The Hillside Ranch Vineyard Blog — Wine, Vineyard & Tasting Room Stories from Jamul, CA
Our blog offers a behind-the-scenes look at our tasting room, vineyard and winemaking process here in Jamul, San Diego County. From bud break to bottling, we share the changes of the seasons and the stories that shape our small-lot, handcrafted wines.
What to Expect at a San Diego Winery Tasting
If you've never been wine tasting close to home, the idea can feel a little intimidating — like you're supposed to know the right words, swirl the glass a certain way, or spend a fortune. At the small family wineries near San Diego, none of that is true. Here's what...
Wineries Near San Diego: What Most People Don’t Know
"I had no idea San Diego had wineries." We hear some version of that almost every weekend in our tasting room. Visitors drive up our dirt road in Jamul, look out at the vineyard, and say they had no idea this existed — that they'd lived in San Diego for years and...
A Special Evening at the Vineyard — Wine Tasting & Dinner with Sprouting Collective
We're excited to host a unique evening at Hillside Ranch Vineyard on Saturday, June 6 — a collaborative dinner with Sprouting Collective, a San Diego catering company known for seasonal, thoughtfully prepared meals. The evening begins at 6pm in our tasting room with a...
We Launched a Wine Club!
A few months ago, we opened the tasting room doors for the first time. We weren't sure what to expect — we're a small family operation in Jamul, not exactly a destination on anyone's radar yet. The response has been genuinely wonderful, and the feedback on the wines...
Suckering Season: Keeping the Vineyard in Check
Due to the unseasonably warm winter and spring we've had, our vines are progressing faster than normal. This week we finished suckering, a process of removing excess growth — suckers — that emerge from the base of the vine or along the trunk. Left unchecked, they...
Mother’s Day at Hillside Ranch Vineyard
Celebrate Mom somewhere she'll actually want to be. Join us Mother's Day, Sunday May 10th, noon to 5pm, for a relaxed afternoon at the vineyard. We're offering moms a free tasting or glass of wine, plus 10% off bottle purchases. We'll also have a few little extras we...
Flowering Season Begins!
We recently shared the news of bud break in our vineyard. Now, a few weeks later, the vines have moved to the next critical stage: flowering. If you've visited the tasting room recently, you may have noticed the vines are suddenly full and green. A closer look reveals...
What Is Orange Wine? And Why We Made One.
If you've never heard of orange wine, you're not alone. It's one of the more misunderstood terms in the wine world — and no, it's not made from oranges. Orange wine is a white wine made like a red. The difference comes down to one thing: skin contact. When making most...
Visiting Hillside Ranch Vineyard: Your Gateway to San Diego’s Highway 94 Wine Trail
If you didn't know San Diego had wine country, you're not alone. Most people don't — and that's exactly what makes it worth the trip. Hillside Ranch Vineyard sits in the hills of Jamul, about 25 minutes east of downtown San Diego. We're the closest stop on the Highway...
Bud break is here — a little earlier than expected
We finished pruning in February, and right on cue — actually, a bit ahead of cue — the vines are waking up. Bud break has arrived at Hillside Ranch Vineyard, and it's earlier than usual thanks to the stretch of unseasonably warm weather we've been experiencing in...
Time to prune the vines
It's always tricky to decide when to prune the vines. Too early and you risk frost damage. Too late and the plant wastes energy on growth that's just going to get cut anyway. The unseasonably warm winter has our plants waking from dormancy earlier than usual — we're...
Bottling 2025 Whites and Rosé
We spent two days this week bottling our 2025 white wines and Rosé — all hands on deck with help from friends and family. 2,450 bottles, 204 cases. In addition to our usual lineup of Sauvignon Blanc, wild-ferment Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Rosé of Syrah, this year...
Soft open success! Tasting room now open Fri-Sun noon-5pm
Our 'Soft Open' this past weekend was a huge success! Thank you so much to everyone who came out to support us. We're humbled by the positive feedback on our tasting room, the views - and our wines! We're still working out a few kinks but feel confident in announcing...
Tasting room soft open this weekend!
After a lot of planning, building, and more than a few delays, we're finally ready to open the doors to our new tasting room — this Saturday and Sunday, December 27th and 28th, noon to 5pm. We're calling this a soft open, which is a polite way of saying we're still...
Come Visit Us!
Just 30 minutes from downtown San Diego, Hillside Ranch Vineyard feels worlds away. Nestled in the quiet hills of Jamul, our family-owned winery offers a peaceful, rural escape surrounded by open sky, rolling granite hills, and the calm rhythm of ranch life. We would love to have you come by to enjoy the views, taste our handcrafted wines, and discover one of the hidden gem wineries in the San Diego area.