Looking for the best wineries in Temecula and things to do in Temecula? We’ve got you covered with our favorite wineries in Temecula and things to do in Temecula. Ever since our close family friends moved to Temecula, we’ve been visiting a few times a year. It never gets old because there is SO much to do in Temecula, one of those things being wine tasting at some really beautiful wineries! There are over 40 wineries in Temecula and so figuring out which are the best wineries in Temecula can be difficult. To help narrow it down for you, we’ve listed the best wineries in Temecula in our opinion. While we haven’t been to them all, our family friends know the area really well and have guided us to the best ones to visit. So these are the wineries we consider to be the best and also the wineries a Temecula local thinks are the best! Since there’s a lot more to do in Temecula than just wine tasting, we’ve also included our favorite things to do in Temecula.
Best Wineries in Temecula & Other Things To Do in Temecula
Best Wineries in Temecula:
1. Briar Rose Winery
Briar Rose Winery is the most unique winery we’ve been to recently, which is why we’ve added it to our list of best wineries in Temecula. It was founded by a Disney Imagineer as a homage to Walt Disney. The whole place is full of Hidden Mickeys with memorabilia straight from Disneyland! As a Disney freak, this was a dream come true for me! Bassam is not a Disney freak, but he loved the charming ambiance just as much as I did. All of the buildings are replicas of Snow White’s cottage. It’s SO cute! Most of the roofs are concrete formed to look like a thatched roof, with the exception of the one closest to the entrance. That roof is actually thatched and brought straight from Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. The name of the winery is also an homage to Disney. Briar for Sleeping Beauty and Rose for Beauty & The Beast. Each of the wine bottles features a rose on the label. While you’re there see if you can find rocks from Indian Jones, street lights from Main Street, an oil lamp from Big Thunder Mountain, and lanterns from Haunted Mansion. The wines weren’t our favorite and definitely not worth the price of the tasting, but you go there for the experience and the ambiance. We probably wouldn’t go back to this one as frequently as some of the other wineries on our best wineries in Temecula list, but it’s well worth experiencing at least once. We had such a lovely and relaxing time!
Things To Know:
- Seated wine tastings outdoors
- Not dog friendly
- Outside food not allowed
- Some snacks available
- Reservations required
- Tasting Fee: $15 standard, $25 premium
2. Leoness Cellars
Leoness is our favorite out of all the wineries! We can pretty confidentally say this is the best winery in Temecula! If you only have time to visit one winery in Temecula, you can’t go wrong choosing this one! We go every single Temecula trip. We think Leoness offers the best wine out of all the Temecula wineries. We’ve loved every single wine we’ve tasted. The seating is also beautiful and they have great food, so basically everything you need! Our family friends are members here and we absolutely love the members area. They have a gorgeous patio, table service for the tastings, and great food that’s not on the menu at the general restaurant. If you’re seated out here, you recieve your wines in a tasting tower (see photos below) and can go at your own pace. They also offer traditional tastings in the tasting room. We’d love to become members but the membership is a bit pricey. Be sure to try the flatbreads and the gorgonzola fries!
A few photos from our Instagram Stories:
Things To Know:
- Outdoor and indoor options
- Dogs allowed outside
- Full menu
- Reservations optional
- Tasting Fee: $16 weekdays, $20 weekends
3. South Coast Winery
We recently went to South Coast Winery for brunch and loved it! One of the largest wineries in Temecula and so pretty! It’s perfect for big groups, especially if you have under age individuals in the group. The property includes two tasting rooms, a resort and spa, and restaurant. This isn’t the place for you if you’re looking for a smaller more intimate setting, but overall it’s a great place to spend the day! It made it on to our best wineries in Temecula list as it’s really gorgeous. The wines are delicious as well, but they are enhanced by the beautiful view you enjoy them with. You can also stay the night here!
Things To Know:
- Tasting rooms indoors
- Dogs allowed outside
- Full restaurant
- Reservations optional
- Tasting Fee: $15 weekdays, $20 weekends
4. Miramonte Cellars
Miramonte Cellars is perched on a hilltop with beautiful views of the valley. The owner was only 32 when he opened the winery and it has a very youthful feel to it. There’s live music on the Friday and Saturday nights and the wines are fantastic!
Things To Know:
- Indoor and outdoor options
- Dog friendly
- No outside food allowed
- Full restaurant
- No reservations
- Tasting Fee: $17 weekdays, $20 weekends
5. Europa Village
Europa Village is an absolutely gorgeous winery with a Mediterranean European feel. The wines are produced in a French, Italian, and Spanish style with over 30 wines bottled on the premises. Such a beautiful and relaxing place to spend a few hour with a great glass of wine.
Things To Know:
- Indoor and outdoor options
- Outside food allowed
- Snack selection available
- Dog friendly
- Reservations optional
- Tasting Fee: $20 standard, $30 premium
6. Avensole Winery
Avensole Winery is a gorgeous hill top location with beautiful views of the valley. They serve delicious California style wine. It’s a family run winery and I just love the philosophy behind the winery, that adventure and discovery make life meaningful. I also love the live music, makes for such a relaxing day.
Things To Know:
- Indoor and outdoor options
- No outside food
- Dog friendly
- Full restaurant
- Reservations optional
- Tasting Fee: $17 weekdays, $20 weekends
7. Wilson Creek Winery
Wilson Creek is a fun family winery with a very causal and relaxed feel. They offer an almond sparkling wine which we loved! If you love it too, don’t buy it from the winery. Head over to the Costco in Temecula and get it there to purchase at a lower price! The Costco also has a few other Wilson Creek wines and their peach sparkling wine. We serve these every NYE and they are always a big hit! Something really unique about Wilson Creek Winery is that they offer a horseback riding tour! This is high on our bucket list to do on a future trip.
Things To Know:
- Tasting room indoors
- Dogs not allowed
- Outside food allowed on picnic grounds
- Full restaurant
- Reservations optional
- Tasting Fee: $20
Here are some great tips for a day of wine tasting
Other Things To Do in Temecula:
There’s so much to do in Temecula and a lot of really great food! There is more than enough to do to fill an entire weekend and something for every traveler’s preference. Here are some of our favorite things to do in Temecula:
Old Town Temecula
This is definitely the number one thing to do in Temecula. A really cute part of town that resembles the golden west of the 1880s. The storefronts, sidewalks, and buildings will all make you feel like you’ve taken a trip back in time. Spend some time exploring the stores and getting a bite to eat. This is the perfect area to go out to dinner or grab drinks. There’s always something to do here and lots of seasonal activities as well, for example, around the holidays there’s a giant outdoor ice skating rink.
Here are our favorites:
- Crush & Brew: Owned by our favorite winery, Leoness. Great food and drinks + live music. Get the Greek salad, Greek pizza, and lobster mac and cheese!
- The Goat & Vine: Really great drinks and food! Over 1,000 reviews and 4.5 stars on Yelp! Definitely get a pizza!
- Temecula Olive Oil Company: We love trying olive oil wherever we travel and the olive oil here is one of our favorites! Do a tasting to see which ones you like best before purchasing. All of the staff are really great at explaining the products and giving pairing and serving suggestions. We love the jalapeno olive oil, garlic olive oil, apple vinegar, chipotle chili flakes, and Just Dress It blend. We’ve considered becoming members here because we love their olive oils so much!
- Old Town Spice & Tea Market: We went crazy over all the tea and spices here! The whole store is filled with rows upon rows of tea and spices. Allow yourself plenty of time, because it’s so hard to decide what to get! We easily spent over an hour smelling and sampling all of the options.
- Saturday Farmer’s Market: We haven’t done this yet, but it’s on our list!
Horseback Riding Wine Tasting Tour
Temecula is known for horse back riding just as much as it is known for wine tasting. We think the ultimate day would be to combine the two together! There are several horseback riding wine tasting tours offered in the Valley. We haven’t done this yet but it’s really high on our list for a future trip!
Hot Air Balloon Ride
This is one that high on my list, but not high on Bassam’s. Start off your day of wine tasting with a magical sunrise flight across the beautiful valley. The views are just gorgeous! Hot air balloon rides are one of the most well known things to do in Temecula.
Bike Rides
With over 90 miles of bike trails, going for a bike ride is a perfect activity to add to your Temecula itinerary. You could go for an all day ride and pack a picnic to enjoy at Santa Rosa Plateau’s Ecological Reserve or go for a casual ride in Old Town.
Pechango Casino and Resort
All of the excitement of Vegas, in pretty and charming Temecula. Go for the night or even the whole weekend. In additional to the standard casino gaming, there is also tons of entertainment, great restaurants, and spas.
Anisa says
I have heard of Temecula but haven’t been yet. I love visiting wine areas so I need to add this one to the list. I agree it looks like there is more than enough to keep you busy for a weekend.
happilyeveradventures says
Let us know if you go! Leoness is our absolute favorite, but Briar Rose is a must if you’re a Disney fan. We’ve spent several weekends there and still haven’t run out of things to do!