Cordiano Winery

We now have a great date destination in North County. You know what it’s like to go for a leisurely afternoon at a SoCal winery, but pack up at 5:00 when most close. What a gift to have found Cordiano Winery in the hills east of Lake Hodges. The sunset vistas were worth the trip and enjoying the night sky and skyline while sipping a glass of their Trinity wine and real Italian pizza. Their gluten free pizza was the best in San Diego. Equally enjoyable was Francesco, one of the family, who shared his passion as well as the good news that the pasta kitchen will be opening soon. Thank you for the great experience you’ve created.

Beautiful Views! Friendly Family Atmosphere. Pizza was Amazing! Wine Tasting & a few selected beers. Highly Recommend this Romantic venue.

Absolutely loved this place!!! Warning: it is up a windy road into the mountains. If my mom was there I’m sure she would’ve been white knuckled. But she wasn’t, so we took it slow and enjoyed the ride. (Hint: remember this coming back down after a few glasses)
We went on a Friday afternoon and there were a few people there. They have two sitting areas, both with beautiful views of the vineyard and mountains. They have an adorable wine «shack» and pizza place. The pizza smelled amazing but we didn’t try any. We walked up to the wine shack and were greeted by 2 men that seemed to love their job. They explained the tasting and off we went. It was great because you can pick and choose what you want to taste off of their menu of about 20 wines (7 tastings for $ 12 btw). We took a seat on the patio and enjoyed the sun and view.
You get a real «home-​feel» at this place because it is literally part of the owner’s backyard. Overall it was a very pleasant experience. The only thing I would recommend is a cheese platter of some kind. We did get a little hungry but didn’t want a whole pizza. We just wanted something to cleanse our pallet in between tastings. The wine was good. We weren’t blown away by anything in particular but we were pleasantly surprised by the rich flavors. We ended up leaving with 2 (rather expensive) bottles of wine.

Wasn’t sure what to expect with raving reviews and some not so great. We were two couples, walked in through the back (we had no idea where the entrance was), but they were really kind and let us sit wherever. The view was amazing, even in the middle of January. They had heaters all over the place. The wine flights and wines were excellent. Really loved their Duetto and The blend of seven reds (the name was really different and don’t recall it right now). Trinity was divine! Their cabs, merlot, Syrah. all very good. We all loved them, their blends are really great. We had two pizzas: supreme and meat… bother very good. The supreme was the best. Breadsticks on point! The tiramisu was a shareable portion (for 2) and not super sweet. Fun, local, and family owned.

Had a great girls day out with my BFF here. We had the Moscato, and the Snow White with pizza, salad, and tiramisu. Staff was very friendly and had a great «laid back» atmosphere.

I loved this place. Can’t wait to go again. I met the owner who was super sweet and funny. She literally was so down to earth and very humble when we showered her with compliments. On the website it said that the place closed at 8pm but in the winter time they close at 7pm. Luckily, they stay until we were finished. Of coarse leave it to me to be the very last person to leave on a Sunday night. I had so much fun I didn’t want the night to end. I went around sunset and enjoyed 7 tastings and and a supreme pizza, garlic bread and a house salad. Everything was fabulous. I enjoyed the views, the food and the laste night vibes. Out of all the whines I tried Duette was the best. I live in San Diego and this whinery was totally worth the trip up to Escondido.

The sis took me to Cordiano for a little post trail ride sustenance. Super delicious pizza and phenomenal views. The service is wonderful. It was a lovely end to a lovely afternoon.
Sue and I didn’t drink, so I don’t know that I can comment on it, but the experts says that this isn’t the place to get wine. I trust them.

This place was once unknown to me until a friend who knew the owners suggested we check it out one random day. Since that day (about 2 years ago) I have come back countless times and always bring new friends along to introduce them to such a wonderful hidden gem.
It’s always a great experience at Cordiano winery. The guys behind the bar are always super nice and very informative when helping select wines. The wines (I usually select whites) are light and crisp, and the pizza is oh so delicious! What better way to relax than with pizza and wine while taking in a gorgeous view of the highland valley!

On a weekday in the San Diego area and looking to do some wine tasting around the Ramona area of this county can be a problem. Not because there aren’t a lot of them, but almost all only seem to have only weekend tastings. We found 4 wineries to be open but may close early because after all … it was Christmas Eve. Working our way East from Solano Beach we knocked down 2 and CW was the 3^rd. Fortunately they were still making pizzas and still had salads, and by now we were ready for both. We made our way thru the tastings (7 for $ 12) and all the wines were quite good. We enjoyed the Trinity and Tempranillo the most but were out of the Cab Franc.
This is a very nice winery. Great views of the valley and hilltops from a great patio. Being windy it was a little chilly and hard for the patio heaters to be very effective but still had nice time and it was very worth while visiting. The staff (Josh) did his best to keep up on the tastings and food orders. We would certainly come back again.
Sláinte

Brutal experience.
Pros: nicest view in the area. Nice $ 4 snack in breadsticks. That’s where the positivity ends
Cons: wine. This is the V. Sattui of this area. The tempranillo («estate» grown and apparently the only one being served grown on the property) was not only one of the worst representations of the varietal I’ve had but also one of the worst wines I’ve sampled, period. If you want real winemaking, go try Roberto Espinoza’s wines. His tempranillo knocks the socks off of Cordiano’s. If $ 2 chuck is up your alley, you’ll love the worst of faux Italianism this place contributes.
If a pizza oven and a nice view made 4.5* wineries, there’d be a lot more around. These two a good winery does not make (figure out the missing element).
Abominable.
P. S. Enjoy waiting 30 minutes on Sat afternoon for breadsticks. «Kitchen» can’t support the volume.

On our quest to explore our new North County digs, we decided to head on out to Cordiano for some pizza and wine. I was pleasantly surprised by both, though if I’m being honest the pizza was slightly more surprising than the wine. Well, that and how gorgeous the views of Escondido and further north/​east are from way up there.
We did a tasting, which at $ 12 for 7 tastes seemed like a lot. The white options were definitely worth skipping past, but the Pinot Noir and a couple of the blends were perfectly lovely. The margarita pizza was very flavorful and fresh, I’d go back just for that again and again (the fact that I can get an okay glass of wine is just the added bonus.) Definitely a nice place to bring an older visitor, especially if you’re sick of the typical tourist destinations.

We had our wedding at Cordiano Winery in Oct 2015. When we booked the venue, we were told that we would get a Wedding Coordinator and that the winery will provide all décor excluding flowers. Our Wedding Coordinator was nice and she even arranged our flowers for us. She did a great job with the floral arrangements. However, everything else was a big disappointment. Our entire wedding experience was disorganized. The most notable instance of the disorganization was when we had to wait over an hour past our scheduled time for our food tasting. We think they may have forgotten about our appointment.
There were also several things during our wedding day that didn’t go as planned.
First, our guests didn’t really have anyone directing them where to go during the ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception. Our photographer had to direct our guests to the reception. Some of our guests thought that wedding ended when the cocktail hour ended.
Second, we ordered and paid for 2 kind of pastas. However, the winery only served 1 kind of pasta during the reception. Also, the leftover food was taken back to the winery during the reception. We feel that if we paid for it, then the remaining food should be at the reception for the entire night for our guests.
Third, the cake the winery provided was very pretty, but very small. I’m not sure if each of our guests was able to have a piece. Because the cake was so small, we (the bride and groom) did not get to keep the top of the cake.
Fourth, our Wedding Coordinator agreed to add certain décor, such as adding lanterns along the aisle, adding a sash to the chairs, and adding a lace overlay to the tables. There was no such décor as discussed and agreed to.
Fifth, we had to be the catalyst to getting things organized. For example, we had to insist on having a meeting to plan the wedding. Apparently, this meeting didn’t really help.
The most frustrating part of the entire process was that everything was done last minute.

We were recommended this spot by a couple of locals, and were not disappointed! You drive along a windy country road overlooking a valley to get there, so that’s a good start. When you get there, the restaurant is outdoors on a terrace on top of a hill overlooking said valley, and if you squint, you can see all the way to downtown SD. Great sunset views, too.
The pizzas are handmade to order, thin-​crust, and super tasty. Even though I’m a meat eater, I really liked the veggie, even more than the sausage pie we also ordered. The pizzas and the casual vibe make this place very kid-​friendly.
We also did a wine tasting, which gets you seven samples of wines, and we really enjoyed trying so many varietals. The full-​bodied, fruit-​forward Cabernet Franc was a favorite.
One one-​star deduction was because of all of the waiting you have to do along the way. In order to get food or wine, everyone has to wait on the same line (though there is a wine bar in a separate area, but they do not have a register), which takes a while if it’s a beautiful, warm Saturday evening. Then, if you’re doing a tasting, you get one glass, and have to return to the wine bar with your ticket to get your next sample, often waiting several minutes because there are only two people working the bar, and ten people wanting to continue their tasting.
That said, the service is friendly, the pizza is great, and the wine is solid. Delightful.

Beautiful views and a breath taking sunset!
The place was super packed! We had to park on the windy road below.
We had our name on the reservation list and was told I’d get a call on my cell when a table opened up. We never got that call! We did however make our way to the «bar» and we’re able to order wine and food.
We had their Pinot Noir. There’s only salad and pizza, so we had salad and pizza!
The wine was pretty good. Nothing special. The salad was pre-​made but turned out to be the best item we had! We found a couple of chairs where we are and drank a glass of wine. The view was very enjoyable. The pizza was not very good, but I think people are here for the wine!
With that being said, the road in and out would be really dangerous if you enjoyed more than 1 glass and drive. So have a DD if you’re gonna do any serious «tasting»

Update:
I’ve returned a few more times for wine and flatbread with friends & family. I understand that at busy times food service can slow down a good deal here, but its gotten unacceptable. My last visit, which ended around 8:30pm on a Friday was not busy by then, there were maybe 20 people left. We had ordered two flatbreads and some bread sticks. It took 45mins for the first pie, and 1hr, 15min for the second to show up, after I went and spoke to a manager. I won’t be relying on Cordiano for a glass and bite in the future.

This location was our first exposure to wine tasting in Escondido; what a start! Beautiful weather, beautiful location, and beautiful grounds! We were warmly greeted and seated by Rosa, who passionately walked us through the menu. We wished we hadn’t just eaten prior to arriving, to sample some of the menu items.
We were there for the wine tasting. A $ 12 fee entitled us to a flight of 7 wines (2 whites, 5 reds; however, one may create any combination, and select from any of the wines off their menu). This tasting was unlike any we’d experienced; instead of having the wines poured at our table, or while standing at the tasting counter, we had to fall in line and wait to get each pour. Fortunately, a 2^nd wine-​only counter was opened to relieve the main line of customers — which was handling both food and wine orders; however, on a busy weekend, we were surprised to see only 1 person pouring (and describing each wine) behind the table. I didn’t care for that method of wine tasting — a bit inefficient (2 – 3 stars for having to leave our table, to wait in line each time). As for some of the clientele, I couldn’t believe how many people brought their very young children.
The best parts: the location and the view, and the wonderful, friendly, enthusiastic, and fun crew.

I’m giving this place four stars for the pizza and the view. I’ve never seen a view a beautiful as what I’ve seen here. I wasn’t a huge fan of the wine but that could be due to the fact that anything I would have tasted wasn’t available. The pizza was good, especially if you add Parmesan cheese to it.
If you go, go for the experience. I promise you won’t forget it. The staff are very nice and attentive. I kinda felt like home.

Like a lot of people, I had no idea there are wineries in San Diego County but am so lucky to have found this gem. Located just a few miles off I-​15 in Escondido is Cordiano. Run by Gerry and Rosa Cordiano as well as the son Frank you will always find one or all of them at the winery and the most pleasant people to talk to.
Right at the top of Highland Valley Road, they are easy to find. There are multiple outdoor patios for wine tasting as well as enjoying the spectacular view of Highland Valley and downtown Escondido. The hills surrounding the winery are flowing with grape vines all delicately manicured and obviously well taken care of.
But don’t stop with just a glass of wine. Make sure to enjoy one of their incredible pizzas! The Cordiano’s are known for their pizza! They started off with a large pizza franchise many years ago before going into the wine making business.
And if you need a place for your special event, you need to talk to them. I had a private event here last year and it was an amazing success. It was in January so it was a bit cold out so we did it inside the barrel room. The barrel room is a great space if you have less than 60 people. For larger events, they have a large outdoor patio that has an amazing view of Highland Valley and downtown Escondido. It’s completely separate from the other part of the winery so you can have plenty of privacy for your event.
There are five other wineries less than half a mile from Cordiano so if you are looking to go wine tasting with your friends or significant other, don’t bother driving all the way up to Temecula and just start here. I would recommend that you save Cordiano for last because you can come here and eat as well as enjoy some great wine. Try to time it so you are coming close to sunset because the view at sunset is simply amazing from their patios.
Cheers!

I almost wish this place was called, «Cordiano Wood Fired Pizzas» or «Vista Cordiano» or… just plain «Cordiano»… If this were the case, I could easily give a higher rating!
It is the use of wine in the name that makes it very difficult for me to love it!
Cordiano Winery, is a San Diego winery where you hope you can go to enjoy at least a a decent glass of wine. It is hidden, unique, and stunning (the property that is)…in/near the San Pasqual Valley. To clarify, a winery is different from a vineyard in that it does not always produce it’s own grapes, but may have some grapes if there is a vineyard.
I originally heard about this winery years ago when a colleague went to work for them, I forgot about it over the years, but after a wine tasting nearby and feeling a bit hungry we ventured up the hill and to our surprise we found this bustling oasis.
You drive in, park and walk behind the main building… and you will find a generous patio (that must hold a couple hundred people) and the extensive views are breathtaking! Go there for the food, conversation and views and you will not be disappointed.
PS They have heat lamps, you will need them on a cool night!

Hurrah for a Margherita pizza, and a wine tasting that includes cabs and syrahs, all enjoyed on a patio with views of hillsides and vineyards. If this sounds good to you, head over to Cordiano Winery in Escondido. Four of us had a relaxing time here, but I must confess that I don’t care for cabs or syrahs, and I didn’t like the Chardonnay sample either.
However the Margherita pizza for $ 13, and the Supreme pizza for $ 16 with sausage, pepperoni & veggies were delish, with a good crust. One pizza feeds 2 people with medium appetites.
I had fun at Cordiano, even though they don’t offer my favorite wines. One complaint is you can’t get a free glass of tap water, although I’m not sure why. You have to buy a water bottle if you want water.