Just an easy hour and a half drive from LA, you’ll find Temecula Valley, Southern California’s Wine Country in Riverside County. If you’re like me, and LOVE a trip to Napa but live in SoCal so don’t get up there as often, this is a great alternative closer to LA. After many visits to the region, I’ve perfected my perfect weekend trip into the region, hitting some of my favorite wineries in just 2-days in Temecula.

The Temecula Valley grows & produces over 50 different varieties of wine, so it’s a perfect place to try out your usuals + some new types. And, it’s filled with plenty of wineries & restaurants, some of which have been around for ages, and some of which are brand-new. It’s the perfect place for a quick weekend getaway to relax & sip on some vino!

How To Get There

Coming from LA, it’s just less than a 2-hour drive south to get to Temecula. Since we planned on doing a few wine tastings, we decided to stay the night, but you can easily make this a day trip if you have a DD!

It’s a bit closer of a drive from San Diego – just a little over an hour! If you’re flying to visit Temecula, I’d suggest flying into the San Diego airport if possible, for a quicker drive in.

2-days in Temecula winery hopping

Day One: Check into Hotel & Start to Explore the Wineries in Temecula

Ponte Winery & Inn

As you arrive at Ponte, you’ll immediately be greeted by a beautiful white Spanish Mission-style property. It’s always been one of my favorite wineries to check out, and after spending my first night at the hotel, it’s now my go-to stay when visiting.

It’s situated in the main stretch of Temecula wineries, so the location makes it an ideal home base when popping around multiple wineries. And, it’s just down the street from my favorite winery, Bottaia!

The property itself has beautiful rooms overlooking the vineyard, and a decent sized property where you can take your glass of wine around and explore (which just happens to be my favorite activity!).

They also offer tastings onsite and have multiple restaurants on property. The Restaurant, with garden seating, is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday-Sunday, and Bouquet offers brunch and dinner out on the stunning terrace every day.

Rooms start at $250 for the night, which is reasonable for the area, especially for what you get! You can book a room at Ponte Inn HERE.

After you get settled in to your room, pop down to their tasting room, and try out the 6 wines flight at $30pp. Since you have a day ahead of you, I suggest sharing the tasting flight and then picking your favorite for a glass to take on your exploration of the property.

Wine Tasting at Bottaia Winery

Take a break from Ponte, and head just two properties East to Bottaia Winery. They opened a few years ago and are a sister winery to Ponte.

This is by far my favorite winery in Temecula (we’re actually members here). The deck, where you’ll sit for your tasting, overlooks the beautiful 45 acre estate vineyard. You can order a few bites from their snack menu, which includes charcuterie boards and deserts.

The wine is also some of my favorite I’ve ever tasted in the region. Definitely make sure to try their Vermentino – I may leave with a few bottles of this one on each trip 🙂

On the weekends, you’ll get some live music, and if you plan to come in the summer, plan your visit around a trip to their recently opened pool. What better way to cool off in the heat of summer than with a glass of rose (also incredible here), poolside.

Outside of just a wine tasting, Bottaia also has a few experiences to try out. I’ve always wanted to try their wine blending lab where you et to create your own blend & take it home that day!

And, make sure to make a reservation in advance – walk-ins are not guaranteed, unless you are a member.

Head back to Ponte for Dinner

After you finish up at Bottaia, head back to the hotel for dinner. The Restaurant is an easy spot to grab a meal without a reservation but if you can, try to make a reservation for Bouquet, which is a bit more formal of a meal.

Like most places in Temecula, you also will likely catch live entertainment on the weekends!

The starter bread at The Restaurant is actually phenomenal, and we ended up splitting the Pancetta + Fig pizza, which was decent. Overall, it wasn’t my favorite food I’ve had, but after a long-day of wine tasting, it’s still the most convenient place to go when staying at the hotel.

The Cellar at Ponte

If you’re not ready to end the night just yet, head downstairs at Ponte to check out the Cellar for an underground bar with live music every Friday & Saturday. They serve beautiful cocktails and of course, have many wines to choose from. It’s the perfect hang out spot to end the night, closing at midnight on the weekends.

Day Two: Test Out Some New Wineries Down the Street

Breakfast at Ponte

When you wake up, make a trip downstairs to take advantage of the lovely breakfast at Ponte’s Bouquet. The morning breakfast service transports you to Italy – the set up is stunning with vineyards surrounding you in the distance.

The ambiance of this area is just so nice. It makes for the perfect spot to relax and fuel up, all while taking in the beautiful property. And on weekends, they have live music, creating an even more inviting space.

Get the Eggs Benedict, and pair with a glass of champagne to ease the pain from yesterdays drinking :).

Wine Tasting at Monte De Oro Winery

If the weather’s nice, definitely stop by Monte De Oro for a wine tasting on their patio. There’s plenty of coverage from the sun with the many umbrellas that overflow on the patio area. And you’ll have a beautiful view of the vineyards. Plus their food is top-notch for a light snack!

Lunch at Callaway Vineyard & Winery

Head over to Callaway, just up the street, for lunch and your second wine tasting of the day. You may recognize the name from the golf brand, which is actually part of the same family that opened Callaway in 1969. They are one of the largest operators in Temecula, so definitely don’t miss out.

The Meritage, where you’ll have lunch, overlooks the vineyard with a lovely open-air space. We split a charcuterie plate (as we did everywhere – I love cheese too much), and had a glass to sip on while enjoying the views.

After lunch, head over to the winery, where you can grab a glass and explore the property. They host live music every Sunday, and be sure to check their website before you plan your trip, because they also host many events on the weekend. When we visited in November, we were pleasantly surprised to see they had a holiday mart set up, filled with local vendors selling clothing, hats, gifts, and goods. You can take your wine outside and peruse!

Dinner in Old Town at Blackbird

Before popping back to LA, stop by Blackbird in Old Town for dinner. The restaurant is huge, with a large outdoor patio. You’ll find plenty of lawn games like cornhole, as well as two fire pits, and on weekend, you guessed it – live music, as well :).

The menu focuses on more elevated bar food, though they do have some larger mains like steak, salmon, and pasta. But, I’d stick to the more hand-held options like their sandwiches and bar snacks. The ahi nachos and loaded fries are the standouts on the menu!

Head Back to LA

Time to close out your trip and make the drive back to LA! And please make sure that you have a designated driver or abstain from drinking if you plan to drive back – you can always plan your trip to stay for an extra day and leave in the AM to be safe 🙂