Meadowlark, thank you so much for your thoughtful response. As I mentioned I'm flexible, so will put Hart on my list, and in fact will probably start there! Want to see the area so De Portola leg sounds like it will suit us perfectly. Would also love to see the cattle, and will keep our eyes open.

I initially looked at the map from the TV wingrowers website. Figure we would start on Rancho California and work our way up, around and down De Portola. Randomly selected a few on each stretch -- so more than happy to switch around if you think other wineries would be a better fit.

thanks again.

Silly me -- now I find the TA link "Small Family Owned/Operated Wineries"

My new choices are: Hart, Wiens, (still Falkner or Wilson Creek for lunch), Cougar, (Palumbo if time permits), Oak Mountain.

Does that sound better?

Yes it does - you'll most likely have a more personal experience working with those than with the corporate favorites that are common stops for the busloads of tourists brought in by the local shuttle companies. Weins is the last one after South Coast and Ponte. You can walk between the 3 if you like. Ponte's gift shop is usually busy and chaotic (bad traffic flow). But their restaurant is also one you should consider if the weather is warm - its not looking that way for later in the week though. Tuesday is supposed to be about 80ish which is just perfect for lunch on Ponte's patio.

As to the cattle, look for the white stucco walls aligning a driveway (they are about 6 feet tall, hard to miss). The cattle will be in the pasture to the left of the driveway. Sometimes they are in the back, but a lot of the time they are up front. Either way, you'll be able to see them. The ranch is between Green Acres and Endar Equine on the same side as those two ranches. I spelled it wrong last time, its Ankole-Watsui cattle - they are beautiful animals.

Bring a light jacket/sweater even if sun is predicted. The winds (more like strong breezes - not very strong) usually kick up about 2:00 p.m. and they can be a bit chilly this time of year.

I like your choices now too as those are all some of my favorites. Wiens will give you an example of the "grand" style of some of the wineries/tasting rooms but the others are down to earth with generally knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff. Nice mix, good wines, and I'm glad you're getting around to the "other" side of the valley.

Thanks for the help. I've made notes on the ranch as well, hopefully we find it! I also just realized that Palumbo (my 'if there is time' choice) is a bit out of the way, and want an option on the De Portola side. Maybe Danza del Sol or Leonesse?

Either are fine - we had a nice time at Danza del Sol though.

Kitty,

If you prefer friendly staff that are eager to talk with you about their wine and wineries, then you've already done the most important thing - decided to visit mid-week. The wineries are generally very quiet during the week, and my experience is that you'll find friendly staff just about everywhere. Its usually more about knowing which of the servers to cozy up to than which winery you choose. The pro tip: at the first winery you visit, mention to the staff that you like friendly servers, and they'll give you the insider's scoop about other wineries.

And as far as snobbiness, if you've visited other wine regions you'll be pleasantly surprised at how Southern California Wine Country has a more relaxed attitude. The attitude seems to be that the right wine is the one that you like, not the one with the highest price tag.

The Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association has several suggestions for self-guided tours that are based on different preferences, which might be a great resource for you. Find it at http://www.temeculawines.org/winery-tours/

Enjoy your visit, and Cheers!