Pinot and Ponies in California’s Cowboy Wine Country
You can have wine on horseback, wine on a cable car, or wine in a balloon, but there's a whole lot more to Temecula, too.
Temecula may not be the most famous wine region in California, and it’s not the most prestigious or the most luxurious, either—but that’s just how they like it out there. The small town is full of rustic charm, a hidden gem just a short drive from San Diego and LA with 50 wineries, a ton of craft breweries, multiple distilleries, and lots of fun things to do for a weekend getaway in Southern California.
It’s a great escape from the bigger cities on the coast all year round, but it’s particularly nice from fall through spring, still warm enough to explore the outdoors without the summer heat. Fall is also the harvest season, and that makes it a fun time to visit Temecula for events like grape stomping or the newly upgraded SIP Temecula wine passport. It’s so close that it works as a day trip, but there’s enough to do to make a whole long weekend out of it, whether you’re looking for a wild, boozy trip or a quiet outdoorsy adventure, or somewhere in between. These are the best things to do in Temecula.
Drive time:
1 hour from San Diego, CA
1 hour 30 minutes from Los Angeles, CA
4 hours 30 minutes from Las Vegas, NV
If you don’t do anything else: Explore wine country on horseback
Nothing says California country like horseback riding and wineries, and there are several great options to combine the two in Temecula. Saddle Up Wine Tours is an all-volunteer, non-profit ranch that uses its funds to rescue abandoned, neglected, or abused horses. Their wine tasting tours range from one to three hours, and though for safety reasons they no longer ride directly to the wineries your tour includes a ride through classic Old West terrain and then stops at up to three wineries. You can also ditch wine tasting altogether for trail tours, sunset and bonfire tours, riding lessons, and goat yoga. Other companies like Vin Hestin and the clearly named Wine Country Trails by Horseback offer similar saddle and sip adventures.
Fill your days
Outdoor activities in Temecula
For one reason or another, Temecula has become the hot air balloon ride capital of Southern California. It’s a big ask to wake up before dawn after a day of wine tasting, but it’s worth setting your alarm clock for a 60–75 minute sunrise ride over Temecula’s beautiful farmland and wine country—or to fulfill a once-in-a-lifetime mile high fantasy. And once you’re back on land, many of the same companies offer mimosas, wine tasting, or other celebratory ways to settle your nerves, and your stomach.
Historic Old Town Temecula gives that vintage cowboy feel with buildings dating back to 1862, most of which have been given new life as restaurants and shops. Vail Headquarters is a good example: the former cattle ranch dates back to 1867, but has been restored to house everything from the cozy Daisy bar to a small-batch apothecary, a pottery studio, an escape room, and plenty of dining, coffee, and alcohol options including Temecula Brewing Company.
For an adventure with buried treasure at the end of it, head a few minutes out of town to hunt for gems at the Ocean View or Pala Chief Mines operated by DigForGems. They provide everything you need to dig for and hopefully uncover gems including tourmalines, kunzites, and more. They’ll also take you on a buggy tour of the area that includes multiple mine tunnels and stunning views. It’s not too far from Temecula proper, but the road is a little rough and dusty—you don’t need a 4WD truck, but you may want to leave the Corvette in town for this one.
For the smoothest tour ever, hop aboard a fully-restored 1914 San Francisco cable car and enjoy gorgeous open-air views of wine country without the hassle of driving. Temecula Cable Car Wine Tours offers a five-hour adventure to three wineries, with an optional pizza pairing.
Family-owned Doffo Winery was Temecula’s Winery of the Year in 2018, and it remains a go-to for their red wines, and Malbec in particular. You can also take a look through founder Marcelo Doffo’s vintage motorcycle collection, which features over 200 restored motorcycles and scooters from around the world, and which they have expanded into the MotoDoffo line of apparel and its own wine collection.
It’s not technically champagne, but the sparkling wines at Carter Estate Winery (from Temecula winemaking pioneer Jim Carter, who also owns neighboring South Coast Winery), are produced with strict adherence to méthode champenoise. Grab a table on their patio and get a tasting flight of the different sparkling wines they produce, which are perfect for Temecula’s warm days. You can also get a tasting of the olive oils produced using the olive trees on property.
Eat, drink, and sleep
Restaurants and bars in Temecula
Breakfast: It’s hard to beat the enduring popularity and nostalgic charm of the Swing Inn Cafe, a nearly century-old icon in Old Town Temecula. The tree-lined patio and Old West facade are the perfect scenery to enjoy their comprehensive morning menu of omelets, benedicts, and pancakes. They’ve recently introduced a dinner menu with a focus on Texas barbecue, and you can also get a taste of that specialty in their Brisket or Pastrami served with eggs for breakfast. And if you wake up with a taste for something sweet, their Cinnamon Buns are justifiably famous.
Dinner: Most of your dining options are concentrated in Old Town, and Small Barn is a highlight among them. The historic building that now houses the restaurant is a beautiful space in which to enjoy their creative California cuisine, with a seasonal menu that might include things like Cioppino, Hamachi Crudo, or Gochujang Short Ribs. Owners Dan and Cathy Gibson make their own wines under the Small Barn label, and they also have some of the best cocktails in town.
Drinks other than wine: If you’re totally over grape juice, move on to the many other fermented beverages bubbling up in Temecula. Family-owned Batch Mead brews meads and hard ciders using mostly local ingredients, and Black Market Brewing Co. and 8Bit Brewing are great places to check in on the latest in beer nerd innovation. Pop over to The Cave at Oak Mountain Winery for a cocktail tasting with spirits distilled in-house. Or for something a little more chic, duck in to Apparition Room, a speakeasy hidden in the back of Devilicious Eatery with a polished wood bar, tufted banquettes, and a liquor cabinet full of rare and vintage bottles that they call Narnia.
Where to stay in Temecula
There are plenty of places to stay in town, from hotels to app-based home rentals, and you should have no trouble finding one to fit your needs. The Temecula Creek Inn is a pleasant option, far enough away from town to be quiet and serene but close enough for easy access. And it doesn’t hurt that their on-site restaurant Cork | Fire Kitchen hits just the right luxurious but still casual farm-to-table note.
Or, if you’re feeling particularly inspired at Doffo, the winery offers wine club members guest homes available for rent on the property, so you can wake up to the sun rising over the vineyard and your next tastings are just a few steps away.
Mary Beth Abate is a San Diego-based freelance writer by way of Chicago and Los Angeles. Her hobbies include yoga, pickling and fermenting stuff, reading cookbooks and drinking fabulous gin. Keep up with her experiments @MaryBeth_Abate.
Ben Mesirow is Thrillist's LA Staff Writer, and an Echo Park native who writes TV, fiction, food, and sports. At one time or another, his writing has appeared in The LA Times, Litro, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Los Angeles Magazine, and scratched into dozens of desks at Walter Reed Middle School.