Destination Temecula Wine Tours & Experiences

Thank you Dave and Destination Temecula for a fabulous tour! My parents have taken this tour the past 4 times they had been to San Diego for vacation and I had the opportunity to go with them on the 5^th time. They love that Destination Temecula comes and picks you up from San Diego to bring you to Temecula and will take you back… convenient! They have never had anything but complimentary things to say about this tour and love to take it every time they are in Southern California.
We had a great time in the tour and appreciated all the different wineries and the lunch that was served. Lunch was delicious at the first winery (and the views were also beautiful) and gave our tour group a chance to connect as well. Our tour group was lots of fun and Dave had some fun trivia about the area to help make the trip even that much more interesting.
Thank you Destination Temecula for a fun day and and I can’t wait to bring more family and friends for a fun day trip! You helped make a great memory for my family and all the other people on our tour. Thanks again.

Used Destination Temecula to do some wine tasting with some friends. I would not even give it a one star but in order to give it a rating I had to give it a one star. We had the Bus to ourselves which gave us freedom to have conversations across the bus and/​or towards the back of the bus with our friends and be able to listen to music; after all the website states, «We customize our services and activities to a client’s specifications if one of our package opportunities doesn’t seem to fit the parameters of an individual or group’s specific needs and expectations.» So what happened? Why is it when we told «Dave» that we didn’t want to listen to the «knowledgeable and entertaining DESTINATION TEMECULA host «and that we wanted to socialize among ourselves and listen to music that he took a disliking toward us. After all, are we not the client and this was our excursion. Now let’s talk about the reckless driving. Regardless of the feelings you have towards your custom, does not give the driver the right to jeopardize the customers lives with the way he was driving. I watched and could feel Dave breaking at the last minute while coming up to cars already stopped getting ready to make a left turn or stopped at a stop sign or not slowing down or breaking while taking a curve and driving fast on the side roads. It’s funny because Linda S wrote a similar review 1÷23÷2013 about the same driver. Take it, Destination Temecula has some good reviews but it was obvious that because this driver took a disliking towards our group it felt, to me, that he wanted to make it unpleasant ride and to get this trip it over with. Like I say at work, «it’s all about customer service (regardless of your personal feelings) and that day Destination Temecula you had none.
THANKS to the people I was with it turned out to be a GREAT TIME! thanks to the new friends I met and the old friends I have. Cheers to you lady and our male friend for keeping it a class act!!!

Went to Temecula yesterday and thank goodness for the company of friends that made the experience fun. Dave wanted to give a narrated tour of Temecula and hesitated to play music that we requested. (This was before even getting atomic the first winery). The first winery was great, the second, good, but the last was awful! The lunch provided was mediocre and was «tossed» on the table. Dave was a very careless driver and showed his dislike to our group of10 the minute that we made it clear that we didn’t want the narrated tour part of it. I would not recommend this company to anyone.

Our group wanted to talk listen to music and drink wine. But instead we were insulted by rude comment by David who stated «I am not paid enough to do this.» Because our group did not want a driving tutorial of Temecula.
David’s attitude changed and so did his driving to speeding and reckless .
There is nothing like ending the day with your lunch being thrown to you on a picnic table outside by David.
Our group paid $ 124.00 for ten 1,240 but he was not paid enough? So I am not happy with rough ride, rude comments and deli lunch thrown on a picnic table outside

We had a great wine tour by Dave. My sisters and I meet each year for a week getaway and this was our first time in Temecula. They picked us up right from the Hotel and delivered us back at the end of the day. Great tour and delicious wines, and yes we did bring some home.
I would suggest to plan ahead, but we were lucky and booked just a day ahead.
thanks

On a Friday night, I started planning a tour of Temecula wineries for my friend and I for the next day. Online, Googling wine tours in Temecula, I came across Destination Temecula. That night I called and Dave answered. He answered all my questions, making the reservation quick and painless. His tour was not at capacity for that day, so we were in luck!
My friend and I both enjoyed not worrying about driving, and that the price of lunch was included. It was both our first times in wine country there, and so having a tour guide (and driver) took a lot of stress out of the day. Lunch was simple, healthy and good. The fresh spread paired nicely with wine, and went well with the hot temps outside.
The wineries were nice. We visited Frangipani, Wilson Creek and Churon (unlisted). Frangipani was my personal favorite. Wilson Creek is one of those ‘mega’ vineyards, and was crowded. If I were to return to Temecula wine country, I would try different wineries to experience the ‘atmosphere’.
I highly recommend this tour because your friends and family can just sit back and relax and enjoy the trip to Temecula from San Diego.
Thanks Destination Temecula!

Quick review: I live in San Diego but am originally from Chicago. I went on this tour once year ago with my mother-​in-​law and had a great time! My sister visited this past week and we went on the tour again with her and friends. It is a must-​do trip for all my wine-​loving visitors, and my local friends enjoy it as well! Vineyards visited give you a great idea of all the variety available in Temecula, and guides are very well informed and knowledgable.
Longer review: The 3 vineyards visited in this tour have something for everyone. Frangipani is a boutique vineyard with great reds (I loved the syrah –cab blend and malbec). Lunch outside has a great view of the vineyards, or inside is fun with the wine barrels. Wilson Creek is a huge commercial vineyard with a bit of everything; whites (Golden Jubilee!), reds, and sparkling wines– everyone loves the almond champagne. The grounds are also beautiful and there’s a nice arcade of vines to take pictures in. Finally Churon is a mid-​size vineyard and inn with great white wines (specifically the Golden Nectar and the muscat) and wonderful views of Temecula Valley.
The drivers/​tour guides make the whole experience. I’ve had a different driver each time, but each was extremely knowledgable and more importantly, FUN! Tim and Joe were both great, each with their own charms. Joe especially was wonderful, we had a misunderstanding with an employee at Churon and he cleared it right up, and even scored us some delicious compensation for the trouble. On the way back to San Diego he even played «name that tune» with us and kept our party of 20-​somethings and the bachelorette party of 30-​somethings highly entertained! We were getting a little wild and the driver took it all in stride. I can’t speak highly enough of the people who run this business. I will be returning again!

We had an amazing wine tour in Temecula thanks to Dave! He took us to some beautiful vineyards with some fantastic wines, especially reds! Dave picked us up from San Diego and was very knowledgable with interesting facts about the region as we drove to Temecula. We got to our first vineyard where we were provided lunch, we went to a total of three vineyards. Dave drove us back to San Diego to our hotel at the end of our tour. I would recommend this tour for anyone visiting Temecula. You will not be disappointed with Dave and his staff!

We used Destination Temecula on July last year and we had an awesome time. Since our group is more than twenty and not to mention, with accompanying kids, our group decided to pre-​arrange a day tour before actually arriving in San Diego. Dave was easy to talk to. Arielle was our excellent tour guide. She arranged for some kid friendly activities on the side while the adults went busy with the booze. Temecula itself was a delight. We went through the old town section and three wineries in six hours. We were glad we found Destination Temecula this time.

I booked Destination Temecula for a private wine tour for my sister’s bachelorette celebration. There are about 13 ladies in our group. I found Destination Temecula via Unilocal.Reading great reviews about the company made me decide on booking the private tour. First of all, communication via email was great. They responded quickly with all my questions. Booking was a breeze.
We had our private tour Saturday 9.13.2014. The limo picked us up at our hotel in downtown San Diego. The limo was clean and very nice. They provided us with ice water, sodas, and champagne for the trip. The driver was very nice despite having to wait an hour for all of the girls. The ride was smooth and relaxing.
When we got to Temecula, we didn’t spend time in old town as stated on the tour but it was okay because it was about 104 degrees outside. We first visited Churon Winery, we had lunch at Frangipani Estate where the view was amazing but the wines are just okay. The lunch was substantial. It’s really nothing to rave about but it was enough for me. We were served individual containers with cold cuts, cheese, fruit, and potato salad. They also provided us with ice cold water. The last winery we visited was Wilson Creek winery. We had a slight delay with drop off at this winery because the dumb ass at the limo check in was insisting that my group did not have a reservation and they can’t allow us to go in. Dave from Des Tem met us at the winery and confirmed that we did have a reservation and viola one point on the clip board and yes our group was there. Thanks Dave for saving the day.
One thing I would have liked was I wished we could have chosen the wineries to visit. I also wish that they could extend their food with other menu to choose from.
Overall, my experience with Des Tem was great. They are very professional at what they do and they make sure that everyone was happy with the trip. Dave even took the time to personally thank me for using them for our private tour. I recommend Des Tem for anyone looking to book a private wine tour in Temecula.

We had a great time. It was our first time doing a wine tour and it was great! Although my husband is not a wine drinker, he found a few he liked and felt that he was done on the first stop, meaning he was feeling tipsy. Me on the other hand, love wine and enjoyed all 3 stops and I was still in good shape. We learned a lot about the history of Temecula and what it has to offer. The event went smooth and we feel that we were appropriately accommodated. The food was substantial and tasty. However, I would love to see some olives or pickles and some chips or crackers included but overall it was substantial. I love that I know exactly where I would like to spend my next wine tasting, Wilson Creek! I would definitely recommend this tour to someone who is looking for a wine tasting tour. We also would like to thank Dave for doing such an awesome job giving us the tour. Thank you =)

I was in San Diego with 2 college roommates, celebrating our 40^th birthdays. We wanted to do a wine tour and the concierge suggested Destination Temecula. What a great call! The tour guide, Dave, was great. We went to 3 wineries, lunch and tastings included, and door to door service. Extremely affordable too! I highly recommend this tour!!!

A great tour despite the fact that some of the people in our group were a little inconsiderate, i.e. delaying the tour. Our tour guide, Tim, was very knowledgeable and friendly. We toured three wineries; Frangipani, Wilson Creek, and Miramonte. My favorite was Frangipani. It was quiet, beautiful, and they had the best wine in my opinion. Wilson Creek was loud with a bar type atmosphere. Miramonte wine was terrible. We had six tickets for that one and after three tastings, I was ready to order a beer.

My husband and I are new to the area and thought it would be fun to invite some of our friends from LA to visit our neck of the woods. We thought to ‘lure’ them an hour and a half from the hustle and bustle of the city to enjoy the beautiful city we now live in — what better way to initiate this than to plan a tour of the vineyards!
I researched several wine touring companies here in Temecula and thankfully I was able to speak with and coordinate our plans with Dave from Destination Temecula. The following are reasons why I would recommend this particular business for your next wine tasting event here in Temecula:
1) When speaking with Dave over the phone, he asked concise questions — helping him tailor an event that was specific for our party’s expectations
2) He was great with follow up phone calls — normally received an answer back within the day
3) He’s organized in that he created an itenerary and included costs per person if we had so many come to our event
4) The van he uses is amazing in that it seats 15 people with ease (ours was a group of 13)
5) He’s super knowledgeable about the area and gave us fun little tid-​bits of information during our tour
6) He included in our tour a contrast between boutique versus mainstream vineyards — I ended up liking the boutique one’s way more! He also has personal relationships with the owners which ensured a very memorable event
7) At the end of our tour, he arrannged a beautiful, intimate, and private dinner at our last vineyard, which is called Frangipani. I will definitely be Unilocaling about that place as well — it’s rustic, charming, has great reds, and a beautiful scenic view
8) He picked us up from our home and drove us back all in one piece! He’s a safe driver!
9) He was prompt — our event started at 1230 and he arrived 10 minutes prior. He also was thoughtful to our group and drove us back by 1800 — so my friends could head back to LA at a decent hour
Overall, our first wine-​tasting event in Temecula was a success, thanks to Dave and his company. My transaction with him went smooth without any hiccups, and I appreciated the service his company provided to my friends and I. We will definitely be going back to Destination Temecula for all of our future wine events!

My friends and I purchased a coupon for a wine tour via Zozi for a Hummer wine tour and after booking the tour a month prior and confirming via email (as they asked us to do), the tour group didn’t have any record of our reservation when we tried to confirm the day before our tour. We went in circles with this company only to get so upset that we cancelled our tour and called Zozi and got our money back.
We then started calling other wine tour companies in Temecula. I first called the Grapeline and they were booked and recommended calling Destination Temecula. From the moment I called, I was extremely pleased. Dave was the gentleman that answered the phone and gave me info regarding the tour. He had heard of the other tour company and how they were ripping people off and making a bad name for the reputable tour companies in Temecula. I booked a tour for 3 people for the following day (a Saturday) without any difficulties. Dave even gave us some pointers about the city and a wonderful farmers market in Temecula on Saturdays and suggested we arrive early so that we could enjoy the farmers market and the city. The farmers market was amazing!
From the moment we met Dave, we were impressed. He was so nice. The tour was on a very nice bus, very comfortable and clean. Dave gave us a tour of the quieter side of the Temecula valley and gave us interesting facts about the city.
We started at Frangipani Winery, it was wonderful! Such nice people and delicious wine. We had a delicious lunch on the patio, it had a beautiful view. The food was perfect and delicious.
We went to 2 more wineries, they were just OK, but Dave made the trip great regardless of the mediocre wine. He kept all of the 12 people on the tour moving from winery to winery without feeling rushed. He let us stay at the first winery so long that we were running late on the tour but he didn’t rush us through the other 2 wineries.
Overall, it was a great trip when we thought it was going to be a loss due to our experience with the first tour group that we attempted to book. I HIGHLY recommend Destination Temecula for a wine tour.
*please note that this review is not against Zozi, they are amazing and gave us our money back for the tour that we were not able to book and gave us a nice credit toward another purchase.

Dave and Destination Temecula rock! Have known Dave for 20 years and he brings an incredible amount of professionalism to his tours — knowledgeable, fun, accommodating, and goes out of his way to make a great tour. He’s our go-​to guy when wanting to have a good time in the Temecula Valley area.

Here are my two cents… or scents, rather: oak and wine. A match made in … err… a winery. Which is a great place to spend your afternoon while not worrying about driving!
Here is my scathing review… My first contact with DesTem was to simply find out whether they could accommodate someone with a dietary issue. For those in question, the answer is yes. We had a member that must have gluten-​free food, and he replied that they would have a meal set aside for that person that is prepared gluten-​free.
My next contact was to set up a pick-​up time and place. We needed a pickup in Carlsbad — and this was the whole point of going with DesTem — because for the same price as most other companies, we didn’t have to drive to Temecula, and then risk driving while still under the influence. Not only did DesTem help set up a time, but also searched for the nearest hotel to where we were coming from.
Finally the day arrived and we embarked on our tour with Dave — who initially claimed to be Joe, but admitted to being Dave moments later. One group had cancelled so there were a total of 6 of us on the bus, and that was our crew for the wine tour. During the drive, Dave educated us about the land, the avocados, and a bit about wine country. He also tried to set up a date with my mom… and then cancelled it. :)
The first winery is what he called a boutique winery. It was good, but I wasn’t overly impressed with their wines. The food was great. However, the Gluten Free selection was literally a plate of veggies. That was a little disappointing, but at least there was some food to eat.
The second winery was Wilson’s Creek — famous for their (Sold at Costco) Almond Champagne. Their wines were okay. Place was PACKED. It was more like a bar than a winery. After we left, we were told that the Zinfandel Port was to die for… a shame that I didn’t get to try that one. Don’t waste your tickets on the Chocolate Almondtini — not that great.
The last winery was Churon — and I’d have to say, DesTem picked the best for last. It was a small winery but their selection was good. They had good prices on wines and some of the wines were fantastic.
I forgot to mention, we got to walk around Temecula for an hour after we arrived. Got to get beef jerky, cheese, one couple went wine tasting before the wine tasting… It’s a cute little town, but an hour was plenty of time to discover.
Our drive home provided more entertainment by Dave, and furthermore time to sober up. He told us that with 5 glasses at a tasting totaling 15 samples, comes out to be about 1.5 bottles of wine.
That made me glad we picked DesTem to safely get us back home!
Overall this was a great experience and I will recommend this company to others I know that want to go to Temecula for wine tasting. Dave was fantastic, he runs a great business and knows how to keep a group entertained!
Highly recommended. And Affordable. For transportation to and from Temecula, including the winery tasting tickets and lunch, we paid a little less than $ 100 per person. Other places I saw were quoting higher than that without transportation.
Last, I cannot imagine going on a fourth winery tour. After a while, if you’re drinking and not spitting/​dumping, everything starts tasting the same. So if you’re worried that 3 is not enough, you can always hit up a fourth in downtown Temecula!
Nuff said!

Dave was great help to us this past weekend! We had booked with another tour a month before but never got a confirmation or our calls returned. Dave could not be any different. He immediately returned our calls and squeezed us onto a tour that afternoon.
You can tell Dave has a passion for what he does. He is very informative throughout the entire tour. We visited three wineries and had a yummy yummy lunch, which was so big I couldn’t even finish it all!
Dave also went above and beyond by driving us home later that same evening after we had dinner and drinks in old town!!! I would recommend this company to others. Dave also has struck deals with a bunch of the wineries in old town for discount wine tastings. Everyone we talked to in town had only the highest praise for Dave.

EXCELLENT DEAL!!! We have been on this tour many times and absolutely love it! Rebekah is an amazing hostess and took us to some great places. She was very friendly and made our day more than fun. We will be coming back again soon to tour more places.

Great time! Full bus of 15 on a Saturday. Picked up in Carlsbad and driven to Old Town Temecula. They pick up at various So Cal places. Had an hour in Old Town to sightsee.
We went to three very different wineries. A small family operation, a large family — sorta corporate feeling one and them a medium sized family one. All three were great! They were all generous with the pours. The gourmet box lunch in the vineyard was filling and tasty!
The fee covers everything except driver/​guide gratuity.
We plan on going again w some friends.
Our only complaint was the driver drove kinda rough– as if he was behind schedule. Heavy braking, hard acceleration, too fast around curves, etc. But not enough to keep us from going with this firm again.