We had the perfect Saturday afternoon at Thornton Winery! We sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful atmosphere while DJ Wren kept the music going. The music was great, and the line dancing was absolutely on point! We enjoyed the charcuterie board along with some champagne, and the food was really good. Between the great music, dancing, food, champagne, and outdoor setting, it was such a fun and relaxing afternoon. We'll definitely be back! read more

I visitef this winery with my adult children and spouses for a Teena Marie Tribute. by Monique Renee. Its a little far from my house, however so worth it !. The Venue is beautifully open and concerts are outdoors, with light breezes coming thru and beautiful sunsets. They offer so many wine selections. champagne, and Chaucuterie plates and sandwiches along with chips, cookies. Great adjacent parking, no hassle and easy access to entrance. The ssound system was so incredible. Monique Renees Voice is very close to Teena Maries voice. The entire band was amazing. They played every Teena Marie hit to perfection . A true loving Tribute to ""La Dona". My son bought the tickets. knowing how much I love live music and Tina Maries songs. I had truly a Wonderful experience and. plan on going back soon for other performers coming u at this Winery. Dw3., Jeffrey Osborne. Rick Braun, and so many other Talented performers coming up. Irs going to be a great summer !!!! read more

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This review is specifically for Thornton Winery's "Friday Night Live Music at the Winery" event featuring and the Trouble Man Band on 5/8/26. I can't say whether this applies to every Friday night performance, but it absolutely applied to this particular show. If you want anything close to a decent view of the stage, it is imperative that you purchase assigned table seating! For this concert, reserved table seating was only $10 more per person than General Admission (GA) seating, and in hindsight, it would have been well worth the extra cost. The General Admission section was positioned so far off to the left side and elevated that the stage view was extremely limited. Depending on where you were seated, portions of the artist and band could be obstructed entirely. The audio quality in the GA area was also disappointing, with vocals often difficult to hear clearly. We understand these events are designed to encourage dancing and a lively atmosphere, but there was a large amount of unused dance-floor space where additional premium seating could have been placed to provide better sight lines and improved sound quality. Another major issue was the seating layout in the GA section. The spacing between rows was tighter than airline coach seating. In our row, some guests literally had to stand up and fully exit the row just to allow others to enter or leave their seats. To make matters worse, the chairs were zip-tied together, leaving virtually no personal space. Thankfully, we were seated next to friends, because if we had been next to strangers, it would have been uncomfortable for everyone involved. In my opinion, the GA seating experience simply was not worth the ticket price given the poor visibility, cramped seating, and weak sound quality in that area. The bright spot of the evening was the performance itself. L Young and the Trouble Man band were outstanding and absolutely delivered a fantastic show! I would gladly see them perform again. However, unless I could secure reserved table seating, I personally would not return to this venue for another concert from the GA section. What stood out most was that this wasn't just our opinion -- many guests seated around us also voiced the exact same frustrations throughout the evening. read more

Thornton Winery - Bring your binoculars & pray you don't have to leave your seat or everyone next to you will be greatly inconvenienced. - Wineries Near Me - Temecula, California

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Ribs were undercooked I could still see the marbling in the meat I didn't want to embarrass our friends by complaining bc they come here regularly But the worst ribs ever read more

Our second time coming here and I absolutely enjoy this place and mostly because they offer chocolate wines!!! They have an outdoor seating area which is also their restaurant and we were seated right away on a Sunday afternoon. The chocolate flight I got was $25 for 3 wines. We also orders a cheese platter for $22. The views are so relaxing and the area is peaceful. They also had a bad playing music. They have a gift shop where you can purchase wine and they offer 15% of if you had a wine flight from the restaurant. read more

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It's a winery, but I will never forget the warm sourdough bread basket! I'm still thinking about it and think I need to go back to get another. The charcuterie board is equally as good. Great wine, great food, and on this particular day, I was also with great friends. Oh, and don't let me forget the excellent music as well. This winery checked all the boxes. Our server was wonderful, very accommodating and attentive. It was definitely a five star experience. Even the weather cooperated. PS: fun fact, I'm actually allergic to wine, but their iced tea hit the spot. Friends enjoyed the wine and champagne flights. Final comment: this is amazing event venue! Romantic Ambiance galore! read more

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DJ Wen brings out the crowd. Our server was friendly but no one was impressed with their food. I think there are better wineries for dining. Their food gives me like corner bakery vibes. I ended up getting the lamb chops and they were a 7.5 at best. I like mine char grilled. The blood orange mimosa was delicious. read more

Thornton Winery - Lamb chops - Wineries Near Me - Temecula, California

August 24, 2025 | Temecula | What a fun day at Thornton Winery! I'm so grateful to have met Raffia Thomas at the Festival of Art, as she invited myself & a great friend to the winery for her performance! What a fun, as well as relaxing experience! Wine | Yum, light, and refreshing! I enjoyed both the chocolate wine ($16), as well as Barbera Red Wine ($17)! I'm not an expert on wine, but I do know that I enjoy it! Hahaha! I have experienced two wineries before, one in Brazil, as well as at a wedding in the state of Washington! Death By Chocolate Cake $14 | Shared | Absolutely yummy, adorned with the gorgeous flower, alongside a plethora of plumb blueberries and mouthwatering strawberries, even better with every single bite! Simply thinking about it right now is making me want a bite! Fluffy, light and deliciously decadent! Fish & Chips $32 | Tasty! Plentiful! I'm looking forward to exploring the menu more on my next visit! Customer Service | Super nice from the moment my friend and I arrived! Friendly vibes throughout, thanks again! Our server Jacob/Jake E. was amazing, attentive, and helpful with the menu, and especially the wine! Weather | 96° It was hot as ever, but the fans above were pure perfection, as well as the covered space above, which shielded us all from the sun! Parking | Free, plentiful and in two separate areas! Raffia Thomas & Band | Amazing! Raffia's voice is beautiful & loved her energy! She sang a variety of songs and covers! Her energy was everything! I'm looking forward to attending more of her performances! She had the crowd dancing, singing, and just having a great time! Crowd | Friendly, upbeat & quite stylish! There were couples, families, some people were clearly on dates, and there was even a bachelorette party of girls having fun at a nearby table! I was grateful to attend with a great friend, who also enjoyed the winery experience, as well as the music!! I'm grateful to have friends who enjoy getting out and about just as much as I do! Score! Overall | I'm already looking forward to returning to Thornton Winery, trying more items on the menu and enjoying the beautiful atmosphere and relaxing vibes! It was definitely worth the drive and what a treat! I truly had a great time! read more

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Delicious burger and very relaxing atmosphere. Staff were very sweet and we loved that it's a dog friendly place. There was live music and it was perfect for the setting. Smooth jazz, not too loud and added to the experience nicely. We also tried a red wine flight and very much enjoyed the wines. Flavorful and sophisticated plus they give a nice pour. Would absolutely come back. read more

Thornton Winery - Fried chicken sandwich - Wineries Near Me - Temecula, California

This was a bachelorette lunch for Bride She was very happy here in Temecula perfect day! We had RSVP at Cafe Champagne what beautiful cafe inside and out we sat outside the 7 of us for lunch. Beef dip was so good and sweet potato's on the table to share Cheese burger Turkey Wrap was fantastic here We had mimosa 2 bottles for us all Service was fantastic too They brought out all our drinks first And food was brought all together My cousin was happy We listened to acoustic guitar was good We all enjoy the food and mimosa's It's gals weekend out here read more

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They had very loud music on Sunday. We ended up leaving because it was so loud we couldn't enjoy the setting. The wine was okay. They allow dogs on the patio but I wouldn't say it was very dog friendly (they didn't even bring her water). Our server was friendly though and came by to check on us a few times. read more

Thornton Winery - Dogs allowed on patio - Wineries Near Me - Temecula, California

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My friend has a membership at Thorton, everytine we go we get free wine flights, full glasses of wine or a blood orange mimosa (my fav), so being a member has its benefits. They have a full restaurant, so you don't have to drink on an empty stomach. They have both indoor and out door seating, love dining al fresco and enjoying the breathtaking taking views. They also have live music regularly read more

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Amazing appetizers cheese bread crackers goes perfect with champagne Lovely surrounding Full menu read more

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Creators of my favorite sparkling wine! Their patio is dog friendly, they're tasting menu is expensive and they have really great cheese plates. read more

What a beautiful winery, we went for brunch and had an a great experience. My friends got the champagne tasting and I got the blood orange mimosa. The French dip was really filling and loved the onion rings they were so crispy. We got the fish and chips which was really good also and an omelet. Our waitress was so friendly and she helped make food choices. Also get the Brie En Croute so yummy. read more

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I had Thanksgiving dinner at Thornton Winery, and I ordered the turkey with vegetables -- and honestly, it was so good. The turkey was moist, well-seasoned, and not dry at all, which is hard to pull off. The vegetables were fresh, perfectly cooked, and balanced the meal really well. The atmosphere was cozy, the service was great, and it felt like a really nice place to actually enjoy Thanksgiving without stress. If you're in Temecula wine country and want a holiday meal or a special dinner, this is definitely a spot I'd recommend. And our server Jacob was amazing. read more

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We love the summer concert series and several of their wines. Excellent restaurant as well. Beautiful place and service! Have been going for many years! read more

We came here on a Sunday afternoon for brunch and then came back later that evening before they closed for dinner. Our server Trevor took good care of us. He was nice and attentive. The breakfast and dinner were delicious. I truly enjoyed the lamb. The grounds were clean and had a cute waterfall. You could sit inside, outside under a covered patio, or out on the lawn near the manmade waterfall. I definitely would like to come back to enjoy their live music. They have a nice line up. read more

Came here for Valentine's day and it was a blast! Great service and brunch, nice live music playing and a pretty view of the vineyard. Nice wines at a reasonable price range. read more

Thornton is always a great time. Might have to cancel one of my memberships and start up from here. Concerts concerts concerts. Also, when DJ Wen is in the house then it's a must to come to this place. Service is great and food is definitely a plus, their veggie omelette's with some baconnnnnn!!! read more

Thornton Winery - White Wine Flight - Wineries Near Me - Temecula, California

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Made an impromptu stop here on a Sunday afternoon. Great vibes! Live band/ R&B jazz was playing. It was loud if you are trying to have a deep conversation but just right for a relaxing afternoon. Our server (Travis) and the support staff were excellent-- that lovely combination of attentive and patient. Churro French toast was delicious! Additionally, the Chef agreed to modify the kids' egg meal slightly to suit a picky three-year-old. All-in-all a wonderful lunch! read more

I just went to this winery yesterday and loved it. The cheese plate is really good! The wine tasting was great - the pours are heavier than at most wineries. My favorite part of the experience was the saxophone player! He was amazing and it really created such a nice ambiance. The service was good too. read more

This place is wonderful. We have been there a few times for the jazz concerts and yesterday for the brunch and DJ. The food was delicious. The music was great. Lots of dancing. Wonderful time! Thank you Thornton for the events such as these. read more

So we went to go the show Trouble Man featuring L. Young and the seating for general admission was horrible. We were here last year and the general admission seats were not to far from the stage. Tonight I needed to stand up to see the band. We ask the manager about the seating and he said that everyone would be on the dance floor dancing. Well the dance floor is empty. I would not recommend coming back to Thornton Winery on Friday for concerts read more

My partner and I came here hoping to enjoy the live music, wine, and overall atmosphere since we had heard great things about the vibe. We arrived around 2:25 PM, but unfortunately the live music ended right as we sat down, which was disappointing, but we decided to stay and enjoy the wine tasting and food anyway. What really affected our experience was the service. We sat for nearly 30 minutes without even being greeted or offered water. Around 3 PM, just as we were considering leaving, someone finally came over, apologized, and handed us menus. We ordered a wine tasting and some food, hoping things would improve from there. Unfortunately, the experience continued to go downhill. We waited close to an hour for our food while finishing all of our wine with no one checking on us or offering water refills. By that point, we were already debating leaving altogether. After we finished eating, my partner wanted to purchase a bottle of wine from the shop in front, but by then it had already closed after 5 PM, which was frustrating because it delayed the rest of our plans for the day. To make matters worse, we then waited another 15 minutes just to get the bill and another 10 minutes to receive the wine we had already paid for. Overall, the atmosphere had potential, but the lack of attentiveness and extremely slow service made the entire experience disappointing and frustrating. read more

Come here every year! It's incredible, I love this place! Beautiful atmosphere and fabulous flights of wine, sparkling wine, and champagne. Service was impeccable. 10/10 read more

The food and drinks here are always amazing. We enjoyed live music & sat by the lovely fireplace! Always a romantic, sexy, wonderful outing, and the milk chocolate wine is back, BABY!!!! read more

Thornton Winery - The food is delicious, milk chocolate wine is back, BABY!!!!. - Wineries Near Me - Temecula, California

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Took over of our son and his wife to the Dave Koz and Friends Jazz/Wine concert. First off they were fabulous, love Dave and his so friendly personality. We had dinner as usual, so we had shade an assign seat and fans. But for some reason we are always seated way to the right of the stage. Al least we are not too far back. We ordered a bottle of Brut Reserve, not the best and Syrah that was on the light side. Not sure why the winery cannot make better wines. Rolls and a decent salad were served. Just like last time waited a while for the entrée. It was Seabass, rice, carrots and Brussel sprouts. It was ok, loved the desert, a custard type with fruit, I should have taken pictures, too buy watching the concert. There are at least 2 bathrooms that I have found, and you never have to wait long. Just love sitting outside and listening to great music. Getting out of the parking lot is always fun, not sure why at Rancho California they don't have someone directing traffic read more

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Easy access from Borrego Springs and that great state park. Very beautiful views from this wineries massive Terrace. Great service, really super set up with wine flights. You would not be disappointed. This is one of the biggest music venues during the springtime. I'm gonna stop if you're in Temecula. read more

Thornton Winery - Flatbread & Caesar salad w/ honey checking the weather - Wineries Near Me - Temecula, California

Great views, flavorful sweet sparkling wines, delicious food, good service, and low key atmosphere. It had been a couple of years since we were members here and we hadn't been here in a while. We came the day after Thanksgiving and arrived around noon. We came for a nice lunch and some wine. We were greeted and chose to sit outside in the patio area. It was a little colder than expected, but they turned on the heaters, and that helped. After looking over the wine list, and sampling their sweet sparkling wines, we signed up to be members again. I ordered the sweet sparkling wine flight consisting of almond, pomegranate, raspberry, peach, and peach mango. It was delicious and I enjoyed their flavors. We ordered the cafe champagne salad to share, the flatbreads, and the short rib. Everything tasted amazing and went well with the wine. The prices for food were reasonable and service was good. We had no complaints and we enjoyed our afternoon here. Look forward to visiting again and receiving our member wine bottles. =) read more

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Fabulous day at Thornton's today. The brunch was delicious accompanied by a glass of Montepulciano. Live jazz sax playing gave all the vibes for a wonderful Saturday with the hubby. read more

Took a tour with Tom and its was great! Give us history and he even geeked out about the process of winemaking.. lots to learn about the process.. placing in barrels and or silos that must be in a cooler environment and to keep the wines fresh is a long process that takes months.. after a very educational tour we went to wine tasting with Jacob as our server who was extremely funny.. got a few flights and a charcuterie board.. and off to the casino we go.. read more

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Relaxed atmosphere with stunning views. The ladies enjoyed the wine flights, nice selection of creative ones. Ate outdoors and was nice that they are dog friendly. The food is just above average, but pairs well with the wine. Service was just painfully slow. read more

Got there early to our reservations. The sweet host said not a problem and that she is sorry to make us wait a little. Even though she shouldn't be sorry, we were the ones who arrived early :) but very kind (wish I got her name). We got a glass of wine played with our dog (YES they allow dogs ) around the yard outside. It was a nice time before our dinner experience. Angel was our server. He was very good and so kind and pleasant. Thank you for all your great suggestions Angel ! Food, service, atmosphere was all a 10/10! We will be back PS. Get the Brussels sprouts BOMB read more

Thornton Winery - Almost gone spinach artichoke pizza DELICIOUS - Wineries Near Me - Temecula, California

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Came here on a recommendation while in town and I was sorely disappointed. First, we got there at 1:10pm on Sunday and no one welcomed us into the shop at the winery. When we tried to do a wine tasting in the lounge, we were told the tasting room was already closed. They directed us outside and downstairs to a restaurant where we were seated and given a menu. We didn't want food. When we asked our waitress if we could only do a wine flight tasting she abruptly left and came back with a flight menu. I asked if I could choose my own wine flight and was told I HAD to CHOOSE a pre- CHOSEN wine flight by the winery on the menu list. I'm a super picky wine drinker! Im open to trying new wines but on this day I wanted only to try the Lightly Oaked Chardonnay and the Chocolate Kiss. But I had to either choose the Chardonnay flight - which was strictly 4 samples of their Chardonnay or the Chocolate flight which was all dessert wines, neither of which I wanted. So my only other option was the 'Mixed Flight' which was a champagne, a Chardonnay, a Sirah and the Chocolate Kiss. All for $26!!!! The only thing I liked was the Chocolate Kiss. Anyone surprised?!?! Our waitress was not friendly, kinda pushy and rude. I think she was unhappy we decided to not buy food which started at $26 and up for a single plate meal. A warm bread plate was $10. We weren't hungry enough to spend $26+ on one plate of food with by the way a $4 split plate fee and rude service, so we decided to stick with the wine tasting. We showed our waitress our Yelp check in offer which was buy a flight get one free, before she left with our order. After our tasting when our bill came she told us the winery was no longer accepting the Yelp offer on Sundays but luckily she honored it! Thank you for that! Our flight menu claimed we got 15% off in the store on wine purchases after purchasing in the restaurant. I wanted to buy the Chocolate Kiss wine. So after our tasting, we purchased a bottle in the shop and again there were no pleasantries exchanged. I personally wouldn't step back onto this winery except for the Chocolate Kiss wine, but in all honesty I probably could do without it in my life. read more

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I really don't like the wineries on Rancho California. We decided to go here tonight only to find out that they are closed for a special event. #figures. Learned our lesson. Definitely not designed for locals. read more

Stopped by for lunch. Mid week. Good food. Good service. Epic view while sitting on the patio. Its one of the more popular venues but worth a stop read more

Thornton Winery - Mushroom crustini appetizer. Small portion but loaded high w flavor - Wineries Near Me - Temecula, California

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My husband and I have been members at Thornton Winery for quite some time, and we truly love the staff, the food, and the wine. Lisa is always our server, and she is absolutely wonderful. We really appreciate her warm and attentive service. That said, I do wish there was more variety in the live music. They tend to play a lot of jazz and R&B, but it would be nice to hear some classic rock or country added into the mix for more balance. I did reach out to Steve, the owner, with this feedback, but unfortunately never received a response, which was disappointing. As loyal members, we care about this winery and hope to see a little more variety in the future to make the experience even better. read more

For full transparency, I'm not one to write positive or negative reviews for establishments very often, but I felt inclined to based on my experience here. Their wines were fine, but my main issue is based on their service. We ordered drinks and food and it was nearly empty when we sat down, but it took about 40 minutes for our food to arrive. Once we paid for our bill, I noticed they charged $4 to cut one of our burgers in half. I've never seen that before. They also charged a 3% wine industry fee that I have never seen before. I asked them what this charge was for and they told me all the wineries in the area charge this. I've been to more than half a dozen other wineries in Temecula and this is the first I've seen this charge. Lastly, they charged us an automatic 20% gratuity even though we were a party of 6 and I only see that for parties of 8+. I just want to give others a fair warning of what to expect if they decide to come here. Based on my experience, I won't be coming back. read more

Thornton Winery - Wineries Near Me - Temecula, California

Not sure where to start, but pulling into the parking seems best. $250/person ($500 for our evening w/o any wine....add another $50 for a bottle of Pinot Grigio) meal and show. Was directed to the furthest away lower parking area with an uphill grind of a walk to the winery....(and downhill in the dark when returning!)...all because we purchased the most expensive tickets for the show. Passing through a almoat empty "VIP" parking area at the Western entrance! Then once entering the winery from the West, we see that the parking on the East side that was previously dirt, was now paved!!! And literally a flat walk to the winery area entrance!! Make it make sense!!!! Once entered, approached by a limited IQ, older big guy who pointed to the reception lectern, then once we began to proceed he's excited and demands our tickets......weird and moronic. $500 also got us a table to share with strangers. Luckily the couple were absolutely a joy to spend the evening with, which why this review has any stars. Paul Taylor was great! Very smooth, very talented, very engaging in an appropriate way.....next act; Norman Brown.......we were excited to see Norman Brown, but he was a trainwreck of an entertainer, musician, speaker, etc.... somewhere in his challenged life he has anointed himself as a wisened man of deep reflection.....he isn't. He has talent, but he wasn't displaying it that evening. He tried his best James Brown (nobody can be James Brown, nobody) and it was tired. He preached, he pontificated, and he mumbled. At 53, something isn't working in his schtick, and he should just focus on his playing. In the venerable words of Frank Zappa; "Shut Up and Play y'er Guitar". We left about halfway through his set, following many others before us. Thorton Winery isn't new to this live music scene. I've been going, on and off since their Summer Champaign Jazz series started. So many great shows, but these last couple of trips I now feel that Steve Thorton has lost the vision. We travel a great distance to attend and have endured the costs, but after this latest failure to produce, I believe I'll attend other Live Jazz offerings in the region. Here's a hint Steve; try giving attendees something to make them feel like you care; like a cheap wine glass, a cheap bottle opener, etc., maybe have basic thin throws to warm those caught by Temecula's cool evenings, how about restrooms bigger than the poorly supplied ones you offer, If you're going to park your Jazz attendees further away, then grab a couple golf carts and offer rides (look at your audience, they're average age is probably 65, and not exactly hitting the gym!). Your personnel (parking, individuals around event area, etc.) Need to be given regular "customer service" training and updates, and for God's sake, offer a free cup of Joe to your guests......so many complained of paying for a coffee. Thorton Winery you've been putting on this Jazz Series for 30+ years, try and represent that heritage and take care of your guests. read more