Falkner Winery
Falkner Winery is one of Temecula’s best-loved hilltop estates, perched just off Rancho California Road on Calle Contento. It combines serious, highly rated wines with one of the valley’s most celebrated restaurant views — a pairing that makes it a favorite for long lunches and celebrations.
The story of Falkner Winery
Falkner Winery was established in 2000 and is owned by Falkner Winery, Inc., with Ray and Loretta Falkner. Winemaker Duncan Williams leads production. The winery’s focus is on premium wines with outstanding varietal character, an approach that has earned dozens of 90-plus ratings from Wine Enthusiast Magazine.
The property’s hilltop setting is a big part of its identity. From the tasting room and restaurant, the vineyards of Temecula roll away in every direction, and on clear days the views stretch far across the valley.
What to taste at Falkner
Falkner is known for proprietary blends, especially the Amante, a Super Tuscan-style wine, and a Meritage made from Bordeaux varieties. These are the wines to prioritize. The Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association also lists Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sangiovese, Syrah, Zinfandel and red blends, alongside Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier.
A good flight starts with the Sauvignon Blanc or Viognier, moves to Sangiovese, and then compares the Amante with the Meritage — an Italian-style blend against a Bordeaux-style blend from the same hillside. It is an elegant way to understand how Falkner thinks about wine.
The Falkner experience
The Pinnacle Restaurant is a hilltop dining destination known for Mediterranean-inspired cuisine and panoramic vineyard views, serving lunch seven days a week. The tasting room is open daily. Falkner also offers guided tours, live music and wedding and banquet facilities, and it is dog friendly and family friendly.
Large groups are asked to arrange reservations in advance. When you book a chauffeured visit, we coordinate the tasting and, if you wish, a table at the Pinnacle for lunch.
Who will love Falkner
Food lovers, view seekers and anyone who wants a polished, highly rated tasting will enjoy Falkner. It is a perfect lunch anchor for a Calle Contento day, and a romantic choice for anniversaries and birthdays. Arriving up the hill in a top-down 1969 Cadillac, with the valley opening up behind you, is one of the great wine-country entrances.
Tip: book the Pinnacle for the middle of your day. A long, scenic lunch at the halfway point keeps everyone fresh, and the hilltop makes a superb backdrop for photos with the car before you continue to your afternoon tastings.
The grapes behind Falkner Winery’s wines
A quick guide to the varieties on Falkner Winery’s list, and how they tend to show in Temecula:
- Cabernet Franc — Cabernet Sauvignon’s aromatic parent, lighter on its feet, with red fruit, herbs and a hint of spice; it performs especially well in Temecula.
- Cabernet Sauvignon — the king of Bordeaux grapes; in Temecula’s warm days and cool nights it ripens to dark cherry and cassis with firm, age-worthy tannins.
- Chardonnay — the world’s most popular white grape, made in Temecula in styles from crisp and unoaked to round and creamy.
- Merlot — a softer, rounder Bordeaux variety with plum and chocolate notes — an easy, food-friendly red and a key blending partner.
- Red blend — proprietary blends that let winemakers combine varieties into a house style; ask which grapes are in the current release.
- Sangiovese — the grape of Chianti — bright cherry, high acidity and an earthy edge that makes it one of the most food-friendly reds in the valley.
Falkner Winery fact sheet
| Address | 40620 Calle Contento, Temecula, CA 92591 |
|---|---|
| Wine trail | Calle Contento corridor |
| Established | 2000 |
| Owners | Ray & Loretta Falkner |
| Winemaker | Duncan Williams |
| Wines | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Red blend, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Viognier, Zinfandel |
| Amenities | Guided tours, Wedding & event spaces, Dog friendly, Family friendly, Live music, Restaurant |
| Food | The Pinnacle Restaurant, serving Mediterranean-inspired lunch daily |
| Website | www.falknerwinery.com |
Arriving at Falkner Winery in a 1969 Cadillac
Calle Contento runs north off Rancho California Road, and within a minute the traffic thins and the road narrows into a quieter corridor of family wineries, ranch gates and long views across the valley. It is a lovely road for an open-top cruise: slow enough to enjoy the vines rolling by, close enough to the main trail that you can pair a Calle Contento stop with a lunch on Rancho California Road in the same afternoon.
Falkner Winery is at 40620 Calle Contento. We plan the route, confirm any reservation or group policy with the winery, and time the drive so you arrive relaxed — and leave without anyone in your party needing to drive after tasting. Chauffeured hire is $325 per hour with a three-hour minimum; most guests pair Falkner Winery with two or three nearby wineries in a four- to five-hour booking.
Book the '69 Cadillac on DriveShare
Wineries near Falkner Winery
Pair your visit with these neighbors on the Calle Contento corridor:
- Europa Village Wineries & Resort — 41150 Via Europa
- Halter Ranch Temecula — 41300 Avenida Biona
- Julie's Dream Winery Vineyards & Distillery — 39820 Calle Contento
- Briar Rose Winery — 41720 Calle Cabrillo
See all 45 Temecula wineries →
Frequently asked questions
Where is Falkner Winery located?
Falkner Winery is at 40620 Calle Contento, Temecula, CA 92591, on the Calle Contento corridor of Temecula Valley Wine Country.
What wines does Falkner Winery make?
According to the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association, Falkner Winery pours Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Red blend, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah, Viognier and Zinfandel.
Does Falkner Winery serve food?
The Pinnacle Restaurant, serving Mediterranean-inspired lunch daily. Menus and hours change, so check the winery’s website before you go.
Can I visit Falkner Winery in a classic car or limo?
Yes. 1969 Caddy offers a chauffeured 1969 Cadillac DeVille convertible for Temecula winery visits from $325 per hour (three-hour minimum), booked on DriveShare. Many wineries set their own rules for chauffeured groups, so we confirm Falkner Winery’s current policy and any reservations when we plan your route.
Toast Falkner Winery from the back seat.
Chauffeured 1969 Cadillac convertible tours of Temecula wine country, booked on DriveShare.