"2026 vintage was the most condensed harvest I've experienced in my 16 years of winemaking," Robert Renzoni Vineyards winemaker Olivia Bue told the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association in its Oct. 2 harvest report. Renzoni's estate Pinot Grigio came in four weeks earlier than in 2025. Then 92% of the winery's grapes arrived within a single month, when most years spread that over about two and a half. Across the valley, Wilson Creek finished picking on Sept. 25, the earliest it has ever wrapped up.
So by mid-October, the association reports, the last grapes may already be in. Wine country's fall calendar for 2026 is built around what comes next: new releases, a new underground tasting room, and a lineup of dinners and trail events. That lineup runs straight into Old Town's holiday weeks. The early finish moved the whole season forward, and for anyone who lives within a few miles of Rancho California Road, that makes the next ten weeks unusually full.
The Wines Already Out of the Cellar
The association's report heads its final section "Harvest Ends. The Next Chapter Begins." That chapter is already showing up in tasting rooms.
At Gershon Bachus Vintners, the Nouveaux series leans toward lighter reds. Paeon is the winery's first natural Cabernet Sauvignon, and The Horse is a Petite Sirah aged five months in barrel. Owner Christina Falik calls the series "light and bright," made to be served chilled. A chilled red works well in a Temecula October, when afternoons can still feel like summer.
Truffle Pig is planning several varietal dry rosés for the end of the year. Its on-site restaurant, Domenico's Italian Chophouse, is rolling out new seasonal selections. The winery's Pig Pen lounge keeps its late-night cocktail hours Thursday through Sunday. Since Oct. 11, the lounge patio has also hosted cigar nights every other Sunday, which puts the next few on Oct. 25, Nov. 8 and Nov. 22.
Callaway Vineyard & Winery is getting ready for a late-fall release of a 2024 bourbon barrel-aged Zinfandel, aged half in new oak and half in unwashed bourbon barrels. Callaway hasn't announced a release date yet.
The biggest physical change is at Robert Renzoni Vineyards. The winery announced an October debut for The Cellar, an underground room beneath the tasting room modeled on Italian wine cellars. Bue describes it as "an intimate setting designed for guests to enjoy exceptional Riserva wines, thoughtful food pairings and warm Italian hospitality." Renzoni hasn't published an opening day or a separate booking process for The Cellar yet. Its main site recommends reservations for the regular tasting room. Call ahead before you plan a visit around it.
October's Remaining Weekends
The fall events that were never tied to picking are still on the calendar, and Halloween is a big part of them:
- Oct. 15, Thursday: Miramonte Winery's Harvest Celebration & Members Social is $40 per member and guest, with four tastes, live music and samples from the fall/winter menu.
- Oct. 16, Friday: Leoness Cellars' Chef's Series Dinner – Early Autumn is a four-course seated dinner after a reception. It's $75, plus $30 for the optional wine pairing, and reservations are required.
- Oct. 22, Thursday: Fall Sip & Paint at Bottaia Winery, $55.
- Oct. 23–24: CarnEvil: Noche de los Muertos runs 7 to 10 p.m. at C'est la Vie at Europa Village.
- Oct. 25, Sunday: Akash Winery's free FallFest has a petting zoo, face painting, Día de los Muertos art projects, local vendors and wood-fired pizza.
- Oct. 30, Friday: The City of Temecula's Halloween Carnival runs 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Civic Center on Main Street, with trick-or-treating at participating Old Town businesses.
- Oct. 31, Saturday: Fazeli Cellars holds its 11th Annual Masquerade & Halloween Party, and Oak Mountain Winery hosts Halloween Night at the Cave.
The Peltzer Pumpkin Farm on Calle Contento is open daily through Oct. 31.
A Harvest Celebration Held After the Harvest
The De Portola Wine Trail Harvest Celebration takes place Sunday, Nov. 8, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This year it lands about six weeks after Wilson Creek's last grapes came in, with the season's new releases already in tasting rooms.
Eleven wineries are taking part, according to Leoness Cellars' event page:
- Leoness Cellars
- Somerset Vineyard & Winery
- Fazeli Winery
- Robert Renzoni Vineyards
- Altisima Winery
- Gershon Bachus Vintners
- Oak Mountain Winery
- Danza del Sol Winery
- Frangipani Estate Winery
- Cougar Vineyard & Winery
- Masia de la Vinya Winery
Two names on that list connect to the new releases above. Renzoni is the winery opening The Cellar, and Gershon Bachus makes the chilled Nouveaux reds. Each regular ticket gets you one featured tasting and a seasonal food pairing at every participating winery. Early-bird pricing ended Sept. 15, so tickets are now $89.99 per person. A $39 food-only ticket is available for designated drivers. You choose your starting winery at checkout, and spots at each starting point are limited. Book early if you have a particular winery in mind for your first stop.
Earlier that week, Bottaia Winery hosts a free Holiday Photos & Night Market on Thursday, Nov. 5. On Saturday, Nov. 7, Akash Winery holds a Live-Fire Dinner with Hearth & Harvest from 6 to 10 p.m. for $180. Churon Inn Winery follows a week later with "A Day At The Chateau: Celebrating 25 years" on Sunday, Nov. 15.
Thanksgiving Week Is Where Wine Country Hands Off to Old Town
After Nov. 8, the events turn toward the holidays. Bottaia hosts Fall Bingo Night on Thursday, Nov. 19, the same evening as Europa Village's Culinary Adventures class on Elevated Sauces. On Saturday, Nov. 21, Callaway hosts a Friendsgiving from 6 to 8 p.m., with food-and-wine pairings and a chance to meet winemaker Giovani Verdejo. Tickets are $45 for wine club members and $55 for everyone else. Verdejo had told the association that his 2026 crop was smaller and that he's especially pleased with the Petite Sirah. Akash's Holiday Floral Class follows on Sunday, Nov. 22, for $50, with supplies and one drink included.
For Thanksgiving Day, Bolero Restaurante at Europa Village serves a buffet from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It's $89 for adults, $80.10 for members and $39 for children ages 5 to 12. Reservations are required, and the last seating is at 3 p.m.
Then on Friday, Nov. 27, wine country and Old Town both have events on the same night. Oak Mountain Winery holds Family Fireside Friday, and Cougar Vineyard & Winery has Toasted Oak & Friends playing live. In town, Santa arrives at Penny Pickles Workshop from 6 to 9 p.m., and Shop Small Weekend runs through Saturday. Oak Mountain lights its Christmas tree on Saturday, Nov. 28. Santa's weekend visiting hours at Penny Pickles start that same day and run through Dec. 20: Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sundays 1 to 4 p.m.
Old Town's Busy Twelve Days
From Dec. 1 to Dec. 12, the Old Town Temecula Association calendar lists events on six different dates.
| Date | Event | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 1–26 | A Very Temecula Christmas: Window Walk | Self-guided tour of decorated storefront windows |
| Thu., Dec. 3 | Holiday Taste of Old Town | 5–8:30 p.m., ticketed, rain or shine |
| Fri., Dec. 4 | Santa's Electric Light Parade | 7 p.m. on Old Town Front Street |
| Dec. 10–12 | A Very Temecula Christmas | Seasonal entertainment throughout Old Town |
| Thu., Dec. 10 | Boutique Crawl: Holiday Edition | 2–8 p.m. |
| Fri., Dec. 11 | Cars, Cocoa & Carolers | 4:30–8 p.m. |
| Sat., Dec. 12 | Santa Under the Tree | 1–4 p.m. at the Civic Center |
The Holiday Taste is the Old Town Temecula Association's winter version of its self-guided tasting walk. It brings local wine, craft beer and food samples into Old Town's restaurants, tasting rooms and shops. Tickets go on sale in November. Less than four weeks after the De Portola trail, it's a chance to try the region's wine again without driving out to the vineyards.
The season ends with the New Year's Eve Grape Drop on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 6 to 10 p.m. on the Civic Center Quad, with live music, food and an East Coast countdown at 9 p.m.
Our team lives and works in Temecula, and we keep track of wine country's calendar all year. If you're thinking about a move closer to De Portola Road or within walking distance of Front Street, The Ashley Cooper Team can show you what homes near these spots are worth right now. Get your free home valuation, and we'll put it in local terms.
