While the Southern California wine country cannot rival that in Northern California, you can still experience gorgeous wine country during your Southern California vacation.  There are several places in California where you can find wineries: Santa Barbara, San Diego, Solvang, Lompoc, and Buellton all offer wine country amenities, however Temecula seems to be the Mecca of Southern California wineries.  

Located just off the I-15, and just between Riverside and San Diego, this Southern California wine country destination ranks high marks from even the most sophisticated of palates.    Set amidst the rolling hills and picturesque vineyards, this mini Napa Valley is the perfect getaway for your Southern California vacation, or a stopover on your way to San Diego or Los Angeles.  Visitors can expect to be able to visit four to six wineries per day with most of the wineries clustered in close proximity. 

Every year you can expect to see more and more wineries in this Southern California wine country destination.  The goal is for tourists and wine savants to take Temecula seriously as a wine country and not just some gimmick to boost tourism.  There are new five star resorts such as the South Coast Winery’s Resort and Spa to attract the more affluent clientele, as charming Bed and Breakfasts in true wine country spirit.   

It seems the goal is working as hundreds of new tourists are pouring in each year.  Within a few years they hope to be able to rival the wine country of Napa and Sonoma up north.  Make sure to visit this little gem before the prices begin to match that of Napa and Sonoma as well!

However wineries are not the only draw to Temecula’s tourists.  If you want to take a break from wine tasting and see more of the beautiful city, try the historic Old town Temecula.  This charming small town offers mom and pop dining and shopping, antique shops, and historical buildings.  Make sure to take the walking tour to get the most out of what Old Town has to offer.

If your perfect vacation includes shopping, then you’re in luck!  Just about 15 minutes outside of Temecula is the Lake Elsinore Outlet mall which offers name brands such as Guess, Liz Claiborne, Nike, and Pottery Barn at deeply discounted prices.

Tags: golf, Shopping, temecula, wine country

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 21st, 2009 at 12:19 am and is filed under Adult Getaways, Romantic Retreats, wine country. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.