Bella Vista Winery

This is the «first winery» in Temecula for a reason, it’s just old and over the hill. We should have turned around immediately when we walked in and smelled the stank basement. All of the Reds we tried were so acetone in the nose we didn’t even want to taste them. All past their prime, the only decent thing on the menu was the champagne. Please Don’t even bother with this out of date disgrace to Temecula wine country

Showed up on Monday. Place was wonderfully deserted except for Gizella, who was awesome, doing the tastings. Met Chuck the goose. Beautiful scenery overlooking Temecula Valley. Very relaxed and non-​pretentious. Syrah Rose and white Cabernet franc was the best. Apparently get really busy on the weekend so definitely recommend a weekday visit if you can!

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!

We saw the sign that this was temecula’s first winery and had to check it out. Don’t waste your time. The place is very old school looking and a little run down on the outside. Inside feels like you’re at your grandma’s house with the old school jars. We were the only customers in there, but there was a $ 5 bill in every single tip jar. What a coincidence. The wine wasn’t all that great. The pourer was talking trash about every other winery we went to the whole time we were there or kept leaving to answer the phone. Save your $ 12 and go somewhere else instead.

Nice people, old school wine. Think mogen david. Tired 8 different wines. None a keeper. Each tasted sweet, or bitter and almost had a turpintine smell in the glass.
Maybe you will have better luck.

Friendly helpful staff! Very knowledgeable and helpful. Don even recommended different winery’s. Doug was very helpful on what to choose.

The price of the wine is not proportional to the quality/​flavor. We purchased the 2009 Pinot noir as a gift for someone we were visiting near by so it was a quick in and out of the winery itself (friendly staff)…
Nobody at the gathering we took it to really liked the wine, it was overly sour for a Pinot noir. We immediately knew it was $ 45 down the drain :-/​
We won’t be back.

Good wines, different from the typical Temecula wineries…

Tonight, I had the pleasure of taking care of one of the owners of Bella Vista Winery. I have lived in this valley for over 25 years, as have many of my family members. I know many of the winery owners, wine makers, and their families. This proprietor, was more than kind, she was gracious and warm. She was how I know Temecula to be, a huge family of vitners, who support eachother. I just wanted to take a quick moment to say how impressed i was by her grace and her enthusiasm for our valley as a collective family. Although i can not recall her name, i will encourage my guests to frequent Bella Vista, because she is the ultimate ambassador of what this valley has been and will continue to be. Thank you Mrs. Bella Vista for treating me with such respect and genuine kindness. I will not soon forget ur support. Sincerely, your food server tonight!

I’ve been trying to find this place again after our first trip to this winery! I loved this place. Not only did we get our ten tastes, but we got appetizers to go with it. Some Asian girls gave us some of their chips & when all the chips were gone, the bartender offered us free wine! We had had enough though by then but the wines were very unique. They had many Eastern European grapes and I had never tasted Eastern European wines so that was a real treat.
What I liked most was that they weren’t stingy. I have been all over Northern California & they guard their little tastes of wine like they were gold.
This is the only place I ever want to go from now on!

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.

Tried to go to a winery that I’ve had memorable visits many times. Hours posted said they were open until 5pm and it was merely 435 and they were closed… very disappointed.

This is a smaller winery that seems to have been around for a while. Their wines are on the sweeter side, which is not my thing. Even the wines that are traditionally dry and full-​bodied are sweet. They are one of the only wineries that leave in the residue and don’t filter. That is kind of a cool concept. The facility on the outside looks a bit run down, but on the inside it is quant and gives the place character. The service was great and everyone was nice. But all in all, not my thing.

A multitude of choices. Tempranillo was good. Service a bit slow. Tasting was suppose to be $ 10 was charged $ 12 guess its more on the weekend.

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.

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!

Howard makes this place what it is. The wine is decent. The Late Harvest Petit Syrah is the best way to finish your tasting. You take a swig, then chew chocolate chips, then they mix champagne with your Syrah and it tastes like Christmas in your mouth.
The wines aren’t the best I’ve ever tasted, but I’m not a huge wine fan anyways. It’s the experience that matters to me. If you enjoy good people, and Howard (the bartender) is a good dude, then you’ll like this place. When you come here multiple times, he remembers what you’ve tried before. I’ve never seen this place busy. It’s a dimly lit, like you’re in a cellar. You can knock a few glasses back, relax, and then be on your way to the next winery. I like that about this place.

Worst wines don’t waste your time or money and the owner lady is terrible.

Black magic, 05 Grenache, Bella vista blend, and 07 road kill red. All very good wines. They are organic and mom and dad take care of you. They run a great business and like repeat customers and show it. I mean this is home to me. Indulging in wine and talking to the owners is a joy. You must have the Hungarian sausage from this place it is a absolute epicurean delight!
Come down and enjoy the organic blends.

One of my Fav Wineries! This little rustic 1^st Temecula Winery is a charm! The wine tasting is 6 tastings for $ 10.00 Military Discount is $ 8.00
I loved all three choices I selected and winded up purchasing two bottles for the wine rack at home! One bottle was 21.95 and the other 18.95. The Customer service was great and there was plenty of seating. This place is not all modern like the others but remember this is an Original :) the others became the copy haha! I will come here again for sure! What I tasted :)
06 Chardonnay
A beautiful white, it offers refreshingly bright aromas and flavors of pear and pineapple. Rich and vibrant with a dry crisp smooth buttery finish. Great with any style of poultry, pork, seafood, or pasta Alfredo.
’05 Sauvignon Blanc
This very fruit — forward wine is full of summer fruit, with hints of green apple, pear & kiwi. Enjoy this on a warm summer day basking in the sun!
’07 Viognier******My Favorite!!!
This is a sophisticated soft wine with a hint of green apple. A little on the dry side with some citrus flavors. There is no oak to mask this marvelous fruit! This amazing extraction of flavor will leave a velvety lingering finish.
’07 Riesling
This wine has subtle hints of fruit in the nose and delivers in the taste. Sweet youth in the orchard with a hint of green apples and pears.
’08 Gewürztraminer
This wine has a sweet, gentle style and lovely flavors of honey, orange blossom, ripe apricot and delicate spice. The flavors of the Gewürztraminer linger beautifully on its spicy finish. Its blend of fruits and acid make it a perfect match for spicy food.
’07 White Cabernet
Rich tart flavor. Skins are removed soon after pressing to create a lighter color. The flavor will remind you of a homemade cherry pie. Red drinkers especially enjoy this wine!