After 13 years in Ramona, Turtle Rock Ridge Vineyard Winery is expanding to La Jolla, where customers can taste its wines on a terrace overlooking the beach.
Turtle Rock Ridge Wine Bar opened at 1261 Prospect St., Suite 2, on May 10.
Laurie Wagner, Turtle Rock’s co-owner with Ian Vaux, said they opened the new coastal venue to bring more locally produced wines to San Diego and increase the winery’s local, national and international exposure.
“We are expanding to share our ion for wine with San Diego,” Wagner said. “We’ll let customers know there are fabulous, world-class wines grown here in San Diego.”
Wagner said San Diego County changed zoning laws 15 years ago to allow vineyards to offer wine tastings, but people often aren’t as aware of San Diego wineries as other wineries in Temecula and Napa Valley.
San Diego is a “fabulous grape-growing region” with the perfect climate to produce award-winning wines, she said.
The new wine bar has 600 square feet of interior space and an outdoor tasting terrace that overlooks La Jolla Shores. Customers can watch kayakers and surfers in a “quaint and charming” setting, Wagner said.
The June 6 Art Walk in La Jolla will feature artist Carly Ealey, who painted the “From Ramona to La Jolla” mural at Turtle Rock Ridge Wine Bar that highlights scenes of both locations.
The Turtle Rock Ridge winery and vineyard at 18351 Woods Hill Lane near Vista Ramona Road is 100 years old, and to celebrate, Turtle Rock is offering any three red blends for $100 during the rest of 2025.
The offerings at the La Jolla wine bar will be the same as at the Ramona location. Wine options by the bottle and glass are four red blends – Hello Beautiful, Hello Bella, Hello Gorgeous and Hello Sexy – and five single varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Sangiovese, Syrah and Zinfandel.
Both locations offer cheese balls. Customers can bring their own food but not outside beverages.
While Ramona customers can choose to sit on a terrace overlooking the Laguna Mountains, Wagner said La Jolla customers can get the experience of walking along the sandy beaches or enjoy cliffside views of the ocean.
“We feel like we just love La Jolla,” she said. “We love being down there and we have a house nearby in Ocean Beach so that’s why we chose La Jolla. We love the feel and all of the nature there.”
Wagner said she has been planning the La Jolla expansion with Vaux for the past year.
“We’re just chasing our dreams and it has been a joyful experience,” she said. “We are in the happiness business. Wine brings people together.”
Turtle Rock wines can be purchased by the glass at Rose’s Tasting Room in Old Town San Diego, Princess Pub & Grille in Little Italy, and at D’Carlos Restaurant, Marinade on Main and The Par Lounge and Deck in Ramona.
Turtle Rock Ridge Wine Bar is open noon to 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and from noon to 6 p.m. Sundays through Wednesdays.
For more information, visit TurtleRockRidge.com.
