We didn't get a chance to have a full play date here, but two of the moms attended and had a less than desirable experience. They stopped in the winery and purchased a bottle of wine to share but the winery would not allow them to take any wine glasses out of the tasting room. They even offered to leave their credit card as collateral but the winery still said no. They finally gave them 2 tiny plastic drink cups. This winery has some excellent wines and some of the oldest vines in Temecula, but their setup is not conducive to families of any size. The tasting room is all in doors and the picnic area is quite a trek up the hill behind it. The only option would be to stop at the tasting room, purchase a bottle and then drive up to the picnic area, which is not convenient with children in the car. So definitely try this one when you are solo but skip it with the kids! read more

Bella Vista is definitely one of the stops I love to make when bringing friends to wine country. To me, this is what it's all about: a small, family owned winery that produces delicious wines. Bella Vista has a large variety of wines to choose from and I haven't come across a bad one yet. Customer service is always impeccable. Yes, the tasting room looks much the same as it did when it was first built, but who cares? A prettier tasting room won't make the wines taste any better. And it fits plenty of people, which is more than can be said for the prettier tasting rooms at other wineries. My favorite! read more

I absolutely adore Bella Vista! One of my favorite wineries in Temecula! Not only do I really enjoy a lot of their wines (their rose wine and champagne are my 2 favorites) but I think the fact that it is so "old" gives it a certain charm. I also like that a tasting is SIX and not 4 like it is at some of the other wineries. Plus, they have this beautiful outdoor area on top of a hill with a picnic spot that is unmatched by any I've seen in Temecula. Lastly, just to give insight into the owners of the place, I was there last week for my bridal shower with some friends and when we asked the owner (husband) to impart some "marriage wisdom" to me he went away and came back with a free bottle of champagne for me that he had personalized with a silver marker...THAT'S CLASS! I thought that was beyond nice. xoxo Bella Vista! read more

Great little winery with great wines! We came here for a tasting a few months ago and had a great time. This was out first tasting of the day so my judgement was not clouded. You get the most bang for your buck here, $10 for six tastings. I can't remember the gentlemens name who helped us but he was fun and witty. They also offered snacks to us while we tasted. I have been to many wineries and rarely do they offer snacks for free. Over all the had a great selection. The road kill was a memorable wine, definitely try it out! read more

Bella Vista Winery - Outside by the parking lot - Wineries Near Me - Temecula, California

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Love Bella Vista for its cool vibes, live music, tasty wine and friendly customer service.

Was brought here on a wine tour once, and I have no question about why it was the last stop after everyone was good and liquored up. I give them major points for service and friendliness, there's no complaints there, but this place is kind of a shithole. Yeah yeah, I know it's the oldest winery in Temecula but that doesn't mean you can't get the pile of broken office equipment and defunct copier out of the corner of the tasting room. I did enjoy the honesty when I asked about one of the wines and they replied "well, do you like the taste of vinegar?" Come on guys if the wine is going bad why are you still serving/selling it? It has a very barroom type feel, and I'd recommend this for rowdy groups or a sloppy bachelorette party since they probably wouldn't throw you out. read more

Eek! Methinks not! I have lived in Wine Country a long time and I don't believe I have ever encountered anyone more RUDE than the person I spoke to on the phone today! Somebody posted that you were selling "Sparklers" (which I am looking for..) They even posted YOUR PHONE NUMBER! Your Winery is one I haven't visited but once... now I know why! You definitely don't have the Wine Country Charm! I won't be visiting anytime in the future... that phone call left a very bad taste in my mouth! read more

We came here for a wine tasting and NOBODY came out to attend us. Two laddies saw us walk in and didn't even bother to come out or call anyone to help us. We will never set foot in this establishment ever again. POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE. read more

I really really hate to say this because I respect that they were the first winery in Temecula, but I couldn't consume their wines. I mean they were so disgusting I was surprised they are still in business. I truly hope they learn from the other wineries around them and improve their wine. I did love the service and the people were amazing. Wasn't a huge fan of the bathroom location though. But until they improve their wine I will not be returning. read more

Nice little winery, not fancy dancy like some of the other wineries in this area, but it's kind of cute and homey. The people were all very nice, I was the designated driver so only tried a few sips. The champagne was really good! They had a nice picnic area which overlooked parts of the Temecula Valley and had a duck/geese pond. We had a nice picnic lunch that we brought there. It was a nice breezy day and the view was good. read more

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Great experience. The 2007 Tempranillo was casked for 4 years and it tasted fabulous. Imre, the owner of Bella Vista was on the tasting room taking. Are of businesses. read more

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Love love the atmosphere of this winery - friendly, homey and welcoming. The couple running this place are just so cute and hilarious, so are the knowledgeable staff manning the bar. $10 to taste types of wines, but I got to taste seven as I was a wine novice and they wanted to start me off easy ;) You get to keep the wine too, plus sometimes they give out samples of the Hungarian sausages with crackers. I am a big fan of the their Soiree sweet wine, it's sweet without being overwhelming as well as the Muscat. The winery's a little off the main road, but I guess that's symbolic of its off-beat charm :) read more

I'm by no means a "wine-o". Give me a red and I'm happy like 90% of the time. Well this place is the other 10%. The color was off on almost every wine (we tried 12 and my "reds" were brown) several had sediment in the glass (I am okay with a little bit, but the whole glass needing to be rinsed after every taste because of it is a bit much). My husband and I struggled to finish our tasting. We were the only people there and I felt bad tossing each drink when the wonderful bar tender turned her back but I did what I had too. It's the oldest winery in the area and I'm Glad I've finally tried it, but I won't be back... read more

Wow this place was off the charts on old, musty & slightly creepy. With the dated & gaudy 1970's art mural beyond the arched brick "windows" and the cluttered bar back area I was already afraid but we gave it a try anyway. The nose on the first wine set the pace for the others. It smelled bad. Wine is supposed to get better with age but these smelled old in a bad way. Definitely some off flavors going on in most of their wines. Out of 5 tastings I ditched 4 of them before finishing it. Yes they were that bad. One of their wines smelled like jelly and wine should never smell like jelly. This continues to prove my point that if you visit a new place off of Groupon, it's probably going to be bad. read more

OMG! If you want great wines at an authentic old winery, this is your place!! It's small on the outside, and huge on the inside. Truly old world! It's the 1st winery in Temecula. It's not flashy like some in town, but you'll be missing the heart of Temecula wineries if you don't check this place out. read more

Good wines... Aged wines for tasting. Most wines in this area are younger, but since this is the oldest winery around there, they have older wines for tasting. Fun, helpful people; they know how to help pick good wines for your liking. The decor is a little outdated and plain, but the wines make up for it. read more

Very quaint little place - a little tacky inside, but also kinda fun. Not upscale, but easy going. The service, the people and the price ($10 for 6 tastings) were WONDERFUL, the only reason I gave it 4 stars was because they're red wines were a little spicy and I'm not a huge fan of spicy wines. Other than that, very fun place. read more

I'm not really a wine drinker but it's fun touring these wineries with my wife. This place is charming and tiny. There's a sweet older Hungarian lady with a bouffant at the counter who was sad the health department would no longer allow her to serve her famous sausages. The tasting room has a long counter made of old barrels but no stools. The seating is flimsy wooden folding chairs and little metal outdoor tables. The tasting room is dim and has a low ceiling lit by homemade plastic stained glass. There is a loud refrigeration unit that is deafening- it almost drowns out the tinny Bing Crosby tune drifting in from some distant corner of the darkness. read more

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Love the owners. Mom and Pop winery no frills just good award winning wine and excellent service . Highly recommend especially if your interested in a more reserved atmosphere. Good outdoor views. Not aware of any food service. read more

The lady greeting the customers up front was not nice, she was very off putting. We went in and did the wine tasting anyway since we had a groupon. I really was not a fan of the wine or the atmosphere. However the server pouring the wine was very nice. read more

Wine was awful and customer service. We could not wait to leave. The restroom was outside down the hill. Who wants to hike when it's cold, rainy or hot. I am glad that I did not wear high heels shoes or flip flops. The elderly lady serving the wine did not seem to feel comfortable with me but liked my latin friend??? Nope not racism...just personal preference, right? She told me to have a seat at a table away from the serving counter but told my friend to stand there and talk to her. I somehow made her nervous being friendly and picking out wines to taste. She even tried to trick me out of a tasting saying I tried their nasty Champagne that she was trying to push on me that I did not??? It was unbelievable. read more

Ummm I hate to leave a bad review but I did not like the wine here. At. All. It has a good band playing outside and view. My sister in law likes sweet wines so I believe we purchased a bottle of white merlot. I could not finish the bottle, the sweetness was over powering. This winery is beautifully located and definitely has potential, but it you drink dry I would stay away :/ read more

Hands down the best customer service I've ever had within a winery. The girls here, Dawn and Diana went above and beyond because they asked me what I liked and they referred different wines based off my taste palette. They referred a couple of wines which I didn't know would be my favorites which was the Syrah 05' and the white Cabernet. I would like to thank the outstanding wine tenders for a great memorable experience. You together, have won a guest who will now see you regularly because you treated me like family rather than just a paying guest. Amazing hospitality is an understatement but we will see you both again soon. Thank you Bella Vista. read more

Bella Vista Winery - Wineries Near Me - Temecula, California

Gene was awesome very friendly great service (Korean lady) However, beware of grouchy owner.. stay away!

We were in California and decided to check out the local wine scene. This is what we do on vacations. We've been to many, many wineries. Our experiences at the other vineyards in the area were lovely., and they all shipped quality products to our homes. This one was a little more grandma and grandpa, but hey, if it's a good product what do you care so we gave it a chance. After the tasting we had various wines shipped. Imagine our surprise when all of them were undrinkable. I don't mean slightly off, I mean undrinkable. Corks that were disintegrating on three bottles of wine. The other three on their way to vinegar. We were stone cold sober when we were there. It was the first winery we hit. No way our palettes were this off. We are thinking it was a classic bait and switch with the winery thinking they could sting the East Coast guys. Run! Do not patronize this business and save yourself the pain! read more

Bella Vista Winery - Cork totally disintegrated into the wine. Same results three bottles. - Wineries Near Me - Temecula, California

Awful. Just Awful. How long before this place closes up and does everyone a favor? Corked and old spoiled wines. Disgrace to the Temecula wine community. Obviously, they know nothing about wine. The Emperor is wearing no clothes. read more

Emery, his wife and Dianna made us feel at home and welcome. This was the most loving, welcoming and fun winery we've come across today. We are all so grateful and thankful that we come across this beautiful gem!!!! read more

I loved some of the wines there, especially some of their 2002 medleys. But the owner is horrible. My wife went there with her friends for her birthday, spent a couple hundred bucks on their wine and went to sit outside. The owner passed by and started giving them hell because one of the gifts she received was a bottle of champagne -- obviously not from his winery. "You do realize you're picnicking in my personal backyard?" is what he said, then told them to pack up their things and leave. We've been there numerous times and probably spent $1,000+ on their wines in all, but after that experience with the owner, I will NEVER go there again. We're not talking about some crazy kids partying and tearing up the place, but a few middle-aged moms just chilling. A very unpleasant experience and that's the last time we spend money or time there. read more

Small family owned winery. Notable for its historic note of being the first winery in the Temecula Valley. Wines are SWEET, even the reds. Likes of organic grapes used. I wasn't a fan of the selections but worth a stop for the experience. read more

I went in for a wine tasting around 4:20 pm on Friday. I waited at the front desk and then I heard someone from the back talk about cleaning up. A lady came out and I asked her what their hours were and said I was there for a tasting. She asked me "how fast do you drink?" Again, I asked what the hours were, she said they closed at 5 pm. I WAS THE ONLY PERSON THERE! Then she said, well I hate to throw you out but...are you the only person? I can serve you, but we need at least a half an hour to clean up. I asked again what time they closed, she said 5, "but we need a half hour to clean up." After who? No one else was there?! Needless to say, I left and I didn't even make it to my car before she put out a "we're closed" sign at 4:32 pm on Friday. Rustic must be slang for rude and impersonable. I will not stray from the beaten path again! read more

After spending time tasting in Central cali-every winery here was a disappointment. My family lives here realy close to all the wineries so we didn't come out here for nothin'. They did serve some pretty tasty sausage here in the tasting room, however. Also- interesting fact: Vinnie Cilurzo- quite possibly the greatest brewer in the US (russian river brewery) grew up @ this winery. His dad was the original winemaker here. read more

I used to frequent this charming little winery back when it was called Cilurzo. While I was originally disappointed to find out about the ownership change, I was pleasantly surprised by the positive changes introduced by the Bella Vista brand. It is still one of the cheapest stops on the wine tasting trail, but now they added a large tasting room that has a huge screen TV. Combining wine tasting with sports broadcasting is refreshing. On top of the hill from the tasting room/parking lot, there is a nice little pond replete with ducks and fish that love to eat bread crumbs. It was quite ran down under Cilurzo's ownership, but the new gang has put in brand new picnic tables and cleaned the area up. My favorite Cilurzo / Bella Vista wine had always been their Muscat. Absolutely perfect with deserts, especially any kind of cheese cake or fruit. Should be drank very cold though, because this wine tends to be on the sweet side. A little known gem is the Late Harvest Petit Syrah. Their regular Syrah is nice, but very heavy, but Petit Syrah is much more similar to a red ice wine. It comes in small bottles, but is one of the most perfect companions to dark chocolate I've yet to find. read more

You have to be a wine lover to appreciate this place. Don't go here for the ambiance, the customer service, or the restrooms.

All the wines smelled and tasted like they were on the verge of turning. And as for a "Bella Vista," the place has absolutely nothing that suggests it has a beautiful view. The location and the brand need a serious update. The wine, the ambiance, and the brand were all stale and old. It all deserves 1 star, except for the fact that the service is great. Howard is charming and lovable. Too bad he's stuck at here. read more

please all members and future members watch this to get an idea of how this winery does business https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BY4NRsZCrc read more

This place is one of the oldest wineries in temecula. There is nothing fancy about it. Very laid back mom and pops shop. You will see the older Hungarian couple behind the counter or at the tasting bar. They are so funny. They serve some wines made with organically grown grapes. I do love the taste of so many of the wines. My favorite= Black magic (its a late harvest cab reserve. Considered to be a red dessert, not nearly as sweet as any white dessert wine I've every had). It can get very busy on weekends, If you want a more personalized experience where you can get more fun details about what you are tasting try visiting during non peak hours. read more

Well.... we chose bella vista because of the good reviews, we first arrive and our happy to not see the commercialized over-done winery... instead it looks warm, homey, and original... The Hungarian couple that greats us is just too cute for words... the taste is only 10 dollars and you get the glass and 6 tastes, kind of average in temecula... we go to the tasting room and like i started out by saying it doesnt look like they are trying to be some expensive commercialized winery instead the room is full of barrels like a winery should be... they have a very extensive list from very very sweet to very full peppery reds.... They pride themselves as being the first winery in temecula and now putting out organically grown wine... Some of their sweet wines were the best i have ever had, more on the high sugar content side, yet lots of bold fruit flavors in them which is what i like, but what made them special is that i had never had ANYTHING like it... then we moved to the reds where i had a syrah like no other. Their wines were from 02, 01, and 03... they said they dont like making young reds. "its no good" lol... Then to their petite syrah dessert wine... wow... effing amazing... like a port yet not as sweet just how the described it... lets just say we took home six bottles... MAN I AM HOOKED, a must stop! read more

This was a last minute addition to our wine tour. I felt there were so many wines on the tasting menu (seriously like 20-30 to pick from) it was hard to find something I liked and was unsuccessful after the first 3 tries, I poured out all 3. We decided to take a break and eat some salami (Very Good! Buy some to take with you!). Finally we checked out yelp and most people at the time said the champange was okay - which it was - so if you are at a loss there is always that. The place is dated and has more of a sports bar feel (large TVs on the walls showing games). So if that is your thing you will love it. The staff however is very courteous and easily to chat with. read more

Looks old, dark, quiet... then again it was a Thursday...and we had the whole place to ourselves! I absolutely loved it! We got tokens for our wine tasting session. They felt like poker chips , I'm not going to lie, I had fun playing with them . Haha. It was just my boyfriend and I , I wished I remembered the name of the funny and nice lady who had helped us. I know she has horses and lives near that vinyard. She made us feel comfortable, im sure the wine helped as well, but it ended up feeling like she was just another friend wine tasting with us, except that she didnt drink and she knew alot about wine and the history of temecula and its vinyards! This place has an old charm to it, I mean, it is one of the first wineries in Temecula! We're not a big fan of reds so it was awesome to see (and taste!) Their huge selection of whites! Will definitely be coming back! read more

This place has charm and a bit of a throwback was refreshing. The owners are great and very gracious with their pours. Our group felt this was the best wines we have had in Temecula, and we've been to at lest 20. Great prices. There is a place to picnic at the top with a great view. We brought our own lunch and had a nice quiet time up there. Highly recommend it. read more