Vogue Travel: This Underrated California Wine Country Will Transport You Straight to Europe
I cheekily open one eye to peer around during shavasana as I lay on my yoga mat between the vines’ full summer foliage at Akash Winery. I’m in Southern California, but the cypress trees and stucco homes suggest an amalgamation of a Tuscan-Provencal hilltop town. I return to darkness for my final deep breaths, grateful for the movement, before another day of wine tasting—which would begin less than five minutes after rolling up my mat and strolling to the tasting room for a breakfast sip of sparkling Sauvignon Blanc.
This isn’t the first unique sparkler I’ve encountered within my first 30 hours of tasting my way through Temecula Wine Country, about an hour north of San Diego and 90 minutes south of Los Angeles. Considered an emerging wine destination within the U.S., Temecula’s viticultural origins date back to 1968 when the first commercial vineyard and inaugural winery were established; it was designated as an official AVA (American Viticultural Area) in 1984. Today, the region of 33,000 planted acres and 47 wineries has earned a spot on the world wine map for its success with Mediterranean varieties that are less typical of its American counterparts—like Italy’s Barbera and Falanghina grapes or Rhône-style Grenache-Syrah blends—and it’s also using its “emerging” title for experimentation with sparkling wines. This is evident as I’m still thinking about last night’s bubbly Gewürztraminer from South Coast Winery when I sip the second effervescent pour during my post-yoga tasting at Akash: a sparkling rosé of Zinfandel.
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Where to Taste Wine
Hovering atop 20 acres off Calle Contento, Akash Winery invites guests in with a sprawling patio overlooking its 180-degree view. Even if you’re not partaking in their regularly planned vineyard yoga, it’s a vista that makes you exhale and brings you into the moment. Their Sauvignon Blanc is a bestseller with a newly released Pinot Gris that’s not far behind. When it comes to darker shades, their Spanish-style Parlez-Vous Rosé is thirst-quenching yet full of character, while Three’s Company is their signature red—a blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Sirah that is as satiating with some chill on it during a summer day as it would be curled up by a crackling fire come winter. The winery’s hospitality-first ethos is clear here, as aside from wellness classes, they host regular events from food trucks to live music and their tasting room also includes flights of their proprietary brews.