Temecula’s Ponte Winery Offers a Superb Overnight Escape

Ponte Family Estate Winery & Ponte Vineyard Inn

35053 Rancho California Rd., Temecula
(951-694-8855) [Pontewinery.com]

Open daily 10 a.m.– 5 p.m.

Wine tastings week days $15
Weekends $20 for six wines and a souvenir glass

The impressive Ponte Family Estate Winery with its award winning outdoor vineyard view restaurant and top 10 ranked Ponte Vineyard Inn is ideally located in the heart of the picturesque Temecula Valley wine country surrounded by 300 acres of mature vineyards.

As one of the original wineries in the valley, it was established in 1984 and opened to the public as a winery in 2003. Today, Ponte Winery has risen to be the pinnacle of excellence by its sheer commitment to excellence.

Yes, it’s become the standard of excellence in the Temecula Valley with its many award winning wines, its national rankings as one of the top 50 best outdoor restaurants in America, and now with the addition of its superb 60-room boutique hotel that’s been ranked nationally as the 10th best winery hotel by American Express nationwide.

So this freeway close winery and weekend getaway is a place you should not miss visiting for a wine tasting, a great meal and as a destination for a weekend or longer vacation. And it’s well known as a perfect place for a wedding or special event.

The Restaurant at Ponte

Ponte Family Estate Winery
35053 Rancho California Rd., Temecula
(951-252-1770) [Pontewinery.com].
Open daily. For lunch and dinner ($15–$34)
Mon.–Thurs. 11 a.m.–4 p.m. | Fri. and Sat. 11 a.m.–8 p.m. | Sun 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

Being rated as as one of top 50 outdoor restaurants in the U.S. says a lot about what a delightful experience it is to dine here. This romantic patio restaurant with its great ambiance, delicious farm to the table local ingredients and romantic vineyard views makes dining here a memorable experience. And most definitely their wine selection is second to none. For a touch of class, they offer enjoyable live music every Friday and Saturday evenings beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Plus, Executive Chef Sal Giuliano and his staff prepare a seasonal menu with one delightful gourmet entrée after another in an inspiring outdoor vineyard view dining setting. With an emphasis on serving sustainable, locally grown ingredients you are in store for a memorable meal. A must taste selection is one of their locally grown salads such as their arugula and burrata salad with rosemary-toasted cashews and roasted pepper vinaigrette. It’s the perfect salad! An especially delightful appetizer is a fire-roasted pizza enjoyed with a class of their award winning wine. Dining here is very special.

Diners will be impressed with their host of memorable seasonal main course selection. Simply delicious is their grilled lamb chops with seasonal vegetables and sticky purple rice. And you won’t be disappointed with Mary’s roasted free-range chicken with fingerling potatoes and blistered grapes.

Many diners fall in love with the ambiance of the restaurant setting and later decide that this vineyard setting is a the perfect place to get married or recommend it for their a friend’s wedding, wedding reception, corporate event or special gathering. And as you might expect, they offer many impressive venues for such events be it their magnificent barrel room or an outdoor wedding in the vineyards. So look no farther than Ponte Family Estate Winery for a memorable meal or the perfect setting to celebrate a special event. Wine and beer. Credit Cards: AE, DISC, MC, VISA.

Banquets, Weddings, Parties and Meetings

35053 Rancho California Rd.
Temecula, CA 92592
Call: (951) 694-9444
Price: Call for pricing
Size: 400/private rooms available
Events: Banquets & Weddings
Type: California Cuisine

Your wedding will be one of the most important days of your life. So you deserve a setting that exceeds your expectations. So very often it’s just by chance that you stumble upon a great venue like what Ponte Winery offers when you come here for a wine tasting adventure or to dine her or even better stay the night at their 60 room boutique vineyard hotel nestled in the wine country. However, you do get here you find such an awesome venue found here to be a welcoming experience. Here you can celebrate your marriage surrounded by 300 acres of vineyards, lush gardens and the tranquil, romantic ambiance that makes Ponte Winery a one-of-a-kind experience. They also offer banquet facilities to hold your events, group dinners and more!

Vineyard Hotel In the Temecula Wine Country

35001 Rancho California Rd., Temecula
(951-587-6688) [pontevineyardinn.com].
Prices are subject to change without notice but generally range from ($230 a night to $649) and if you join their popular wine club the rates are considerable less.

If you are searching for a romantic getaway close to home, this 60-room romantic wine country boutique hotel is the perfect destination, especially if you live in San Diego County.  The classy Ponte Vineyard Inn is located in the heart of the Temecula Wine Country. This new 4-diamond inn in wine country with its romantic vineyard views is a must see attraction with it’s private lake, sweeping vineyard views and stunning, well appointed rooms.

Hard to miss is its eye-catching early California-style architecture of the inn, which sets a new standard of excellence in the wine country. This brand new vineyard view 60-room, two-story hotel in the heart of the wine country is undoubtedly the best place to stay. And is a perfect addition for all of the other amenities offered at the winery including their award-winning restaurant and impressive wine tasting room. And as you might expect, it’s a perfect fit for a wedding, meeting or family gathering.

Most impressive are the great selection of seasonal packages with rates varying with the season with every room offering a private patio or balcony overlooking the vineyards. Amenities include bath robes and slippers, signature bath amenities, fine linens, pillow top mattresses, over sized lass walled shower, private commode, granite counter tops, eco friendly towels, super quiet central HVAC, working desk dresser, 42 inch flat screen HDTV, Free W-Fi high speed Internet, in room coffee and tea, digital lap top sized safe and a mini refrigerator. Rooms range in size from comfortable Eastern King size beds from 360 square feet to their 1,360 square feet grand suite complete with a fireplace, walk-in closet, butler’s pantry, living and dining room, media area and separate guest bathroom and well appointed amenities. But frankly every room is an inviting place to stay. And without a doubt, the vineyard views are breathtaking.

And believe it or not, they even offer dog friendly rooms.

But staying at this romantic boutique hotel goes way overboard to make sure that your hotel wine country adventure is totally unforgettable with one-of-a-kind wine country adventures.

Very appealing is the many special packages offered at the winery to make your excursion a memorable one. One romantic adventure is a 9—minute horse drawn carriage ride for two, which includes a bottle of red or white wine, a Caprese sandwich lunch and tasting tickets to the winery. If you love romance, it is an excursion not to mess. You must book this event 24 hours in advance. And if you are a wine club member you’ll get a special discount.

 
Another perk to staying at their boutique hotel is to have flowers delivered to your room with a bottle of sparking wine and a $50 gift card and tickets for wine tasting at their winery. Plus, six house-made chocolate covered strawberries. You need to book this extra special offering two days in advance.

How about a Girlfriend’s Getaway Package: This package includes a double-queen Deluxe Room, a bottle or red or white wine upon your arrival and wine tasting tickets for each guest. This package starts at ($229).

With so many things to do and see in the wine country be it horseback riding, hot air balloon rides, fishing and boating, it should come as no surprise that it’s a good idea to sign up for a winemaker tour that includes a picnic lunch. This package is available Sunday through Thursday and is based on double occupancy and must be booked 2 days in advance and includes a bottle of Ponte wine selected by Ponte’s winemaker. This special package is hosted by The Grape Line Wine Country Shuttle with pick-up at the hotel at 10:50 a.m. and should be booked two days in advance (951-587-6688).

With a Top-Ten Vineyard Hotel in the top 10 ranking by American Express’s Departure Magazine, you know it has to be good. Credit Cards: AE, MC, VISA.

Gift Shop

Part of the fun of the fun of visiting a classy winery like Ponte are the ton of great gift items you can purchase from their 3,500 square feet “must have” gifts and accessories. Yes you’ll get a souvenir glass when you sample the wines. But you’ll need at least six and more likely a dozen for entertaining at home when you share with guests your award winning wine purchased here.

The Wine Club Membership Benefits

When you’re a wine club member the benefits start stacking up. For starters you’ll get a 20% discount of shopping items. That’s just the beginning you’ll get discounts on hotel accommodations, wine purchases and even discounts for dining in the restaurant.

And as Wine Club Member they’ll ship you two bottles per shipment 8 times a year. So you’ll be able to stay on the cutting edge of great wines. Of course you must be 21 years of age to become a member.
And your credit card will be charged ($48–$80) depending on the club membership you choose, plus tax and shipping. Or even better you can come pickup up your wine in person and stay for lunch or dinner and spend the night for a discounted rate.

So plan on joining the club and start saving with 20% off wine shipments, 20% off in store and online purchases, 20% off hotel room rates, 10% off at the restaurant and priority seating and 20% bottles of wine and 10% off at the the Bouquet Restaurant at the hotel Cellar Lounge, 10% off ticketed events like the annual grape stomp, complimentary wine tastings for you and a guest at the wine tasting room (that’s a $16–$20 savings per person) and exclusive event invitations and wine tasting in the members only Reserve Room. So plan to become a member and save, save, save.

Photos Courtesy of Ponte Winery.

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