Creating Carter Estate: From the Silver Screen to the Real Thing
Jim Carter moved to Southern California from Ohio in the early 1980s when he was a young man and quickly became captivated by the endless views in the California desert and the vast tracts of open land in Temecula. Years later, he jumped at the opportunity to purchase an expansive 400-acre plot, but at the time, he had no plans to make his land into a wine estate. He simply loved the beauty of it all.
Fast forward to the 1990s and a movie called A Walk in the Clouds. The movie partially takes place in a vineyard, and the cinematography left a huge impression on Jim. From that moment on, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with those 400 acres.
The Wine & Winemakers
One of the best features of this Temecula winery is the seemingly limitless wine choices you have when you visit. The estate produces just about every type of wine you can imagine, including California sparkling wine, white and rose wine, red wine, and even dessert wine.
More specifically, the winery produces a Chardonnay, Viognier, white blend, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a red blend. If you’re a fan of acid-driven white blends, you will absolutely want to try their 2022 Carter Estate Les Nobles white wine, which is a blend of 44% Gewurztraminer, 42% Riesling, and 14% Pinot Gris. Of the flights we sampled, this was our favorite.
Carrying such a broad portfolio of wines requires a lot of teamwork, and to execute such a large portfolio, the winery relies on two talented winemakers: Jon McPherson and Javier Flores. Both men are veteran winemakers and have been producing vintages since the 1980s.
Over the years, Carter Estate has set itself apart from other wineries in Temecula by its emphasis on sparkling wine. Winemaker Jon McPherson specializes in bubbles, and the estate currently crafts Brut, Blanc de Blanc, and Blanc de Noir-style wines.
The wines are excellent, the service in the tasting room is friendly, and the hotel is comfortable and relaxing.
Wine Tasting at Carter Estate
Carter Estate Winery and Resort offer wine-tasting flights both indoors and outdoors. We recommend you taste it on the patio. The tables are all shaded, and you have views that overlook beautiful natural landscaping and the surrounding mountains. On warmer days, the patio is perfect for hanging out with a flight of wine, and the ceiling fans ensure it never gets too hot.
Inside the tasting room, the wall is filled with local and national awards. There is also a very large window inside that allows you to see into the winery, where all of the magic happens!
One last thing to mention about the tasting experience here: the service is superb. Our server was welcoming, friendly, and really knew his stuff.
Wine Club
The Wine Club at Carter Estate in Temecula has an excellent list of benefits like discounts on tastings and bottles for members – a very generous 25% off bottles, 30% off cases, and exclusive offers to winery events and concerts. But, there is one benefit that really sets the membership apart. Because Carter Estate Winery is also home to a hotel, the Wine Club comes with a few extra perks, which are, frankly, pretty fantastic.
Carter Estate Wine Club members also receive 10-20% off spa services at the resort – depending on the day, and 15% off hotel bungalows and suites! If you travel to Temecula to go wine tasting often, this is a great benefit, and it makes figuring out where to stay when you go wine tasting in Temecula even easier – and, who doesn’t love that!?
The Hotel
As far as Temecula winery hotels go, Carter Estate is one of the best. All of the rooms at the resort are spacious and modern and come with all of the amenities you would expect from a luxury hotel. All rooms come with private sitting areas, electric fireplaces, patios, marble bathrooms, soaking tubs, and big, fluffy robes for you to relax in after a day of wine tasting.
If you’re searching for a dog-friendly Temecula hotel with a pool, then Carter Estate Winery has got you covered. The on-site restaurant, the Vineyard Grill, even serves food poolside!
Closing Thoughts
The bottom line here is Temecula’s Carter Estates is one of the few wineries that is making quality wine in the region and taking the time to deliver an excellent wine experience for its guests. We were pleasantly surprised by our visit.
Whether you want to enjoy a stay-cation in Southern California’s Temecula wine country or you’re visiting this growing region from the other side of the country, we think you will love the offerings at Carter Estate Winery and Resort. The wines are excellent, the service in the tasting room is friendly, and the hotel is comfortable and relaxing.
Wines to look for
The estate produces just about every type of wine you can imagine, including California sparkling wine, white and rosé wine, red wine, and even dessert wine, with an emphasis on sparkling wine.
- 2022 Carter Estate Les Nobles White White blend of 44% Gewurztraminer, 42% Riesling, and 14% Pinot Gris. Of the flights sampled, this was our favorite.
- Carter Estate Brut Sparkling Sparkling wine; winemaker Jon McPherson specializes in bubbles.
- Carter Estate Blanc de Blanc Sparkling Sparkling wine from the estate's sparkling portfolio.
- Carter Estate Blanc de Noir Sparkling Sparkling wine from the estate's sparkling portfolio.
Our verdict
★★★★☆
Cork & Journey: 4 out of 5 stars. The bottom line here is Temecula's Carter Estates is one of the few wineries that is making quality wine in the region and taking the time to deliver an excellent wine experience for its guests. We were pleasantly surprised by our visit. Whether you want to enjoy a stay-cation in Southern California's Temecula wine country or you're visiting this growing region from the other side of the country, we think you will love the offerings at Carter Estate Winery and Resort. The wines are excellent, the service in the tasting room is friendly, and the hotel is comfortable and relaxing.
