There are nine wineries growing or producing from local grapes in Escondido not including the Highland Valley area. Some of these wineries sit inside the San Pasqual Valley American Viticultural Area (AVA). This AVA was the fourth established in California in 1981, encompassing almost 5,000 acres. The San Dieguito River runs through the center of this AVA and its western boundary is the I-15 and it ends on the east side past Cranes Peak reaching an elevation of 500 feet.

The soil in the area is primarily decomposed granite which is fast draining and creates smaller grapes with more concentrated flavor and color. The region is semi-arid with cool and ocean evening breezes which allow the grapes to cool at night. Temperatures rarely top 95 degrees F preserving natural acidity. A wide variety of varietals have been planted here including Albariño, Carmenere, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Clairette Blanche, Cunoise, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Noir, Malbec, Malvasia Bianca, Marsanne, Merlot, Mourvedre, Petite Manseng, Picpoul Blanc, Roussanne, Sagratino, Sangiovese, Syrah, Tempranillo, Terret Noir, Torrontes, Trebbiano Toscano, Viognier, and Zinfandel.

Each winery enjoys a unique micro-climate and can to experiment with diverse varietals and blends sometimes with grapes from other local growers.