When my dear friend asked me to celebrate her 40th Birthday with her I knew that we had to do something very special. This couldn’t just be the usual fancy dinner out at a restaurant or crazy trip to Las Vegas, but instead it needed to be something as incredible as my friend. It had to be a fun road-trip and celebration away from it all.
Just about every Mom I know loves sipping a glass of wine poolside and chatting with her friends, so heading down to Temecula wine country was a no-brainer. Where else could four very hard working Moms truly relax, get pampered and have tons of fun? After doing some serious research, I kept coming back to the same solution, South Coast Winery Resort and Spa! We booked their “Girlfriend’s Getaway” package and eagerly headed down to Temecula on Friday afternoon. When we arrived, we were greeted by the friendly and informative staff. One look at the sprawling meticulously landscaped sanctuary and we knew that we would have everything we needed and more for the entire weekend.
After being checked in, we headed to our own private deluxe queen villa tucked away in a vineyard setting. This villa was impressive, complete with expansive vaulted ceilings, an ornate fireplace, and a large bathroom with a huge double tub and walk in shower. Off the main living area, our French doors opened up directly onto our own private patio, which was surrounded by a world of grape vines. We quickly put on our swimsuits and headed to the pool. The pool/spa area was clean and quiet with more very friendly and attentive staff members. THIS is exactly what we needed to get our girl time started off right! We ordered some snacks and a bottle of wine and spent that afternoon relaxing and soaking in the sun.
We decided on dinner at the resort’s very own Vineyard Rose Restaurant and we were very glad we did. Their Vineyard Rose Salad with Baby Greens, Cucumbers, Farmstead Goat Cheese, Tomatoes, Grapes, Dried Cranberries, Candied Pecans and White Balsamic was scrumptious and their wines are even more delectable. Our server went out of his way to make sure our evening was special. He even showed us some of his wine cork tricks after our meal that gave us some extra laughs and entertainment at the end of the night.
After a very quiet, comfortable night sleep in our villa we headed over to the spa for our “Vino Vinyasa.” We didn’t exactly know what that was... but let me say, ”This is an incredible part of the girlfriend’s getaway package.” This was yoga like no other! Our instructor Erin, who was an absolute ray of sunshine, guided us through our private yoga session that incorporated wine tasting for the next hour and a half. Erin explained how breathing through yoga could help taste the wine. This was truly a one of a kind experience, which is not to be missed. After our Vino Vinyasa we enjoyed a delicious lunch delivered poolside. I had to stop and ask myself, “Could this get any better?”
On Sunday we headed over to the South Coast winery, which is located right on the property, for our reserve wine tasting. South Coast winery produces so many incredible wines. They have been awarded “Best California State Winery of the Year” for three out of the past six years, just to name one of their many accolades. The tasting room is spacious with Tuscan inspired décor, vaulted ceilings and panoramic views of the property and the Temecula countryside. We ended up buying many bottles to share with our friends and family. A few of our favorites were the 2010 GVR, the Wild Horse Peak 2008 Tempranillo, and the 2012 Tempranillo Rose. 
The air is fresh, the weather is perfect, and the canopy of twinkling stars each night are just a few more reasons why Temecula is the perfect getaway destination. I really can't say enough incredible things about South Coast Winery Resort and Spa. I will surely be back for another visit, perhaps next time with my family or to celebrate my 40th Birthday!
SouthCoast Winery Resort & Spa
