Colors of Provence Rhone River Cruise, November 19 - 26, 2026, with Roland & Lucinda Morel of Morel Vin

Morel Vin – Temecula, CA

As a young boy in Hungary, young Roland Morel grew up helping his winemaking family in Hungary during harvest season. While child labor wasn’t exactly wine making, the seeds were planted. Roland brought Lucinda to Hungary during their dating years to do the same, helping with picking, crushing, pressing, and enjoying the Morel family vineyard and the wines it produced.

Winemaking for us actually started in Palos Verdes, near where the day jobs were, in aerospace. However the climate proved to be difficult for vine growing. In 2020, we embarked on a new adventure in Temecula Wine Country. Our three boys were still young (age 12, 10 and 7) and their childhood was flying by. We wanted to capture this chapter of our family’s history in a unique and beneficial way. A vineyard was the perfect solution. We found a site in Temecula CA with great terroir. Morel Vin was founded, and 800 vines were planted, bringing the estate total to over 2500.Our sons quickly became involved.

The property in Temecula came with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Grenache vines already planted. To bring a more European flair to the property everything we planted was white: Chenin Blanc, Roussanne and Viognier. Since then we have also made award winning rosé out of the Grenache, and a Pet-Nat sparkling wine as well. Branching out further, we have sourced two Italian red varieties Montepulciano and Primitivo, and have a naturally fermented port in development. Our small-scale production allows for experimentation, and so far very happy customers!

At Morel Vin, our vines are part of our family. We nurture and care for them, watching them mature and change, just like our boys. Our wines hold family memories forever recorded in each special vintage. It is our hope that our cherished memories become yours.

You’re invited! Join us on this special voyage up the Rhone River, from Mediterranean Provence north to the lush hillside vineyards of the Rhone Valley into Lyon. We’ll explore the wine, cuisine, villages and cities of southeastern France. There is an optional and very worthwhile 3-night pre-cruise tour of Aix-en-Provence, a haven for artists and writers for three centuries.

Join us!
Roland & Lucinda Morel
Owners & Winemakers