Home to over 50 wineries and award winning wine, the Temecula Valley Wine Country is a surprising hidden gem in Southern California. With tasting rooms touting award winning California wines, Temecula is ranked as a Wine Enthusiast’s Top Ten Wine Destination, and as a short drive from Los Angeles and San Diego, it’s not surprising to see why. Spanning over 33,000 acres it is the largest viticultural area in Southern California. With so many wineries to choose from, we wanted to delve deeper into one of the most unique wineries, Akash Winery & Vineyard. The modern, contemporary winery hosts a welcoming atmosphere with fun events like yoga and wine, comedy acts and more. Akash Winery & Vineyard started with a family dream and a parcel of 20-acres, more than ten years ago. Together, the Patel family has worked hard to make that dream a reality. We sat down with current owner and namesake, Akash Patel, to learn more about Akash Winery & Vineyard.
My dad loved wine. My mom loved agriculture, and she had a green thumb. They were looking to buy a motel here, in Temecula, because people were saying ‘Temecula is going to grow, it’s going to be huge thing’ so they just kept coming out here. Back then, there were like, five or six wineries out here. They thought, ‘Well, maybe we can do that?’ It was just like that! ‘Maybe we can do this?’
My dad just bought a painting of a vineyard from one of the wineries out here, put it up on our living room wall. He had just finished building a motel in New Mexico, and took a photo, pasted it on there and suddenly, it became our vision board. And we just looked at it every day. My parents have always been people that manifest.
Our focus has always been great wines, great hospitality. We’re family-oriented, and create a very relaxed environment, from the furniture to the décor, we keep it more modern and contemporary. It’s unpretentious and everyone’s welcome – come hang out, grab a glass, talk with our servers, do your own thing, hang out at a table, enjoy the beautiful views all around. That’s what we try to accomplish here.
Our Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc, [described as a burst of fresh guava and melon], our Estate Parlez Vous Rosé, which is a dry style Rosé, made from our Zinfandel that we grow here on the property. And then finally, Three’s Company, which is a red blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel and Petite Syrah. These are all grown on the estate and are our three staple wines that everybody comes out here to try. But we also make 15 different wines and we brew beer, too, now.
I see the two go hand-in-hand together pretty well, for our clients.
The best ones are when we go to harvest. And when we go to bottle harvesting, it just sets off the year right. This is our fruit. Let’s take it in. Let’s see what we have this year for our crop and how we’re going to make this into a great wine. And then bottling for us, it’s the end of a cycle. It could be a wine that we’ve been working on for two to three years. When we finally put it in a bottle and package it, it’s like you get to rest on that wine and it’s done. You know, you’re finally done.
With winemaking and viticulture, everything’s a long process. You don’t have your product in three or four weeks like you do in the beer world. In wine, you’re spending a couple of years, and even after that, you could be laying it down in your bottle for another year or two before you’re serving to your public and getting that feedback.
Those are the monumental moments for us in this industry, just processing the wine. That whole thing is just the most fascinating part about all of this.
Are you ready to try some wines at Akash Winery & Vineyard? Book your stay at Best Western Plus Temecula Wine Country Hotel & Suites, only six miles away. Best Western Plus Temecula Wine Country Hotel & Suites is conveniently located steps away from Old Town Temecula, and minutes away from the plentiful wineries in the area. Whichever adventure you choose, come home and enjoy your stay at Best Western Plus Temecula Wine Country Hotel & Suites.
California is always a good idea. With more than 240 Best Western® Hotels & Resorts in the Golden State, set out to adventure from north to south. Explore the redwoods, sandy beaches and top entertainment when you book with Best Western® Hotels & Resorts California now.