Bottaia Winery Overview
Who loves visiting Napa?
Me!
Who lives too far from Napa to go more than once a year?
ME!
I am very fortunate to live near some excellent wine tasting regions in Southern California, but sometimes you just crave the elegance that Napa has to offer.
Enter: BOTTAIA Winery. Recently opened in Temecula Valley wine country, the winery owned by popular Ponte Vineyards just down the road, screams elegance while offering Italian varietals in the heart of SoCal.
BOTTAIA literally means “large cask aging room” which is the common way to age wines in Italy.
If you are looking for an elevated experience, check out some of the features BOTTAIA Winery has to offer…
The Wine
All of the wines are grown on the estate at BOTTAIA Winery. They specialize in single varietal and blends of Italian grapes.
Wines are aged in large oak or concrete casks for two years and an additional two years of bottle aging for reserve wines.
The vineyards are composed of shallow, but well drained decomposed granite and produce about four tons/acre of grapes.
My picks:
2016 Arneis
2014 Nero D’Avola
Atmosphere
The main building of BOTTAIA Winery was built above ground level so that when you are looking out of their large bay window or sitting on the deck you get a wide, expansive view of the vineyards.
The primary building and patio will be exclusively for wine members, but there will be two options for those who want to taste that are not a member:
For $25 you can taste in the barrel room and even have the chance to actually taste out of the barrel which is something very unique to the region!
For $50 (or $55 on weekends) you can do a seated tasting of 5 wines and a choice of 3 different boards. We chose the classic charcuterie board and oh, my, it was delicious!! Plenty to fill you up for lunch if you want to save a little money and combine!
We also had a chance to walk into their Botttaia where all the large barrels are fermenting and it is in here that they house one of the coolest features I’ve seen at any winery I’ve visited…
For $80-$100 you can take a class to learn how to create your own red blend! A full bottle is included in the price of the class and I can’t WAIT to go back soon and try it out for myself.
Coming Spring of 2019, you will also be able to hang out at BOTTAIA’s pool by renting a day pass! Children will also be allowed in this part of the winery if you plan to bring little ones along!
Great For:
- Couples
- Unique Winery Experiences
- Excellent Views
Visit
I love that BOTTAIA Winery is creating a high class feel for their customers, but I do worry that the fact that they strongly discourage walk ins will be a struggle for the valley since walk-ins are the norm.
That being said, make sure you call ahead to check out this awesome new winery in Temecula!!
35601 RANCHO CALIFORNIA ROAD, TEMECULA, CA 92591 | (951) 365-3388 | open Wed-Sun from 11am to 5pm
Tasting Fee: $25 – 6 tastings & 1 barrel tasting OR $50-$55 for a seated tasting with a charcuterie board.
Reservations HIGHLY encouraged. Walk ins are subject to availability.
