Temecula Valley Wine Country Tradition

The Grape Stomp is an annual tradition in Temecula Valley Wine Country, celebrated each September during Wine Month. It is intrinsically tied to the local grape harvest—a pivotal time of year when a vintner's hard work culminates. This season is crucial, as it determines the success of the upcoming year and may impact many future harvests.

Temecula Wine Country Tradition

Traditions such as the grape stomp celebrate the intense, precision-based nature of the harvest. It serves as a reminder of the finesse required to crush grapes with the perfect pressure to extract juice without causing damage—a practice rooted in legacy. This legacy is built through technique, collaboration, and sophistication honed over years of dedicated practice.

I encourage you to visit Temecula Valley Wine Country this September. Wine Month features grape stomping at many wineries and highlights various traditions practiced by local vintners. Make this the year you discover the unique vineyards that contribute to our local economy and produce award-winning wines.

A Discovery Tour

I would like to highlight one winery that exemplifies the depth of tradition and legacy you can discover on your own trek through Wine Country. I found a winery where family foundations, classic motorcycles, and the tradition of serenading grapes with classical music create a unique experience—a legacy that will define future generations of the Doffo family.

Curious about their approach, I spoke with owner-operator Damian Doffo to understand what makes Doffo Winery so exclusive and to learn about the intentionality behind their legacy building. The following is a summary of Damian’s insights on farming, family, and firm foundations. I hope you will be inspired to visit Doffo Winery, or any vineyard in

Temecula Wine Valley Country, this September.

Damian Doffo on Four Generations of Farmers

Farming runs deep in our family. My great-grandfather Bernardino, my grandfather Armando, and my father Marcelo all farmed soybeans in Argentina. My dad continued farming there before coming to Temecula, where he eventually planted a vineyard and began building what would become Doffo Winery.

So when I say farming is in our blood, I mean it. I grew up with it, and passing that connection to the land on to the next generation of our family is something I hold very close to my heart.

Stewardship of the land is at the core of what we do. Agriculture only survives when the community around it understands its value and chooses to support it. For us, that starts right here in Temecula Valley.

That’s why I’m so passionate about supporting wines that are actually grown here. When you drive under the arch that says “Welcome to Temecula Wine Country,” I believe we should be celebrating and supporting wines that proudly say Temecula Valley on the label.

Damian Doffo of Doffo Winery on Harvest Season

Harvest is the highlight of every year for me. It’s the culmination of an entire growing season. Every decision you’ve made in the vineyard and every challenge you’ve worked through eventually comes down to this one window.

“I always compare harvest to being a professional golfer who only gets to play one tournament a year. You get one shot, and you have to make it count.”

That’s what makes harvest so exciting, and so intense. There’s a tremendous amount of coordination, timing and pressure involved. You don’t get to come back next month and try again. The decisions we make during those few weeks determine the wine we’ll be working with for years to come.

For us, harvest is our Super Bowl.

Doffo Winery Legacy Passed Down Through Generations

My great-grandfather was Bernardino. My grandfather was Armando. My dad is Marcelo. I’m Damian, and now we’re watching the next generation of our family begin to find their own place in the story.

My dad purchased five acres in Temecula in 1997, land that became the foundation for Doffo Winery and has since grown to roughly 30 acres. But my winemaking education started even before that. I made my first wine alongside my dad when I was 10 years old, and I’ve been part of a harvest and winemaking every year since.

What exists today was built from my father’s vision, hard work and willingness to take a chance on Temecula Valley. My responsibility is to honor what he started while continuing to move it forward.

Today, there are seven grandchildren in the Doffo family, and we’re already watching the next generation become part of the winery in their own ways.

My son Lucca is 12 and recently worked his first shifts in the tasting room, bussing tables and polishing stemware. My 16-year-old niece, Lailah, works as one of our hosts when she’s not traveling for soccer. Fiorella has become a familiar face around the winery, producing nearly 200 containers a week of our crowd-favorite chimichurri, while also hosting, running the coffee cart and working events. And when Tiago came home for the summer, he jumped right back into the bussing and events team.

Doffo Wineries Firm Foundation

That’s important to me because that’s how our family has always done it. I grew up working alongside my dad, learning the vineyard and the cellar from the ground up. Now we’re getting to watch another generation begin that same process.

To me, that’s what makes legacy real. It isn’t just about leaving a business behind someday. It’s about building something meaningful enough that the next generation wants to show up, work hard and find their own place in it.

The Doffo Winery Vision

Our business has always been about family, farming and community. We grow our grapes, farm our vineyards, make our wine and share it with people right here in Temecula Valley. That connection from the soil all the way to the bottle is incredibly important to me.

“I think of our family business almost like a mechanical timepiece. My job is to keep building it, improving every piece and making sure it can continue running long after it’s passed from my hands to the next generation.”

I want the next generation of our family to have the opportunity to carry this forward if they choose. I want them to inherit more than a business. I want them to inherit vineyards that have been cared for, a reputation built on craftsmanship, and a family name that means something in Temecula Valley.

My dad had the vision to start Doffo Winery. My job is to protect that legacy, build on it and leave the next generation something even stronger.

That’s my passion, and that’s the mission.

— Damian Doffo, CEO, Doffo Winery