Temecula Weekend Getaway

Temecula Valley is a beautiful wine region in southern California. Located not far from San Diego, Palm Springs, and Los Angeles, Temecula offers a great weekend getaway. Temecula Valley is smaller than the popular Sonoma Valley and Napa Valley, but has lower prices and a more intimate wine tasting experience. Follow this guide to plan the perfect Temecula weekend getaway full of wine tasting, great food, and amazing views.

When to Visit Temecula

The best time to visit Temecula is at the end of harvest season so you can experience harvest season with nicer weather. Harvest season usually falls between end of August and October. I don’t recommend visiting in July or beginning of August as it can get very hot with temperatures up to 100 degrees. The rest of the year the weather is nice, with winter days being around 60 degrees.

Wine Tasting in Temecula

There are more than 40 wineries in Temecula which gives you plenty of options for wine tasting during your weekend in Temecula. Since there are so many wineries it can get hard to choose which ones to visit, so this guide will walk you through which wineries I recommend visiting during your weekend getaway in Temecula.

Deals for Wine Tasting in Temecula

A great way to save money during your weekend in Temecula is to use Groupon deals for wine tasting. There are currently these Groupon deals for the following wineries: Oak Mountain Winery, Longshadow Ranch Vineyard and Winery, Danza del Sol Winery, Masia De La Vinya, and Frangipani Estate Winery.

Where to Stay in Temecula

There are many accommodation options for your Temecula weekend getaway. You can search and book hotels in Temecula on booking.com. If you want to stay on a vineyard I recommend booking a place early with Airbnb. Airbnb has many options ranging from suites to entire homes located right on a vineyard. Nothing is better than waking up with an incredible view of the vineyard hills.

How to Get to Temecula

Temecula Valley is located in southern California, a short hour drive from San Diego and Palm Springs, and an hour and a half from Los Angeles. Temecula is also a possible as a weekend road trip from Phoenix, as a perfect escape to somewhere a little cooler. If you are not located driving distance from Temecula, the best options would be to fly into San Diego Airport or Palm Springs Airport and rent a car.

How to Get Around Temecula

Many of the wineries are near each other, so you can easily take Uber to get to the different wineries. The most you will probably need to drive is 10 minutes from the wineries on the east part to the wineries on the west part of the wine region.

Another option is to book an all-inclusive wine tour and get transportation directly from your hotel to several wineries. You can also find wine-tasting tour deals on Groupon such as SoCal Wine Tours which takes you to three wineries

Friday Night

Start your drive to Temecula after work on Friday so you don’t have to take any vacation days and only use your weekend. Getting to Temecula Friday night instead of Saturday will allow you to have a full day on Saturday to explore Temecula and go wine tasting. When you arrive you can get dinner in Old Town Temecula.

Saturday

Hot Air Balloon Flight

A popular activity in Temecula is to do a scenic sunrise hot air balloon flight over Temecula. This experience allows you to see the vineyards and hills from above and enjoy the incredible sunrise colors. You can book a hot air balloon flight directly through Viator.

Brunch in Old Town Temecula

Start your Temecula weekend getaway exploring Temecula’s Old Town. Get ready for all the wine tasting by getting a good brunch. E.A.T Marketplace is a great brunch spot with lots of good food and drinks. From here you can walk over to the farmers market.

Temecula Farmers Market

Every Saturday from 8 am to 12:30 you can enjoy Temecula Farmers Market in Old Town Temecula. Here you can find 70-80 vendors selling an array of items including baked goods, plants, fruit, vegetables, crafts, and more. Everything is really fresh and there are a lot of great food vendors. Visiting the Temecula Farmers Market was one of the highlights of our weekend in Temecula.

Miramonte Winery

Whenever we go to a new wine region, we always like to start with one tour. We decided to do our tour at Miramonte Winery. This is a great place to tour to start your weekend getaway in Temecula. You walk around the property and the guide explains the wine making process with you, while also providing wine tastings throughout the tour. The guide also offers to take a picture for you next to the vineyard. After walking around the property, they take you upstairs to a nice table that is already setup with food pairings and you do an additional wine tasting. You also get to take the wine glass home with you. If you are not interested in a tour, Miramonte Winery also has wine tasting and the option of just purchasing a glass or bottle to drink on their nice patio.

Wilson Creek Winery

Wilson Creek Winery is a family-owned winery and one of the most popular and busiest wineries in Temecula. There was a lot going on when we were here including a wedding and many tours and family gatherings. If you are not a member, the wine tasting is inside and it does get crowded. Instead of wine tasting or after you are done wine tasting you can purchase a glass or a bottle at one of the bars scattered around the property and find a nice table outside to sit and enjoy the wine. You can also spend time walking around and exploring the vineyard (in the parts that are allowed).

Europa Village

Europa Village is a cute little winery with wine tasting and a nice patio. From 10 am to 5 pm you can wine taste for $20 per flight with 6 tastes in a large wine tasting room. There is nice patio seating outside, although a lot of the seating is reserved for members only. Europa Village has great service with people greeting you right when you walk in.

Sunday

Fazeli Cellars

Start your Sunday wine tasting with some spicy wine. Fazeli Cellars is known for its Persian influence, and therefore the wines are very flavored and some have a spicy and peppery taste. Wine tasting starts at 11 with the last tasting at 5:30 pm. There is a nice patio with great views and a restaurant. This winery has some of the most unique wines you will taste during your weekend in Temecula.

Oak Mountain Winery and Cave Cafe

Oak Mountain Winery has great views of the vineyards and a nice patio for wine tasting. It also features the Cave Cafe, which has great food and both indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating provides views of the vineyard if you can find a spot closer to the edge of the patio. Don’t miss this great Groupon deal for a cave wine tasting tour.

Avensole Winery

Avensole Winery was the prettiest winery we visited during our Temecula weekend getaway. The property is beautiful, with a nice garden and a large water fountain. On weekends you will find live music during the day and a nice patio to sit and drink wine. Avensole Winery also has a restaurant with many food options.

Eat and Head Back Home

If you have more time, there are many more wineries that you can visit. The other top wineries in Temecula are Thornton Winery, Falkner Winery, Danza Del Sol, Lorimar Vineyards and Winery, and Somerset Vineyard & Winery.

Finish your weekend in Temecula by getting food at one of the many restaurants in Old Town, Temecula before you head back home. If Phoenix is home, you can also stop in Palm Springs on the way back to get dinner.

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