Carter family winery marks 25 years in Temecula

The Temecula Valley wine industry has expanded since the 1960s, but one local operation just reached a milestone of its own.

South Coast Winery Resort and Spa marked its 25th anniversary in 2026. The property operates one of 47 wineries in the region. It has grown into one of the largest resorts in southwest Riverside County.

The company counts more than 5,000 awards to its credit. That total includes five Golden Bears, the top prize in the California State Fair Wine Competition.

Jeff Carter leads the business as chief executive officer of the winery and president of the Carter Hospitality Group. He is part of the family that built the enterprise. His father, Jim Carter, started the company as a home builder in the 1980s.

Jim Carter acquired a 400-acre parcel on the side of Mount Palomar. He planted the family's first vineyard at Wild Horse Peak. Jeff Carter described the location as two miles down a dirt road in an isolated valley. The recession of 1990 and 1991 hurt Jim Carter's construction career. He used the vineyard as an escape from business pressures.

“He was losing everything that he worked his entire life for, and planting the grapes was his escape from all the pressures of the business world,” Jeff Carter said. “And he thought, I'm just going to cash it all in, I'm just going to run away from all this pressure and become a farmer.”

The family opened South Coast Winery in 2001 on a former grapefruit grove. The 63-acre property sits at 34843 Rancho California Road. It features a hotel with 132 guest rooms and villas, a spa, a restaurant, and a tasting room with high ceilings and ornate doors. The Carter Hospitality Group now controls more than 200 acres of vineyards. It also operates two resorts in Temecula and a winery resort in central Texas.

The anniversary runs through the end of the year. The winery released commemorative wines, including a 2025 sauvignon blanc and a 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon from Horse Peak Mountain Vineyards. Guests can book a 50-minute celebration massage at GrapeSeed Spa for $175. An overnight getaway package offers a 25% discount off the best available room rate, wine tasting for two, and a $25 dining credit at the Vineyard Rose Restaurant. Jeff Carter said the region has shifted from hobbyist winemaking to professional standards over the last decade.