Carter Estate Winery and Resort

Lou made our wine tasting experience absolutely wonderful! They have some of the best wines in the area. We also stayed a night at the resort, we felt pampered and would definitely go back!

Great weekend getaway at Carter Estates! We arrived early to attend the Grapevine tours and was able to get a «pre-​check in» to our rooms with a promise that we would be notified once the room was ready. Once our wine tour was done, we were able to get checked in right away and received complimentary wine.
The rooms are actually bungalows or condos with private little patio areas overlooking their vineyards. Spacious rooms with über comfy beds and giant bathrooms. They left balloons with chocolates and a handwritten card to wish me happy birthday. I’m so impressed with this stay, I would definitely come back!

My wife and I got away from our daily routine and we are blown away with this wonderful resort. From the front desk service, staff, pool, restaurant personal to our room, we give an A+ grade to this resort. Highly recommend this beautiful place. Thank you all that made our stay very relaxing. Oh and we got a free wine bottle.

This place is amazing. The bungalows are first class, it’s like having your own little house and you can park your vehicle right in front so you don’t have to walk far. It is also a gated community. The customer service is amazing. Upon check in the girl at the front desk (Megan) upgraded us to a nicer bungalow just to thank us for booking on their website. We also received a complementary bottle of wine.
The bungalows are first class. Nice sitting area with tv mounted so you can watch it from the living room area or the bedroom. Rooms are spotless décor is brand new and so many windows, nice and bright. The back door opens to a patio right on the vineyard, the views are breathtaking.
The resort pool is so close and the food they serve was amazing. My husband is a chef and always picks the food apart, he had only positive things to say about the food here. I ordered the vegetarian pizza, the vegetables tasted like they were just picked from the garden and the sauce for the pasta we ordered was delicious!
I highly recommend this place. We will definitely be coming back!

TIP: ASK FOR LOU! We came here for the first time yesterday and had a wonderful experience. We’ve been coming to Temecula for about 4 – 5 yrs and have always wanted an experience like this to exist in the valley.
The wines are the best in Temecula and there are no crowds because it truly is for the discerning wine lover.
The environment is comfortable and there is no belly-​to-​the-​bar feel at all. There are only comfortable seats and the tables have service so you don’t have to keep getting up and down to get another taste.
Lou was magnificent and we immediately joined the wine club. It’s not the cheapest place in Temecula but that’s not what we want. We value experience and great wine and will gladly pay a bit more for it. We will be back here every time we come to Temecula.

Amazing! Absolutely amazing hotel!!! Stayed on Valentine’s Day. Our bungalow was so clean and comfortable. Had relaxed time on pool and enjoyed complimentary wine. More than 5 stars resort for romantic quite getaway

Nice tasting room. Very comfortable. Good people. The wines all have a light bitter after taste. Nice body and consistency. I would buy and wait 5 to 7 years to help take the edge off.
The best is their 2012 blanc de blanc sparkling wine but one is left with a sour squint as you finish the taste.

This resort was excellent. The rooms are beautifully decorated, clean and comfortable. The bathrooms/​showers are heavenly. We stayed on the east side with wonderful morning views of the hot air balloons. We also ate from the grill next to the patio. Actually ordered the filet which I was skeptical about since it was a poolside grill. It was surprisingly excellent! I recommend this location and will return.

This review is on the winery and vineyard only. Learn something new every day! Here is my story.
Tooling around Temecula on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day; learn only 3 – 4 wineries were open for the visitors to this fine community. Carter Estate Winery and Resort was one of them.
Rather than to pay $ 20 per person for tasting only, we chose the $ 40 per person which was a tour and education of the vineyard, winery, winemaker and developer of the grand property. It was definitely worth the $ 40. Lou was our guide and for 1 ½ hours we learned about Carter Estate Winery; it’s vineyards, winery, winemaker and developer. We also sampled their favorite picks and the pairings set up with the picks were absolutely phenomenal. Certainly
Their production is not large by any means. You will not find their wine or champagne in the supermarkets and wine stores; meaning only a visit to the winery or your joining their wine club will get you the opportunity to enjoy their products.
Pros: Easy to get to (1.5 hours from LA proper, .5-.45 minutes from San Diego) Off Hwy 15; a major freeway easy to travel on.
Friendly staff
Great Wine and Champagne
Cons: Limited production BUT I can live with that
My next visit will definitely include a stay at their Villas.
Last TIDBIT of information and statistics: For those who are familiar with the Orange County Mall, South Coast Plaza= Mr. Carter, the visionary, is the developer of the infamous South Coast Plaza, another Resort in Temecula named South Coast Spa and Winery and his boutique addition; this place Carter Estate Winery and Resort. Keep your eye on this place because planning has it that a large public arena for entertainment will be built on this property in the near future.

Had such a fantastic stay for my birthday. The resort is new, so everything was very clean and well appointed (hope it stays that way)! Our bungalow had a beautiful view from every window, and we enjoyed an amazing sunset on the patio overlooking the vineyards. The bathroom boasts a huge tub, giant walk-​in shower, and a separate vanity that I really enjoyed using to get ready. The small amenities in the room like the bottles of water, bath salts, makeup remover wipes, keurig coffee maker etc just made the stay that much better. We didn’t get a chance to do the tasting or try any food from the grill, but we will definitely be back!

So the five stars is honestly for the amazing staff and beautiful grounds/​villas. We stayed in room 2351 which backs up to the vineyards, easily transporting you to the somewhere abroad.
The hubby and I celebrated our one year anniversary here and it was beyond wonderful! The staff is top notch ensuring that every need is met and question answered. They are professional, extremely nice and very considerate. My parents had a cake delivered and not only did the staff set it up in our room so beautifully, but also sent a bottle of wine, compliments of the estate. There are golf carts on the property that whisk you between the (85F) heated pool to the dining room/​wine tasting and back to your room.
We did dine and do a wine tasting with them; and I’m not sure I would recommend either to my fellow Unilocalers. It’s $ 25-​$ 30/​person for wine tasting (which is extremely steep for Temecula). The food is not as amazing as their accommodations (the flatbread we ordered tasted like it was previously frozen) and the salmon, while good, was nothing spectacular for $ 33.
However, if you’re looking for an escape from your busy world, this is definitely it! Everything in the villa from the sitting area, the porch, the oversized bathroom (and bathtub with bathsalts) and of course, the comfortable bed — we can’t wait to stay here again!

We stayed here for one night and loved it. We had room 2351, which by my estimate was the best since it had the most secluded terrace.
The pros:
The views from the room are lovely, and the views while walking around the estate are really amazing. The room had an enormous bathroom, giant tub, and shower with two heads. The best was very comfortable and the room felt very spacious with a couch and dinette set with wine glasses and a wine screw. There is a refrigerator, robes, slippers, a bar area, and a vanity area. Everything in the room was high quality and very impressive. The grill at the pool offers a very limited breakfast (3 choices), but the breakfast sausage and eggs were top notch, and they served it with delicious potatoes.
The cons:
We ran the water for a shower very early in the morning (we had a conference to go) and it ran for 20 minutes and we still didn’t have hot water. The tub did though, so we just took a bath. We told management about it when we checked out and they sent maintenance to look at it. Of course the hot water turned right on for them. I think it could have been the early hour we were up, I don’t know, but it definitely never got hot (sort of lukewarm).
Also, be warned the TV in the room has a maximum volume. We watched purchased a movie to watch in room, but couldn’t hear half of it. Management kindly removed the movie charge and gave us a 10% discount.
Overall, I would definitely stay there again. I am sure we will be back!

Best winery in Temecula for the wine connoisseur, it is pricey but very worth it. They are adding a hotel and shopping on the property so it will make this place spectacular/​If you are wine club member you get only two shipments a year and that makes it nice and not too costly. In addition they just released their Chardonnay aged in oak that has a perfect balance of oak and butter flavors.
A must while you are in Temecula.

This was perhaps our best hotel experience ever. The staff made us feel like we we the only ones here, even though the estate was fully booked.
Having room service breakfast on the patio overlooking the vineyard was so relaxing. Comfortable, luxurious, and some really great wine!

I checked into Carter Estates Winery with my boyfriend for a weekend stay on Sat, Sept 12^th and checked out on my birthday day, Mon, Sept 14^th WITH MY FIANCE!!!
My boyfriend chose the new resort (South Coast Winery’s smaller property) for one of the most memorable experiences of my life — the weekend he asked me to be his wife during my birthday weekend. Through so many highs and lows, growing apart and getting back together, we FINALLY made it official after 16 years! Yes, 16 long years but hell, I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend and I can’t wait for the next 16 years and the 16 after that and the 16 after that…
We arrived at the resort at 9:30am to drop our luggage off before check-​in. Our horse drawn carriage wine tour was to pick us up from the resort at 9:45am and we were already running behind. Little did I know that the Carter front desk staff was happily assisting my fiancé in ensuring that his proposal went without a hitch. So the «dropping off our luggage» was to start of the surprise proposal smoothly. They checked us in at 9:40am, hours before normal check in time. My boyfriend then tells me that the wine carriage tour isn’t picking us up until 11am so we have an hour to enjoy the room! We enter the gated mini community of bungalows and I feel super exclusive as I watch the gate slowly open for our car. We drive to the very end of the long path to our room that is located at almost the focal point of the resort.
We park and walk up to what looked like the door to what could have been our newly purchased home. We open the door and the smell of freshness greeted me. Our high-​ceiling room was furnished with a plush king sized bed with a high padded headboard; a living space with a pullout sofa and accompanying chair; a separate dining glass table with chairs, upon entering the room was a sink area complete with a fridge and a safe; a bathroom that I could move into that included a vanity area complete with a stool, magnifying mirror and oversized mirror, a dual sink area with beautifying lighting, a two person bathtub in addition to its walk in shower that was made for romance.
Little did I know, my boyfriend had spoken to Stephanie, the night front desk attendant the night prior to arrival and shared with her his plans for the weekend. Of course unknown to me what was happening and surprised to my boyfriend, she had upgraded our original room and placed us in a more private location connected directly to the vineyard. We enjoyed the beautiful view until we had to walk to the front of the resort to meet our wine shuttle which actually was a private Cinderella-​like carriage that whisked away to Lorimar Winery where my boyfriend would propose! We returned to Carter Estates to find our bedroom floor scattered with fresh red rose petals and also on our bed to form a framed heart shape. A card was also left in our room thanking us staying at the resort for our special occasion and if there was anything more they could possibly do for us. WOW!
On Sunday morning, I woke up to a delightful view of colorful, enormous hot air balloons from a distance taking flight beyond our vineyard! Monday morning, we ordered room service for breakfast and to no surprise at all, service was prompt. We dined on our patio, eating our savory eggs, bacon with roasted marble potatoes, the hot and fresh Belgian waffle and steel cut oatmeal. Before we left the room, I remembered the wine glasses in the room that I could not bear to part with because of the sentimental value it now had for me. So, I took them with me to the front desk to ask if I could purchase them. Brenna was the individual who happily greeted us at check-​out and before I could finish the story of why I wanted to keep the wine glasses, she stopped me in mid-​sentence insisting that I keep them. This additional gift was a perfect way to complete our stay.
I have never felt so welcomed and valued at an establishment as I did here. From the bottom of my little soon-​to-​be married heart, THANK YOU to the Carter Winery Estates and staff, especially to Stephanie and Brenna, for going above and beyond in such a momentous occasion for my fiancé and I. Your thoughtfulness, care and generosity were invaluable. Thank you playing such an integral part in the weekend that changed our lives!

My fiancé and I had a wonderful stay at Carter this weekend! We only got to stay one night, but we both did NOT want to leave.
This is a brand new resort. It has the feel of an exclusive gated neighborhood. The bungalows lie in sort of a cul-​de-​sac style and each have their own parking and secure entrances. The vineyards back up directly to the back patios of the bungalows. The views are awesome. the room was well-​appointed, and included a faux fireplace/​heater, a pull out sofa, a absolutely comfortable king size bed, a tub that to me felt like a swimming pool (I took two baths on our short trip just to use the tub!) and a walk in shower with two shower heads. I didn’t mind that the shower heads can’t be used simultaneously, but my fiancé wished they could both be running at the same time.
We spent a little time in the pool/​spa area, which really felt like we were hanging out at the pool of a condo complex – except they brought us beer. There is a patio grill poolside where you can order small plates and beer and wine.
Carter is located on the strip of wineries, about 5 – 6 miles from old town Front St.
We liked the feel of Carter so much that we made a point to get contact info for the person in charge of blocking rooms for our wedding next September. The atmosphere would be perfect for the wedding party the night before the wedding.
We will DEFINITELY return to Carter!

Not sure of the winery itself but stayed a pleasant night in one of the new villas and thought my stay was comfortable. Other than the pillows being wayyyy to high, I thought that all of the other amenities were superb and met the standards of a four star hotel.
The area was very private and the rooms were modern and clean.

Wonderful estate to have just been open a little while. I can’t wait to come back to see the improvements they have planned. Rooms and wine are 5 stars. Menu and other accommodations I’m sure will come soon: such as a better menu, work out room, and restaurant.
Wine tasting room is very elegant and quiet, loved it! Rooms extremely quiet and clean plus private. Enjoyed a jog around the vineyards. We will definitely be back!
Can’t forget. Best customer service!

Absolutely Amazing
We stayed here after the July 4^th holiday weekend and absolutely loved it.
The customer service was spot on. Megan was incredible with her extensive wine knowledge and graciously gave us many recommendations of what vineyards to try out. She greatly made our wine county experience amazing!
These rooms are BEAUTIFUL! A little high class condo with your own private patio that opens up to a gorgeous vineyard. The bathroom was even more spectacular! The tub was large enough to fit the both of us and the dual head shower was devine.
I highly recommend this new place before word gets out and it becomes the popular spot!

The newly opened Carter Estates Winery and Resort is a perfectly fine addition to the «resort» scene in Temecula. It’s nearly identical in design to it’s sister property, South Coast Winery and Resort, but definitely could learn a thing or two from it’s sibling.
The room itself was as pictured on the website, spacious, with a sitting area, sleeping area and bathroom. It was missing the jetted tub of South Coast, but featured a large soaking tub, so it’s personal preference on which might be better. They also had a turn down service which was nice, the robes and slippers were laid out nicely for us. Each villa has a small patio, which is fine but don’t expect privacy. Other guests are fairly visible from the patio, and some really enjoy those robes.
The wine was fine, I’ve had it before out South Coast, but the tasting room fees border on insanity. This isn’t Napa. $ 50 for two tastings (at a discounted hotel guest rate) is far more than nearly everywhere else in the Valley. And to be honest, if the wines were worth it I might not complain. But…
I will say the service was great in both the winery and the hotel. Everyone was friendly and accommodating, even when I questioned them about the lack of wine in our room (I had added a bottle for $ 35 when booking.) It was added and provided without a problem, though they did try to charge me a second time for it because it «didn’t come through on their computer.»
Overall, the chances that we’ll stay here again are slim, especially once the room rates start to match their tasting room fees. We’ll stay at the «discount» luxury hotels across the street, and spend more of our dollars on bottles to bring home.