Temecula Wine Country in California southeast of LA is a gem wine travel destination (9/10)
Looking for a great place to go wine tasting and spend a night or two? Look no further as Temecula Wine Country about 90 miles southeast of Los Angeles is a fabulous place with fantastic vineyards and wineries. I took my wife and 16-month-old daughter on this trip.
We checked in at the beautiful, luxurious South Coast Winery Resort & Spa (www.wineresort.com) before heading to the Baily Vineyard and Winery for lunch at Carol’s Restaurant. Make sure to setup the grapeline shuttle so you can relax on the wine tour and don’t have to worry about driving. They will pick you up and take you around. After lunch, I went on two great tours at Wiens and Ponte Family estate where I had many sample tastings as I enjoyed their beautiful grounds.
Upon returning to the South Coast Winery Resort & Spa, we had to try some of their wines in the quite busy tasting room. This venue has the most room accommodations and is quite the popular place to visit, stay and get married. Don’t miss the fitness room, spa and salt water pool & Jacuzzi. We relaxed in and by the pool in the afternoon before changing and heading to Doffo Winery for a grape stomping competition that I was challenged to enter and ended up winning. Next up was an Argentine style BBQ in their outdoor patio with some of their fantastic red wines. Doffo had some of the best red wines I tasted during the stay. It was time to head back to the resort to rest up before the next big day.
My wife Kelly ended up going on the relaxing Hot Air Balloon ride by “California Dreamin” over the wine country at sunrise at the Vindemia Vineyards & Winery where a continental breakfast was provided afterwards. www.californiadreamin.com It was back to the resort to try one of their famous banana foster pancakes and rest up.
Next stop was Wilson Creek Winery & Vineyards for lunch and tasting. I really enjoyed their famous Almond Champagne, a welcomed switch from all the wine I had drank. The food was delicious as I had the fried calamari appetizer and the fresh sea bass entrée. I took a nice tour of the huge winery where they also do many weddings and events. We just needed some down time to rest up before the big food and wine festival. The second night we stayed at the Temecula Creek Inn about 15 minutes from wine country but a very intimate golf and tennis location. Our room overlooked the golf course and the layout was very nice. This is another hot spot for weddings.
It was time to head to the newer Monte De Oro Winery, the host of the first Temecula Valley Wine & Culinary Showcase. The views and grounds were exquisite and the event was superb. It started with a winemaker’s roundtable with Q & A followed by a champagne reception before the event opened up at 7pm. There were about 15 restaurants serving up some tasty foods while all 31 wineries surrounded the premises so there was plenty to drink and taste. The scenery and background music made the overall event enjoyable.
In the morning, we went to explore old town Temecula before checking out and hitting the road. We had a great breakfast at the popular Swing Inn Café where they served up big portions and delicious eggs and other specialties. We visited a local market and checked out the children’s museum, which was voted the best in the country and after seeing it, we do agree, as it was spectacular. Before we checked out, we arranged some great treatments from Total Body Care (The In-House Massage and Facial Company at the Temecula Creek Inn). Lisa is the owner and my massage and my wife’s facial were outstanding. You can reach her through the hotel or by calling (951) 440-8166.
We would like to give thanks to Peggy at the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association and Michelle & Sienna at McCue Marketing Communications for arranging the great trip and itinerary. For more information and to see all the winery websites and contacts, please visit www.temeculawines.org
Photo credit for the Showcase event by Steve Driscoll