The South Coast Winery Resort and Spa is a unique property in Temecula wine country.
Founded as a winery with a particular focus on sparkling wines, the property now boasts a spa, villas and other lodging and the Vineyard Rose restaurant plus four different lines of wines. The Vineyard Rose is open for three meals a day, seven days a week. It is designed for lodging guests and visitors alike.
The winery operation produces 65,000 cases annually including about 15,000 cases of various sparkling wines that include 10 different blends and varietals (sparkling Pinot Grigio and sparkling Gewurtztraminer) as well as a range of reds, whites and roses.
Many red grapes come from the 400-acre Wild Horse Peak Mountain Vineyards that are located between 2,200 and 2400 feet. The well-drained granite soils receive cool evening winds and morning mists coupled with warm summer days. The winery’s signature reds are grown in these vineyards.
The Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese are farmed there and are delightful.
The other notable vineyards are located in Rancho Cucamonga at the food of the San Bernardino Mountains. Vines were planted more than 100 years ago and are dry farmed. The Zinfandel fruit is used for the Old Vine Zinfandel.
South Coast has been recognized as winery of the year three times in the last six years and has picked up more than 2,000 medals in competition.
Master winemaker Jon McPherson who shares duties with Javier Flores, grew up in Lubbock, TX where his dad was one of the pioneers of the Texas wine industry. He came to Southern California in 1986 and joined South Coast when it opened in 2003.
You can sample the wines in the tasting room, but a real treat is pairing them in the five-course meal for $135.
The menu at The Vineyard Rose naturally focuses on South Coast wines coupled with locally sourced ingredient. The winery has an organic garden on site and is only 22 miles as the crow flies from the Pacific Ocean so there is plenty of fresh seafood.
We enjoyed a superb filet mignon followed by an artisan cheese plate paired with a sparkling wine. The filet was paired with an Old Vine Zin from Rancho Cucamonga. The South Coast reds were the best we tasted in the Temecula area.
