San Diego’s Highland Valley Wine Trail Catching the Rhythm of the Valley

What to Know Before You Go

What Makes Highland Valley Worth a Winery Trip?

Before Prohibition, Highland Valley and the neighboring San Pasqual Valley were grape country. The growers who survived the dry years pivoted to avocado and citrus — crops that shaped the hillsides for decades. The return to grapes has been gradual, but the conditions that made the valley attractive to 19th-century viticulturalists are still here: the decomposed granite and clay soils, the elevation, and the wide temperature swings between day and night that push flavor concentration and preserve the natural acidity that keeps wine fresh. Mediterranean varietals — Brunello Sangiovese, Barbera, Sangiovese, Primitivo, Nero d’Avola — feel at home here for the same reason they feel at home in southern Italy. The soil does not forgive shortcuts.

The region’s wine scene has grown steadily. Altipiano and Cordiano are the two longest-established stops on what is becoming a recognizable wine corridor — the Highland Valley Wine Country sign on Interstate 15’s West Bernardo/Pomerado off-ramp marks the turn. The drive up is part of the experience.

Altipiano Vineyard and Winery — Where a Fire Became a Vineyard

The story of Altipiano runs through a fire. In October 2007, the Witch Creek Fire tore through the 500-acre property that Peter and Denise Clarke had purchased in 1998, destroying the avocado grove that had grown there for years. When it came time to decide what to replant, a birthday trip to Montalcino in Tuscany had already answered the question. Peter and Denise had fallen in love with Brunello on that visit, and they’d seen what the terrain of southern Tuscany could do with Italian varieties on harsh, well-draining soil. In June 2008, they planted 3,600 vines — mostly Brunello Sangiovese and Barbera — in the former avocado groves. Denise released her first wines in 2012. The name Altipiano — Italian for plateau — came from Peter searching a dictionary for the right word. It fits: the property sits high above San Pasqual Valley, perched with views over the San Diego Zoo Safari Park below.

Denise Clarke is the winemaker, and she has made the role entirely her own. An Air Force veteran who spent over a decade in federal human resources, she approached winemaking the way she approached everything else: with precision and a willingness to go deep on the education. She now holds international awards for her Brunello Sangiovese and has become a trailblazer among San Diego County’s female winemakers. Altipiano is the only Black female-owned winery in Southern California — a distinction that sits alongside the wine itself.

That sensibility runs through everything at Altipiano. Each wine on the list carries a recommended song alongside its tasting notes — the music of wine is the winery’s tagline, in Peter’s words, and it’s not decoration. Walking the terraced gardens, sitting at the Point Table with a view of the vineyard below, or settling into the Winemaker’s Library, you get the sense that the aesthetic is entirely intentional, built by people who are listening to the same rhythm Denise describes in her vines.

The current lineup focuses on Italian varietals: estate Brunello Sangiovese, Barbera, and Sangiovese blends are the core; Primitivo, Nero d’Avola, Arneis, and Aglianico appear alongside sourced-fruit wines including Syrah, Zinfandel, and Petite Sirah. Barrels run 18 months or more in a mix of French, Hungarian, and American oak. The tasting experience is by appointment only — three 3-ounce pours at $100 per person — with options to sit at the Villa Patio, the Winemaker’s Library, or the Point Table overlooking the vineyard. Call ahead.

Cordiano Winery — Italian Hospitality on a San Diego Hillside

Gerardo and Rosa Cordiano moved from Calabria, Italy to the United States in the early 1970s. Gerardo started at a pizzeria in upstate New York, worked his way to ownership, built a restaurant business in San Diego, and then — because some passions don’t let go — sold the restaurants and went looking for a piece of land in the hills. He found it in Highland Valley: 20 acres of avocado farm at an elevation with a view of San Pasqual Valley that answered the question before he asked it. The family purchased the property in 1998 and began building the winery.

The flagship wine tells you everything about the order of priorities here. “Primo Amore” — First Love — refers to both Rosa and to winemaking. Gerardo grew up in a winemaking family in Calabria; returning to it was not a career change but a homecoming. Cordiano Winery opened to the public in 2008 and has grown from there, expanding acreage and adding vineyards with plans for Sangiovese and Malbec. The winery is now a true family operation — children Francesco, Joe, and Jennifer are all actively involved, and the Cordiano family intends to keep it that way for generations.

What draws people back is not primarily the wine, though the wine is good. It’s the patio — tables arranged around a fountain, wood-fired pizza coming out of the kitchen, live music drifting across on weekends, and a sunset that turns the San Pasqual Valley below into something you want to sit and watch finish. The Cordiano family treats visitors the way Italians treat guests: as if they’re already family, just arriving late. Rosa’s presence and warmth are as much a part of the experience as the Petite Syrah. Open Wednesday through Sunday; online reservations recommended.

How Do You Plan a Visit to Highland Valley Wine Country?

The logistics are uncomplicated, but a few details matter. The easiest approach is to plan for one winery per afternoon rather than trying to rush both into a single visit — the experience at Altipiano is leisurely by design, and Cordiano’s patio is the kind of place where the afternoon disappears without warning. If you’re doing both in a day, Cordiano opens at noon; Altipiano requires a reservation and runs weekends only.

Fall is the natural peak season — grapes are harvesting, the air cools in the evenings, and the landscape looks like what it is: a wine valley finding its footing. But Highland Valley is a year-round visit. The fireplace patio at Altipiano and the heated patio at Cordiano keep both wineries comfortable through the cooler months, and weekday visits in winter often mean quieter afternoons and more time with the people who know the wines best.

Frequently Asked Questions About Highland Valley Wine Country

🍇 Highland Valley Wine Country — Quick Reference

The essentials on both wineries and the region