While Napa, Sonoma, and Paso Robles have long been considered premier California wine destinations, lesser-known regions also offer world-class wines, along with picturesque landscapes and unpretentious charm. These hidden gems of the wine world stand tall on their own, with exceptional varietals that delight locals and visitors alike.
California’s winemaking culture is diverse. Some producers are experimenting with bold flavors and innovative techniques, while others focus on sustainable practices and improving upon classic styles. The tapestry of wineries is just as broad. From sprawling vineyards to historic venues to intimate tasting rooms, wine lovers are sure to find a tasting experience to suit their palate.
Wine is everywhere in California—on its coast, in its valleys, and beyond. There are even pockets of expert wine production right in our own backyard. San Diego and Temecula Valley offer approachable atmospheres oenophiles are sure to enjoy, while Carmel-by-the-Sea rewards wine lovers willing to travel further afield. These underrated wine destinations invite guests to sip, savor, and indulge in unforgettable experiences.
Temecula Valley
Just over an hour outside San Diego lies Southern California’s very own wine country: Temecula Valley. A climate similar to that of the Mediterranean makes the Temecula Valley an ideal location for growing high-quality wine grapes. The region’s 40-plus wineries produce a wide array of critically acclaimed and award-winning wines. More than 30 varieties are grown in the Temecula Valley, including cabernet sauvignon, syrah, sangiovese, and albariño.
With so many fantastic wineries to choose from, plus an ample assortment of hotels, restaurants, and spas, it’s no surprise that multi-winery tasting tours are popular. Take advantage of this—and get a sweet discount—with a SIP Passport, visit temeculawines.org/sip-passport.
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Take a trip up north to Carmel-by-the-Sea, a charming village on the scenic central coast. Carmel-by-the-Sea is also a top-rated wine destination, with 18 friendly tasting rooms all within the idyllic town’s one square mile. Many of the varietals are local to Monterey County, one of the state’s largest premium wine regions known for its chardonnay and pinot noir.
In addition to the bevy of tasting rooms, Carmel-by-the-Sea has more restaurants per capita than any other city in the US. Two of its dining establishments, Chez Noir and Aubergine, have received Michelin stars, and a third, Yafa, is recognized as a Michelin Bib Gourmand.
Bernardo Winery
San Diego is home to one of the oldest continually operating wineries in California: Bernardo Winery. This family-owned business’s history dates back to 1889 and includes a stint producing sacramental wine during Prohibition. Though communion vino is no longer among its offerings, Bernardo Winery crafts several reds, whites, and rosés using locally grown grapes, plus dessert wine and sangria.
Guests can enjoy a stroll through Bernardo Winery’s lush gardens or Friday morning farmers’ market, peruse the works of local artisans in its Village Shops, and dine on Sicilian and Old Californian dishes at its walk-up-style restaurant.
California Wine By the Numbers
4,700 wineries in the state
85% of wine produced in the US comes from California
422,000 California jobs are related to the wine industry
635,000 acres of vineyards in the state
$57.6 billion in state economic impact
95% of American wine exports come from California
*Sources: California Wine Institute, winecountry.com, Wine Institute, the National Association of American Wineries.
A perfectly designed home rarely happens by accident. Those kitchens that feel effortless and rooms that seem to tell a story the second you walk in? They’re usually the work of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing.
It’s knowing which ideas will actually work, which materials will hold up over time, and how to turn a collection of choices into a space that feels intentional. That’s where a professional interior designer comes in.
For the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) California San Diego Chapter, the goal is to help people see interior design as more than just the finished look. Behind every well-designed space is a process built on technical expertise. Designers are educated in everything from professional software and construction details to building codes, space planning, materials, and functionality.
Courtesy of ASID
“People don’t always realize how much goes on behind the scenes,” Kirsten Recce , current president of the ASID California San Diego Chapter, says. “Our designers are not just doing furniture placement and color selection and picking out new fluffy pillows. That’s not what they’re trained for.”
ASID members bring formal education, continued learning, and industry knowledge to their projects, helping create spaces that are not only beautiful, but designed to work. A paint color that changes completely depending on the lighting. A material that looks beautiful in a showroom but doesn’t make sense for everyday life. A layout that photographs well but doesn’t function for the people living there. These are the details where professional guidance can make all the difference.
Still, one of the biggest misconceptions about hiring an interior designer is that it’s reserved for massive renovations, luxury homes, or people who already know exactly what they want. The process can feel intimidating. Where do you begin? Is a designer worth the investment? What if you only need help with one room?
ASID’s answer: start with one hour.
ASID’s Spruce Up events break down one of the biggest barriers between homeowners and professional design: knowing where to begin. Held twice a year, the community program gives homeowners the chance to work directly with an ASID designer through a one-hour, $125 consultation in their own home. Whether you’re looking for advice on furniture placement, window treatments, kitchen and bath updates, remodeling ideas, vacation rentals, color selections or something else entirely, the upcoming September 2026 event offers an approachable way to get expert guidance before committing to a full project. Signups are open through Sept. 7, with consultations taking place Sept. 21 through Oct. 31. Proceeds benefit ASID San Diego’s educational and community programs. Register here!
Courtesy of ASID
“It’s a great opportunity for people who are in that exploratory phase,” Recce says. “Maybe they’re not sure they want to hire an interior designer yet, or they think it sounds daunting or expensive. This gives them a chance to discover what working with a designer is actually like.”
Design is personal. A good designer isn’t just creating a beautiful room; they’re helping create a space that fits the way someone lives.
“We’re a resource to all of San Diego County,” Recce says. “It doesn’t cost anything to pick up the phone and call and ask. We’ll answer.”
Your feet and ankles probably aren’t something you give much thought to—until something goes wrong. Orthopedic surgeons at Scripps Clinic are on the leading edge of foot and ankle reconstruction, treating patients with sports injuries, deformities, traumatic injuries and other conditions. That includes repairing torn Achilles tendons with a minimally invasive procedure that shrinks the incision site to less than a centimeter, and performing advanced ankle replacement on some patients with ankle arthritis. Read more about Scripps’ innovations in foot and ankle care here.
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Mai Vue was just 34 weeks pregnant when she delivered her baby. Her pregnancy had been complicated, and she’d had a recent second trimester pregnancy loss, which led to her receiving specialized care from Sean Daneshmand, MD, a Scripps Clinic perinatologist who oversees high-risk pregnancies. Dr. Daneshmand and his team took care of Mai during her pregnancy, through the birth of her healthy baby girl and beyond. Mai was part of a program Scripps launched to provide support to new moms in the weeks and months after delivery. The postpartum program, known as Scripps Health’s Fourth Trimester Continuum of Care, provides care for women with high-risk pregnancies to optimize their health after childbirth and reduce the risk of complications in future pregnancies. Click here to learn more.
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It’s estimated that one in five people in the U.S. will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives. When you factor in living in a sun-soaked city like San Diego and the outdoorsy lifestyle that comes with it, that figure can jump to as high as one in three, which makes early detection and intervention all the more important. Dermatologists at Bighorn Mohs and Dermatology Center are using innovative imaging methods and advanced surgical techniques to diagnose and treat skin cancer. For certain cancers in sensitive spots, like the face, dermatologists perform Mohs surgery, removing skin tissue layer by layer until reaching healthy, cancer-free tissue. They also use a process called immunohistochemistry to view tissue samples taken during Mohs surgery in far greater detail than previous methods. Read more about how Scripps is advancing skin cancer care here.
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When endurance athlete Isaac Sanchez learned he had cancer, he felt blindsided. He was healthy, surfed often and was training for an Ironman triathlon. But he had to put that on hold to undergo treatment. His physicians at Scripps Cancer Center developed a plan to treat the cancer in his tonsil and lymph nodes that included six-and-a-half weeks of near-daily radiation and weekly chemotherapy. He also worked with a Scripps Cancer Center dietitian to enhance his nutrition to promote strength and healing. Today, Isaac’s back to doing what he loves. Read more of his story here.
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While glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agents have been used to treat Type 2 diabetes for more than 20 years, their recent emergence as weight-loss wonder drugs marked a new frontier in medicine. But their effectiveness has left some patients wondering what to do once they’ve reached their goal. Stopping the medication could mean regaining some, if not all, of the weight. A Scripps Clinic internal medicine physician recently conducted a small study of whether GLP-1 patients who had reached their goal weight could maintain that weight by taking their regularly prescribed injection every other week instead of weekly. Spoiler alert: 30 of 34 patients did. Read more about the study here and what that may mean as pharmaceutical companies roll out oral GLP-1s.
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