California dominates best winery restaurants ranking with 5 spots in top 10

America’s vineyard dining scene has more to offer than cheese and crackers.The West Coast has emerged as the place to eat while you sip, dominating a new ranking of the best winery restaurants in the country — while an under-the-radar pizza joint tucked into the Arizona desert also managed to crash the top 10.Between lush hillside estates and sun-drenched California vineyards, the Golden State snagged five coveted spots on USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for the category.While Portland, Oregon’s Amaterra Winery was crowned number one, SoCal’s Temecula Valley was represented by Bolero Restaurante at Europa Village, taking the number two spot.

The Spanish-inspired menu is designed around shareable dishes like paella and chicharrones alongside locally produced wines.Temecula Valley Wine Country, located about 90 minutes from LA, has been nominated for Best Wine Region in USA Today’s 2026 10 Best Readers’ Choice Awards.Claiming the number four spot in the nation was the restaurant at Francis Ford Coppola’s winery, Rustic, in Geyserville.

Part of the sprawling winery created by legendary “The Godfather” director, Rustic serves a globe-trotting menu inspired by the filmmaker’s favorite dishes and family recipes.Further South, Mama Rosa’s Trattoria in Temecula took the number six spot.

The casual Italian restaurant is located on Robert Renzoni Vineyards, and is known for being the “only place in Temecula Wine Country where you will find a kitchen with a brick oven.”Armed with a Michelin star, the Restaurant at JUSTIN in Paso Robles came in at number seven.The multi-course seasonal tasting menus use local ingredients from the estate’s 260-acre farmstead.

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