Visiting Tehachapi wine country for the first time: where to start, what to expect and the mistakes to skip.
Start downtown at Stray Leaves to meet the AVA, then drive Cummings Valley Road for Wine & Cattle and Triassic back to back
Expect high-elevation Primitivo, Malbec, Pinot Noir and Rhone varieties grown near 4,000 feet in one of California's newest AVAs, poured mostly by people close to the winemaking.
Owner-poured tastings at family-estate prices; the downtown Stray Leaves room adds flights and appetizers without a vineyard drive.
The region sits in the Tehachapi Mountains of Kern County, roughly two hours north of Los Angeles; plan the driving and every stop gets better.
Don't overpack the itinerary: three stops with time to talk beats six drive-bys anywhere, and doubly so here. And check hours before every stop; small family rooms adjust schedules seasonally.
Every winery we track in the region, each with its own page.
See the full Tehachapi guide → · Browse all wineries →