BOTTAIA Winery

After farming the historic Brookside ranch in Temecula since 1985, and replanting the most suitable blocks to Italian varieties, the Ponte family developed a vision to build a winery to produce these unique wines, and introduce them to a discerning clientele. The Pontes have operated their namesake winery in Temecula for 15 years and researched the best Italian varieties for our soils and enology techniques for these wines. Then, armed with the knowledge, the grapes and well-aged wines, as well as 15 years of operating experience, they built a very special and different winery: BOTTAIA. The word "BOTTAIA" means cask-aging room in Italian. We chose this name as it matches our winemaking philosophy. Planning, designing, and obtaining the government permits took three years. Construction took from October of 2016 to August of 2018, an unusually long time. The quality of construction and attention to every detail required every day of those sixteen months. The project's concept was inspired by the amazing country houses of the Veneto designed by Andrea Palladio in the 16th century. Although the buildings of BOTTAIA are best described as modern barns, they strictly follow traditional Palladian architectural principles. These principles dictate that the main building be elevated, centered, and have a prominent entrance - temple-like. The two ancillary buildings, fermentation and storage, flank the noble house. In back, the vineyards extend to the horizon, with the pool and lounging areas nearby. Video by Garrett Ackerman, So Cal Creation