted abroad in Italy, Spain, or Croatia, they sell a huge upgrade over grocery store-quality varieties.

Visit their tasting room to learn about their products, sample olive oil, and take some small-batch bottles home with you.

Eat at the best Temecula restaurants.

Quite a few of the best Temecula wineries also serve some excellent food. I’ve eaten very well at Miramonte and Falkner wineries, for starters. If you want to stick to town on your Temecula trip, you have lots of options. 

Here are my favorites:

• Corkfire Kitchen: I’ve only been to this one for brunch, but my meal was delicious. Try their lemon ricotta pancakes if you like sweet or any of their omelets if you like savory. Reservations are recommended and available online.
• The Gambling Cowboy: This one is a family favorite, especially if you’re dealing with some picky eaters. It’s steaks and chops at this one, although they also serve a nice-looking brunch. (I haven’t been in the morning.) Make reservations online.
• The Goat & Vine: Pizza is always a good idea after a day of wine tastings. They’re known for “The Goat,” a garlic-heavy, goat cheese sprinkled in lemon zest and delight. They don’t do reservations but do open a waitlist from time to time.

Try the beer.

Temecula has beer! You really should be having wine on visits to Temecula, but if you’ve been a few times as I have and are seeking some variety, Temecula has a decent craft beer scene, too. It shouldn’t come as a surprise. San Diego is a beer lover’s paradise.

READ MORE: Love the sound of that? I have a detailed guide to my favorite breweries in San Diego.

We’ve visited two Temecula breweries, Aftershock Brewing Co. and Black Market Brewing Co.

Black Market has the added bonus of having a pop-up winery, Off the Rails Winery, inside the brewery. They also have decent pizza on-site that we’ve indulged in after a long day in the vineyards.

That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t recommend Aftershock Brewing. Just be warned about the jalapeno-spiced option they have on tap sometimes. That one completely blew out my palate for the rest of the night. 

Maybe they knew I needed to be cut off?

Sip on mead while you’re at it.

I swear I don’t have some kind of problem. I’m telling you I’ve been to the town A LOT, and there’s just a lot to indulge in that might get you a little buzzed.

Batch Mead is one of those things. 

I’m honestly not even sure whether I like mead or not. I know I always have a great time after mead, but it leans a little sweet for my tastes. Batch Mead has hard cider, too, which is usually more up my alley. 

Anyway, the aesthetics are fun and they’ve won awards for their mead, so you may as well give it a go and form your own opinions. 

Go wine tasting.

Wine tasting in Temecula can be even more fun than wine tasting in some of the bigger regions across California for the simple fact that it’s way cheaper. 

I love a good time on a budget, especially when I likely wouldn’t be able to tell a Napa Valley red from a Temecula style while blindfolded. I know my limitations.

As wine tasting is essential to any Temecula road trip, this one deserves its own section for you to peruse as you decide where to start…and where to finish.

My Favorite Temecula Wineries

I’m not going by diversity in wine here, but by a super subjective list that I’ve created in my brain about the best Temecula wineries. Maybe the vibe was right or the bubbles were on point.

Maybe I don’t remember how much fun I had there, in which case I had A LOT of fun. 

They aren’t in any particular order other than alphabetical, as that would be like choosing my favorite goat at the farm. 

They’re all my babies.

Reservations are always a good idea, but you can likely walk in if you’re visiting in the off-season. That said, reservations ensure that a winery is actually open.

You don’t want to have your heart set on something on your day trip to Temecula wineries and arrive at a locked door. 

I’ve been there.

Briar Rose Winery

Briar Rose Winery is Temecula’s gateway winery. All I mean by that is that it’s on almost every Temecula itinerary because of the story it has to tell.

The name may suggest a nod to Sleeping Beauty, but the tasting room is actually a replica of Snow White’s cottage. That’s not by accident.

The original owner worked for Walt Disney back in the day and was involved in many of Disneyland’s biggest attractions.

By the 1990s, the winery exchanged hands, but the style remained to allow others to experience the most whimsical destination in Temecula. 

What to Taste: Their cabernet sauvignon is an award winner, so you’ll want to start there as you have your own Disney princess moment. 

Danza del Sol Winery

Danza del Sol Winery is my favorite stop on the De Portola Wine Trail, a less-traveled option compared to wineries on the Rancho California Wine Trail.

Note: There’s a third option, too, the Calle Cotento Wine Trail. That’s where you’ll find the Briar Rose and Falkner wineries. None of these wineries are too far apart in the region, and you can hit multiple wine trails in a single afternoon.

The ambiance has something to do with my love for this one. I was reminded a bit of Tuscany while I was there from the meandering drive up to its rolling hills to the rustic architecture.

What to Taste: The red wines here are where it’s at. Try their tempranillo or embrace those Italian vibes with their bold sangiovese.

Falkner Winery

This hillside winery is well-known in Temecula for tastings with a view.

If you time things right for lunchtime, you can have lunch at The Pinnacle Restaurant, their Mediterranean eatery. Share a charcuterie board or treat yourself to some crab cakes. Everything here is delicious.

We’ve done Falkner Winery on Mother’s Day for brunch, and it is an impressive time. Just make sure you make reservations if you’re interested, as this one does get busy during the holidays. Moms love brunch and they love wine.

What to Taste: Their flagship Meritage is a Bordeaux-style red wine blend. I’m not a huge fan of chardonnay, but if you are, theirs is award-winning.

Miramonte Winery

Falkner isn’t the only Temecula winery with a view. Miramonte Winery sits at 1,400 feet of elevation. Their vineyards, with grapes that range in styles from French to Portuguese, sit at 1,400 to 1,600 feet, so you’ll be surrounded by quite the panorama. 

If you’re hungry, the bistro on their property serves up charcuterie boards, flatbreads, and seasonal salads. We had a delicious lunch here followed by an interaction with some celebrities in the parking lot. The wine may have had something to do with that bit.

Miramonte gets busy on the weekends, especially when they have live music, but you seem like someone who loves a reservation.

What to Taste: Try their Four Torch Red, a blend of syrah, grenache, and Mourvèdre, or their rosé. The pink wine has quite a few accolades.

Thornton Winery

The Google reviews on this one are way too harsh. I always have a great time at Thornton Winery and often start here on visits to Temecula.

That’s because they have excellent sparkling wines, and that’s often how I like to start my mornings in wine country.

Fun fact: I’ve since learned that you’re not supposed to start with sparkling wines at wine tastings because the bubbles blast your taste buds. As I’m not someone deterred by blasted taste buds, I’ll continue doing as I please, but it may be helpful for some to know.

The winery also hosts a Champagne Jazz Series to accompany your tastings if you’d like to plan around that. I’ve never attended, but it all sounds quite classy.

Yes, I know Champagne can truly only come from Champagne, France. I’m only capitalizing for the concert series there.

What to Taste: You’re here for the sparkling stuff. Get your hands on their brut reserve or one of their flavored bubbles if you like things a little sweeter. I do not, but you do you.

Vindemia Vineyard & Winery

This boutique, family-owned winery offers comfy seating and excellent vineyard views with one of the most casual experiences in Temecula. Walk-ins are welcome at this one, and you’re unlikely to have to arm wrestle for chairs despite the high-quality pours.

Fun fact: They offer hot air balloon rides from here, too, which I didn’t know until we arrived. I will plan better next time to realize this bucket list dream of mine. 

What to Taste: I loved The Republic, a syrah-grenache blend with berry flavors that was chilled enough to make for easy summer sipping. Did you know red wines should be served cool? 

Wilson Creek Winery

Wilson Creek Winery is one of the biggest names in Temecula and one of the largest wineries in the region. That doesn’t make this place basic. They’re here to give you the full Temecula wine-tasting experience.

For a more exclusive time, book a sit-down tasting in the library. You’ll get more of their attention and taste varietals that aren’t available to the normies in the tasting room.

Eat at one of the attached restaurants before or after your tasting and sample their slushies while you’re at it.

What to Taste: You may already be familiar with Wilson Creek’s popular almond-flavored sparkling wine. For an indulgent treat, ask for a sip of their chocolate dessert wine.

Honorable Mentions

I wasn’t kidding when I said I’ve been to Temecula a lot.

The wineries I mentioned above are a great cross-section of some of the best of the region, but that’s certainly not all she wrote when it comes to offerings available here.

There are nearly 50 wineries in Temecula. I have some work left to do here, too. 

Here are a few more that I’ve enjoyed on my visits just in case you need more options:

• Akash Winery & Vineyard: This one hasn’t been operating in Temecula for too long, but it’s developed a name for itself as a spot for bold reds. Go for their estate winery options like Three’s Company, a red blend. 
• Baily Vineyard: The wines here are focused on all things Bordeaux, so you’ll want to be drinking their reds on your visit here. For something a bit more exclusive, try to snag a reservation in their Estate Tasting Room.
• Ponte Winery: This is the largest vineyard in Temecula with about 300 acres of vineyards surrounding the property. I love the architecture at this one. The property is mission-style and feels very Southern California.

Dogs and Temecula Wineries

Dogs are allowed at some Temecula wineries, but not all of them. Akash, Falkner, and Miramonte wineries are three that do allow well-behaved dogs.

If you’re traveling to San Diego with your dog, the city is generally quite dog-friendly. There are a number of dog beaches for your pup to explore like Ocean Beach.

Best Hotels in Temecula

As we lived in San Diego, we typically visited Temecula on easy day trips from our home near lovely Balboa Park. We did spend one night at the Best Western near Old Town after a wedding, and I’d recommend it as a budget-friendly stay in the heart of the city.

It wasn’t fancy or anything, but the rooms were clean and quiet and parking was plentiful when we had to hit the road the next morning for more wine time.

It’s a priority in these parts.

For more options, browse the map below for the best hotels and apartment-style stays in Temecula:

Is Temecula worth visiting?

Temecula is worth visiting for its wine scene, the variety of wine available here, and the casual wine-tasting scene.

I know it sounds like a ha-ha funny joke, but Temecula is known for its wine and that’s probably while you’re here.

Sure, I threw a bone at you about Old Town and some olive oil slurps to be had here, but let’s be real. If you’re on this guide, you’re thinking about ditching San Diego for the day to hit up Temecula wineries. It’s a good idea. Trust me.

It’s already on my agenda for the next time I’m in San Diego.

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Read more about my favorite San Diego neighborhoods:

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