Temecula Wine Tours

What It Is and Where It Operates

Temecula Wine Tours is a family-owned company running its own wine tasting tours in Temecula Valley wine country in Southern California, using its own party buses and drivers. The about page says it was founded as Temecula Wine Tours in 2013. Its tours stay in the Temecula wineries, on two sides of wine country the site names: De Portola Trail, which it describes as more scenic with less traffic, and Rancho California Road, "the side of wine country that started it all back in the late 1960's." Pick-ups run from designated locations in Temecula, with hotel and Airbnb pick-ups on one tour, and the hourly bus hire covers Temecula and Murrieta at the standard rate. The footer lists service areas stretching from Murrieta and Lake Elsinore to Escondido, San Diego, Riverside and Orange County, but the tours themselves take place in Temecula.

The Range of Tours

Most public tours are priced at $99, with a 20% service fee added at checkout that brings the standard tour to $119. The Wine Tour (Daily) departs at 11 am, 11:45 am and 1 pm, plus 2:30 pm on Saturdays, returning at 4 pm, 5 pm, 6 pm and 7:30 pm respectively. It includes 18 ounces of wine tastings at 3 wineries, which the site equates to 3 glasses, a 20-minute production tour with tastings in a barrel room, and bottled water on the bus.

The Premier Wine Tour, also $99, adds complimentary door-to-door pick-up from any nearby Temecula hotel or Airbnb, Sunday to Friday, with departures at 11 am, 11:45 am and 1 pm. Its page lists 6 tastings at Callaway Winery, tastings at South Coast Winery (billed as a 5x winner of "California Winery of The Year"), and 6 tastings at Somerset Winery with a 20-minute production tour in a barrel room where the page says guests learn about winemaking in amphorae. An optional fine-dining lunch at South Coast Winery's Vineyard Rose restaurant is pre-ordered and paid separately, and a 4th winery can be added for one more hour at a price that varies by winery.

Other $99 tours on the menu are the Bachelorette Wine Tour with champagne, the Birthday Wine Tour with champagne and cake, the Sunday Special with lunch included, and the Night Out Tour with dinner included, running 4 pm to 9 pm. The Beer & Wine Tour costs $109 and visits 2 wineries and 1 brewery at 11 am or 1 pm. The Private DIY Wine Tour is listed at $125, departs at 11 am or 11:45 am, and lets the group pick its wineries from the company's affiliate list with a custom pick-up.

The VIP Wine Tour costs $159, or $189 with the service fee, and runs 10 am to 4 pm Monday to Friday with a 4-person minimum. The page describes a 6-hour trip to 4 wineries with Wilson Creek champagne at pick-up, tastings at South Coast Winery, a 20-minute production tour at Somerset Winery, a 75-minute cave tour at Oak Mountain Winery with a charcuterie and cheese board, and tastings at Callaway Winery, 24 tastings in all by the page's count. Lunch is extra, at Oak Mountain's Cave Cafe.

The transportation page also sells wine tasting packages at affiliate wineries, $50 for 2 wineries or $65 for 3, from a list that includes Danza Del Sol, Masia De La Vinya, Bel Vino, Somerset, Callaway, Lorimar, South Coast, Maurice Carrie, Mount Palomar and Falkner.

How It Works on the Day

The site states that its wine tours are for guests 18 or older: children, including babies, are not permitted unless the group has booked a private party. Pick-up locations depend on the date and time of the tour, and the company runs a strict on-time departure policy, so late guests must meet the bus at the first winery. The about page advises taking an Uber or Lyft to and from the pick-up point.

The buses are 2023 Ford E450 party buses with perimeter limo seating for 16 passengers, air conditioning, mini-bars, bottled water, tablets for guests' own music, and laser and LED lighting. Standard tours are public and, per the about page, include tastings, transportation and a tour guide. That page also lists what the company does not offer: excursions into the vineyards beyond the winery grounds, guided tours at every winery (only the traditional wine tour includes a guided production tour), and private tours or custom pick-ups for parties under 14.

Lunch on the standard tour is optional, served at South Coast Winery Monday to Thursday and Maurice Carrie Winery Friday to Sunday, from $20, and has to be pre-ordered 48 hours ahead; extra time is set aside at the second winery for it. The FAQ suggests comfortable shoes, a hat and sunscreen. The homepage says the company is "fully licensed and insured" and that staff undergo random drug testing, and it shows a TCP license number.

Booking, Cancellation, and Terms

Tours are booked online or by call or text on (951) 366-7777. The Daily Wine Tour, Premier and VIP listings ask for a $30 per person deposit at checkout, and the Premier and VIP pages say the balance is paid on the day of the tour. The cancellation policy printed on the transportation page is strict, and it gives a different balance date: the deposit is non-refundable and credited to the balance, the remaining balance is due 3 days before the trip and is still charged on a cancellation within 72 hours, and there are no cancellations or refunds for rain or bad weather.

A group can keep a tour private Sunday to Friday with 14 guests; smaller groups can buy empty seats or non-drinker tickets at $50 each to reach the minimum. Custom pick-ups for private parties cost $10 to $20 per person depending on distance. Gift cards and a corporate team building page are in the menu.

Hourly bus hire covers airport runs, bachelorette parties, casinos and events, weddings, prom, and quinceañera and Sweet 16 celebrations, at $150 an hour plus 20% Sunday to Friday (4-hour minimum) and $200 an hour plus 20% on Saturdays (5-hour minimum). Outside Temecula and Murrieta, a $2 per mile fee applies; the page's own example is a $120 fee for a 60-mile round trip to Escondido.

What the Site Leaves Open

The site does not say how many guests share a public tour beyond the 16 seats on each bus, and it does not address wheelchair access, allergies or dietary needs. The tasting packages page does not say whether transportation is included. Prices for a 4th winery on the Premier tour are left to be quoted, and because the tour pages and the policy disagree on when the balance falls due, it is worth confirming the payment schedule at booking.

Who This Suits and Ratings

The tours suit adult groups who want a set-price day in Temecula wine country without driving: bachelorette and birthday parties, friends on a weekend, and returning visitors, for whom the about page says the Rancho California Road route is meant. The strict deposit and weather terms make it less suited to anyone whose plans may change late. The homepage shows a 5.0 Google rating from over 1,000 reviews and says the company was voted one of the Top 10 Best Wine Tour Companies in the United States in the 2026 USA TODAY 10 Best Readers' Choice Awards.