So.California wines

[BojoLay]

I live about 1 hour away from Temecula Californa. Some call it "wine country". There are many wineries there. When I go there I get overwhelmed and don't know where to start. Can someone suggest, as a point of refernce, "the winery" to start with. And can you also suggest a red (I like Cab or merlot) from this region in the $10 - $20 range. And, can you suggest a good Chardonay from this region?

How do wines from this region compare to our more famous northern California wineries?

Thanks for your input
BJL