The Tehachapi Mountains Wine Growers are the family estates behind one of California's newest wine regions, and their collective story peaked in late 2020 when years of the growers' work won federal recognition for the Tehachapi Mountains AVA. Wine growing here only began in 2006, with Tehachapi Wine and Cattle Company (established 2003 as the mountains' first vineyard and tasting room) blazing the trail; today the association's members pour within a few minutes of each other, five of them clustered in the Cummings Valley about ten miles west of town near Bear Valley Springs and Stallion Springs.
The Member Wineries, Downtown to Cummings Valley
Listed from the downtown Tehachapi tasting room out through the Cummings Valley estates ten miles west, so you can start on main street and finish among the vines:
- Stray Leaves Vineyard
- Tehachapi Wine & Cattle Company
- Triassic Vineyards
- Tehachapi Winery
- Dorner Family Vineyard
- Los Viajeros Vineyard
What the Tehachapi Wine Trail Is Like
Altitude defines everything: vineyards near 4,000 feet ripen under fierce mountain sun and cold nights, yielding Primitivo, Malbec, Pinot Noir and Rhone styles with genuine mountain tension. Tehachapi Winery's forty-two acres sit on Triassic-era granite soils (its neighbor Triassic Vineyards takes its name from the same geology), Dorner's terraced patio earns its Tuscany comparisons, and Los Viajeros pours Malbec with the Brite Valley spread below. These are owner-poured rooms where the person behind the bar usually planted the vines.
Planning Your Visit
Start downtown at Stray Leaves, the trail's main-street tasting room, then drive Highway 202 west into Cummings Valley where the five estates cluster within minutes of each other. Weekends are the dependable window and several rooms host food or entertainment; winter visits can meet real snow at elevation, so check conditions along with hours. Three or four stops make a comfortable day, and the Discover Tehachapi tour operator, an association affiliate, runs a signature wine tour for anyone who would rather not drive.
Growers Association vs. AVA: What the Difference Means
The Tehachapi Mountains Wine Growers and the Tehachapi Mountains AVA are two different things, though here they share one origin story: the growers association led the multi-year push that won the federal appellation in late 2020. The association is a voluntary membership group; the AVA is a federal grape-growing boundary requiring 85 percent of a labeled wine's grapes to come from inside it. A Kern County producer can exist outside the association, and the appellation on a bottle tells you where the grapes grew.
Explore More of Tehachapi Wine Country
Keep planning with all Tehachapi wineries, the best time to visit Tehachapi, the Tehachapi AVA guide, a perfect Tehachapi weekend, the Tehachapi first timer guide. Browse every winery on the winery browser or plot your route on the map.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many wineries are on the Tehachapi wine trail?
Wino Notion tracks 6 member wineries of the Tehachapi Mountains Wine Growers: the downtown Stray Leaves tasting room plus five Cummings Valley estates - Dorner Family Vineyard, Los Viajeros, Tehachapi Wine and Cattle Company, Tehachapi Winery and Triassic Vineyards.
What is the Tehachapi Mountains AVA?
A federal appellation designated in late 2020 after years of work by the Tehachapi Mountains Wine Growers, covering high-elevation vineyards near 4,000 feet in Kern County. Wines labeled Tehachapi Mountains must draw at least 85 percent of their grapes from inside the AVA.
Which was the first winery in the Tehachapi Mountains?
Tehachapi Wine and Cattle Company, established in 2003 as the first vineyard and tasting room in the region, with hand-pruned, hand-harvested Primitivo as its signature.
When should I visit the Tehachapi wine trail?
May through October is the mountain sweet spot, with harvest running late into October and November. Winter visits can meet snow at 4,000 feet; check road conditions and each winery's current hours before driving up.
Member list verified 2026-08-03 from the trail's published directory. Membership, hours, and pass availability change; confirm with the trail and individual wineries before visiting.