Trail One · The Spine
Callaway Vineyard & Winery
Ely Callaway’s estate was the valley’s first commercial winery, and the tasting bar still trades on that head start. The Meritage restaurant upstairs does farm-to-table lunches over the vines.
Callaway is where the modern valley starts. Ely Callaway planted here when Temecula was still cattle country and almost nobody believed granite hills an hour from the coast could ripen wine grapes properly. The bet paid, the rest of the road followed, and half a century later the tasting bar still carries the easy confidence of the house that went first.
At a glance
What to expect
| Go for | the origin story, and a room that does not have to try hard. |
|---|---|
| On site | the Meritage restaurant upstairs, farm-to-table lunches over the vines. |
| Suits | first-timers who want the valley’s history in the first glass. |
Before you drive
This page is an independent guide, not the winery. Hours, tasting fees and
reservation rules change season to season — and several rooms are
reservation-only on weekends. Check Callaway Vineyard & Winery’s own site or call before
building the day around it.
Nearby
More on this trail
The rest of Rancho California Road, in the order the road takes them.
- Hart Winery
- Baily Winery
- Thornton Winery
- Mount Palomar Winery
- Wilson Creek Winery
- South Coast Winery Resort & Spa
- Ponte Winery
- Bottaia Winery
- Bel Vino Winery
- Miramonte Winery
- Falkner Winery
- Wiens Family Cellars
- Lorimar Vineyards & Winery
- Avensole Winery
- Monte De Oro Winery
- Akash Winery
- Carter Estate Winery & Resort