YOUR WINE TOUR ADVENTURE STARTS HERE
John Kelliher is the Co-founder, alongside his wife Kim Kelliher, of two standout Temecula-based businesses: Grapeline Wine Tours and Stryder Transportation.
Since founding Grapeline in 2002, John has helped grow it into one of the most celebrated wine tour companies in California. Operating in Temecula, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Sonoma, and Napa, Grapeline offers curated wine tasting experiences for more than 25,000 guests every year.
Under John’s strategic leadership, the company has expanded beyond Temecula to become a nationally celebrated wine tourism brand. The company has been honored as Temecula’s Business of the Year three times—a testament to its enduring impact on local tourism.
In 2025, Grapeline was awarded, Temecula’s 2024 Sterling Business of the Year Award by the Temecula Valley Chamber of Commerce, recognizing its sustained excellence and community contribution.
Grapeline was also voted the #1 Wine Tour Company in America by USA Today and named one of Viator’s Top 10 Beverage Tours and Experiences in the U.S. in 2025 for the second consecutive year.
John also co-founded Stryder Transportation, a leading Southern California transportation service with a fleet of over 30 vehicles, from executive SUVs to 40-passenger buses. Whether it’s a wine country shuttle or executive group transfer, Stryder’s reputation for reliability and comfort is the result of John’s keen operational insight and commitment to customer care.
A visionary in destination marketing, John has served on the Visit Temecula Valley Board of Directors for more than 20 years, including two years as Chairman. His influence extends statewide. He has been a State Commissioner on the California Travel and Tourism Commission (publicly known as Visit California) since May 2016, helping guide the strategy of California’s official destination marketing organization, which today operates with an annual budget of $175 million.
John’s leadership goes beyond business. He’s been actively involved in the Murrieta Temecula Group, the Wine Country Entrepreneur Group, the Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival, and the Rotary Club of Temecula. His dedication to the region and hospitality industry has earned him numerous honors, including being named Temecula’s Hospitality Professional of the Year in both 2012 and 2022, and Temecula’s Citizen of the Year in 2014.
John may not grow the grapes, but he’s an expert at crafting wine country experiences worth writing home about. With over two decades of experience and strong relationships with California’s top wineries, John understands what turns a good wine tour into a spectacular one.
From Temecula’s De Portola Wine Trail to the hills of Sonoma, John knows the routes, the varietals, and the vintners. Whether it’s a full-bodied Paso Zinfandel or a crisp Carneros Chardonnay, he’s built his reputation on connecting people to the best wine—and the best time—in California.
John and Kim, married for 34 years, moved to Temecula in 1997, where they raised their three sons and built a business that continues to define excellence in wine tourism.
