Avensole

Overall, a very high score of 4. Reservation at 7:15pm on OpenTable. Check-in was extended due to only one person working the reception desk. This person also was working the retail portion or the restaurant. Recommend a dedicated host on the weekends. At 7:35pm, we were told the kitchen was closing in five minutes. Overall, the food was phenomenal. Salmon, Short Rib, seafood platter (appetizer). Bonus was the size of the pour for a glass of wine. The service and food made up for the check-in and early closing of the kitchen.

First visit to Avensole Winery and we decided to grab lunch at their restaurant. Had a reservation and arrived a few minutes late. The entrance to the winery was well marked and parking within the property was plenty so fairly easy to find a spot. The have a large property with a restaurant and separate areas for tasting as well as a members lounge. The restaurant had both indoor and outdoor seating and was very roomy and nice. We were seated promptly and service was generally friendly and efficient. The menu is extensive, and vegan and vegetarian friendly. We had a great, relaxed meal. The drinks were excellent as were all the dishes. Overall, highly recommended.

We just had an amazing time both on the Avensole tasting patio and then at the restaurant afterwards. We had a group of 10 of us gathering on a recent beautiful Friday afternoon. The staff was all very welcoming and went out of their way to put sofas and chairs together for our group. Our server was knowledgeable and directed us with tastes of various wines based on our preferences. My husband and I ended up ordering a bottle of the "Susan" (sauvignon blanc), which as a new release, wasn't even on the menu yet. Others in our group did a flight of reds which was beautifully presented (see pic!) I had checked ahead and was excited that there was availability for a reservation at the restaurant right after the patio closed (5PM). Not only does Avensole have great wine, their cocktails are awesome, as well! Someone in our group recommended the lavender martini and wow, it was perfect! Several of us ordered the crab grilled cheese with tomato soup, others had the surf & turf special - all were delicious and filling! Our server was friendly and attentive. The guitarist playing on the patio provided great background music, as well. It was a totally wonderful time with new friends at a beautiful place with great people, great wine and great food! We had been at the restaurant one other time awhile back when they were packed, and the manager Lulu was so incredibly sweet and went out of her way to fine us a spot at the bar. We had never been there before and she really made us feel welcome, despite the fact that it was a weekend and they were extremely crowded! It’s the little things like this that really make an impact…the Maya Angelou quote rings so true here: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” We will most likely join Avensole as a result of these great experiences.

Absolutely stunning restaurant and most importantly amazing food. It was probably the best meal we’ve had in Temecula. Oysters were fresh and tasty. But the prime ribeye was the star of the show. It was a beautiful plate with potatoes baked and fried and the most delicious mushrooms on a bed of asparagus. I had every intention of taking a picture but when that plate came to the table I forgot about everything. Nicolas, our waiter, gave us the best service. Thank you Nicolas ! We will definitely come back.

We called ahead and were told they had tables and open spots at the bar, we were less than 5 miles away but when we got there we were turned away due to "lack of staffing" there were 8 unreserved tables sitting empty and only three people at the bar.... It's a beautiful area and would have really liked to have enjoyed it but unfortunately the staff were not accommodating at all. Will be making a reservation elsewhere next time lesson learned.