Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery
Maurice Car’rie is one of Temecula’s classic Rancho California Road wineries — a long-established, friendly stop with a wide tasting list and one of the most beloved snacks in wine country: baked brie in a sourdough bread bowl.
The story of Maurice Car’rie
Maurice Car’rie Vineyard & Winery was established in 1986, making it one of the valley’s older wineries. The Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association lists Soomal Ahkund and Janak Patel as owners and James Rutherford as winemaker, with production of about 17,000 cases a year. The winery’s website is part of the Ultimate Vineyards family.
Over nearly four decades, Maurice Car’rie has hosted generations of Temecula visitors and remains a familiar landmark on the main wine trail.
What to taste at Maurice Car’rie
The list is broad. The association lists Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Grenache, Sangiovese, Syrah, Tempranillo, Zinfandel and red blends, plus Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, white blends and sparkling wine. That range makes it an easy winery for groups with different tastes.
Use the breadth to your advantage: pick one white, one Italian-style red, one Rhône-style red and one Bordeaux-style red to see a cross-section of the valley in a single flight. Sparkling wine is a good opener with the brie.
The Maurice Car’rie experience
The bistro-style menu, served from the tasting room seven days a week, features the winery’s famous baked brie in sourdough bread — a must-order for many regulars. Food service stops shortly before closing, so plan accordingly. Maurice Car’rie offers guided tours, live music, a restaurant, wedding and event spaces and a gift shop, and it is dog friendly and family friendly.
Located in the heart of Rancho California Road, it is easy to reach and easy to combine with nearby estates.
Who will love Maurice Car’rie
First-time visitors, groups with mixed tastes and anyone who loves a good wine-country snack will enjoy Maurice Car’rie. It is a dependable midday stop on a chauffeured day — share the baked brie, taste widely, and continue along Rancho California Road to Ponte, South Coast or Carter Estate. A classic winery, a classic snack and a classic car: hard to argue with.
Groups planning a celebration can make Maurice Car’rie the casual, crowd-pleasing stop of the day, balanced by a more intimate tasting elsewhere. Its wide list means everyone finds something they like.
The grapes behind Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery’s wines
A quick guide to the varieties on Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & 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.
- Grenache — a heat-loving Mediterranean grape with bright raspberry fruit and gentle spice, at its best in sunny valleys like Temecula.
- Merlot — a softer, rounder Bordeaux variety with plum and chocolate notes — an easy, food-friendly red and a key blending partner.
- Petit Verdot — usually a small part of Bordeaux blends, it is deeply colored and structured, with violet and dark-fruit aromas when bottled on its own.
Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery fact sheet
| Address | 34225 Rancho California Road, Temecula, CA 92591 |
|---|---|
| Wine trail | Rancho California Road |
| Established | 1986 |
| Owners | Soomal Ahkund and Janak Patel |
| Winemaker | James Rutherford |
| Annual production | 17,000 cases |
| Wines | Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Red blend, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling, Syrah, Tempranillo, White blend, Zinfandel |
| Amenities | Guided tours, Wedding & event spaces, Dog friendly, Family friendly, Live music, Restaurant, Gift shop |
| Food | A bistro menu served from the tasting room daily, including the winery’s famous baked brie in sourdough |
| Website | www.ultimatevineyards.com |
Arriving at Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery in a 1969 Cadillac
Rancho California Road is where most chauffeured days begin, and it is the easiest stretch of Temecula wine country to string together in a classic car: the big estates sit close to one another, the road is wide and gently rolling, and the vineyards open up on both sides once you pass the first hill east of the freeway. With the top down on the '69 DeVille, it is a short, unhurried glide between tasting rooms, and your chauffeur handles the turns into busy weekend parking lots so you can step out right at the door.
Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery is at 34225 Rancho California Road. 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 Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery with two or three nearby wineries in a four- to five-hour booking.
Book the '69 Cadillac on DriveShare
Wineries near Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery
Pair your visit with these neighbors on the Rancho California Road:
- Miramonte Winery — 33410 Rancho California Road
- Monte De Oro Winery — 35820 Rancho California Road
- Lorenzi Estate Vineyards & Winery — 36095 Monte De Oro Road
- Mount Palomar Winery — 33820 Rancho California Road
See all 45 Temecula wineries →
Frequently asked questions
Where is Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery located?
Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery is at 34225 Rancho California Road, Temecula, CA 92591, on the Rancho California Road of Temecula Valley Wine Country.
What wines does Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery make?
According to the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association, Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery pours Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Red blend, Sangiovese, Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling, Syrah, Tempranillo, White blend and Zinfandel.
Does Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery serve food?
A bistro menu served from the tasting room daily, including the winery’s famous baked brie in sourdough. Menus and hours change, so check the winery’s website before you go.
Can I visit Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & 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 Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery’s current policy and any reservations when we plan your route.
Toast Maurice Car'rie Vineyard & Winery from the back seat.
Chauffeured 1969 Cadillac convertible tours of Temecula wine country, booked on DriveShare.