Last August I took my mom to Temecula for wine tasting and relaxation for her birthday. My aunt suggested South Coast Winery so we decided to follow her recommendation.
The wine country of Temecula is tucked back in the hills away from the freeway and it is quite lovely. Different topographically from Napa Valley. It's much more open with low rolling hills as opposed to the mountainous green valleys of Napa. Napa feels much more spread out and can be overwhelming for a first timer. Temecula is more compact and easier to navigate as there are only a few wineries.
South Coast Winery is about in the middle, and is quite impressive. It is a resort and spa as well as a winery. The winery is in the front and a hotel sits behind it with luxury villas tucked in the back amongst the vines. We stayed in the Villas and it was wonderful. Each Villas is a stand alone building with private patios, some of the Villas have patios that overlook the vineyards but ours did not. The rooms are suites with eating area and sitting area equipped with a gas fireplace, mini fridge and the basic hotel room amenities. The bathroom is glamorous with marble flooring, a Jacuzzi tub and large shower with multiple shower heads. Luxurious. The beds were super soft and comfortable.
Our first morning we decided to order room service and eat on the lovely patio. The only problem I had with our stay was the room service took a VERY long time to arrive and when it did the food was cold. We sent it back, got a refund and decided to eat at the restaurant. The food was delicious however and sitting on the outside patio of the restaurant was great so it wasn't too bad. Great food in the restaurant, large portions and very tasty.
We planned our wine tasting to go to four wineries nearby and then end up at our own hotels winery that way if we were feeling the wine we could just head back to our room and crash. I bought one bottle of wine at two different wineries that we visited but when we got to South Coast the wine was exceptional and I decided to join the wine club. The vibe of the tasting room was much more fun and laid back. The Sommelier was funny and gave us extra tastings. We felt much more at ease and welcome at South Coast.
Since I liked the wine so much I decided to join the wine club. It was better priced than the other wineries and since the winery had a resort and spa attached to it there were extra benefits to being a wine club member that the other wineries didn't offer; such as discounts on hotel stays, restaurant visits, spa packages, gift shop, free tastings, and member exclusive events. It was more bang for your buck and for good wine. Definitely worth it.
Every quarter there is a new selection of wine ready for pick up or delivery. I had not picked up my November wines and the February wines were ready for pickup so this past Sunday my friend Catherine and I took a trip to South Coast to pickup my wine and do some wine tasting. I got my three bottles for November, 3 bottles for February and my one Holiday bottle so I walked out with 7 bottles of wine! Oh my! My wine fridge is loaded up. Better get drinking to make room for more wine.
If you are ever in the Temecula area I highly recommend South Coast Winery. Wilson Creek winery was also good but South Coast was the best.
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