BK Cellars Urban Winery & Tasting Lounge

Friend surprised me with a weekend visit here. It’s a nice size tasting room located in Escondido (heading towards ‘Vista/​San Marcos’ Escondido — not North County Fair Escondido). There was plenty of parking that afternoon. I think friend bought a Groupon deal for 5 tastings.
They don’t have their own vineyard but instead purchase their grapes from a source (hence the Urban Winery name I think).
The interior of BK Cellars is actually very cool. It feels contemporary yet rustic (with the wine barrels, sofas, etc). There’s even a grand piano (where there’s complimentary crackers and cheeses!). The tasting bar is spacious enough and there were 8 different red wines for us to sample that day. The patrons at the bar were friendly and all seem to know one another. I think Joe, the owner, said all those guys were in their wine club.
There were two tv’s playing music videos in the background. The sofas were plush and looked comfortable.
The flight pours were enough for us to sample the taste of each wine that day. We were even given a bowl of bar snacks as well! There wasn’t pressure to buy a bottle of wine but we decided to purchase their December special ‘2013 Chapter 7 Cuvée’ for $ 20.
The owner was so nice and hard working that day. He was inviting and I appreciated his non-​pressure attitude towards patrons. I’d come back again to sample more wines.

We have been here a few times. We walked in today and were personally greeted by the owner and winemaker, Joe. Very personable, very knowledgable, and extremely kind. He even ran outside to move his truck so we could have a place to park. We are red drinkers, and their Knights Valley Zin, as well as their award winning Syrah are fantastic. Wineries rarely have both incredible wine and approachable, non-​pretentious service. Usually it’s one of the other, especially in this area. We will continue coming back for the wine, the service, the conversations, the friendship, the ambiance, and the cheese and crackers on the piano.

The variety of wines were awesome. We did the 7 tastings and each were great. Xavier was our host and he was great! I would definitely return!

Anyone that knows me, knows I like my wine! BK certainly didn’t disappoint. I was apprehensive about going initially but I am really glad that I didn’t put up much of a fight.
The layout is clean and neat. There is a bit of an aging and bottling operation going on in the tasting space but the barrels make a clear division between the tasting and working areas. The tasting room is well done in modern furnishings and the restrooms are immaculate. The vibe is very cool and laid back. They even have a projection screen with a little ESPN playing… always a great touch! There is a piano and what looked to be a private tasting room as well. There is parking outside that is easily accessible.
The wine. We did a standard wine tasting and worked through a few of the whites and 2 of the reds. This is where things tend to get fairly opinionated for wine drinkers so I wont try to convince you one way or the other. The Fume Blanc and Chardonnay were both flavorful and refreshing. I would drink them both again. We also tried two of their reds and the Zin is definitely worth a try. Why no names for each bottle… because its a tasting room… they don’t have 35 Zins on the menu… swing by and enjoy a tasting and you will not be disappointed.
The rub… ok so while we did enjoy the wine a great deal, the pricing is very boutique in nature. Support local business and go enjoy a nice glass of wine in a cool laid back environment without having to drive out to Temecula!

Awesome atmosphere and great wine you’re not going to break the bank. They have some games you can take and play if there are 2 or more of you. Javier was our wine server and he knows quite a bit about the wines available. I wish there were more tables and chairs we grabbed a table and used a stool bc there were no chairs available but there was some space to add 2 or 3 more tables. The décor is lovely I enjoyed the chandeliers, they were playing music videos on a projector and flat screen tv. Great place to plan a business or personal event. Definitely coming back on a girls night out.

What an experience! I loved it. I went for «wine tasting» twice to try 10 different wines. I bought my favorite, 2 wines, 2013 Temecula Valley Syrah and 2013 Knights Valley Zinfandel. I will definitely go back, probably with many of my wine loving friends.

Being new to the wine world can be intimidating when baristas are stuck up. That will most definitely not be the case at BK Cellars! I had a Groupon and still received excellent service.
I really wish I got the name of the man who poured our drinks, but he was great. He came up to us every time with the wine instead of us going up to the bar. He also brought out some pub mix which was a perfect addition to the wine. The owner, Joe personally introduced himself and thanked us for coming in!
Our server was extremely well informed on the types of wine and made great suggestions about what we should try next based on what we liked!
The atmosphere was very urban and cute. It was a great date spot. Would recommend to friends and those who are looking to explore the world of wine.

This place is right down the street from my house. The BF and I decided to go after a long day of Christmas shopping. We checked in on Unilocal to get the two for one tasting flight, which was well worth it since it allowed us to taste the ENTIRE menu. The guy behind the counter was nice and poured generously. The vibe is casual and they are dog-​friendly. Will def be back!

This place is a fine addition to the San Diego County wine scene. One more reason or to go to Temecula for wine tasting! The Reds here stood out — the old vine Zinfandel in particular. Piano player in the tasting room Sunday afternoons. Very well done.

Javier is a great guy. Took care of everyone in a timely manner. La mer… I forgot the name but it’s a dessert wine. Last one on the right side bottom menu. .loved it. The experience was great. Place could be more decorated. They have a price room. They are like the middle man. They don’t grow the grapes they buy the wine, sample and sell. I think that’s right. If you’re in the area it’s good to check out but I like more the scenery of grape vines and not in the city. This was in a commercial business area. Didn’t have much sweet wines. I like desert wines. Place was still cool.

I’ve been here about 5 or 6 times and I enjoy their wines every single time. Joe runs a great place. The décor is very detailed and elegant and the ambiance of the place always has a very intimate feel to it. You can tell they put a lot of work into making their tasting room a very nice and welcoming place. They also put in a lot of work into making sure the wines are always good. You can tell they are very passionate about wine making and their staff is very knowledgeable. I enjoy their red wines a bit more since I’m a red wine lover but their Vermentino and Chenin Blanc wines are very good as well. My new favorites are the Paso Robles Zinfandel as well as the Knight’s Valley Zin. You really can’t go wrong with any of their wines.

We purchased a groupon for a wine tasting at BK Cellars a few months back. On our way to San Diego for the weekend we stopped in and enjoyed a very educational tasting with the Winemaker, Joe Ames.
We sampled three whites and two reds, my favorite of which was the Le Mélange Blanc, on personal recommendation from Joe. At the end of our tasting we purchased two bottles as gifts and Joe was kind enough to sign them!

Tucked in an industrial corner. Once you open the door very nice. Atmosphere is quite comfortable. Several seating areas to choose. Went for a charity event and had a great evening with friends. Prices are good, we will be back soon.

Awesome little winery with amazing service! I came with 3 other girlfriends and we spent a good 2 hours there hanging out and enjoying the atmosphere. We bought the groupon for tastings and was only $ 20 for the 4 of us to try 5 wines. I am not a big wino but actually enjoyed their wine and will be going back for sure. Javier helped us out and was very friendly but professional. Loved it here and will be visiting again soon!

Got a groupon for wine tasting for 4 and was not disappointed! Xavier was very personal and eager to give us great suggestions on which wines to taste. He made sure we saved the best for last, Le Mélange Blanc! The environment was beautiful and very welcoming. I am new to wine, and Xavier was gracious and willing to help me/​us figure out what we might like. Will definitely be coming back!

Really random but cool little urban winery in Escondido. I have had some wines from BK at a Unilocal event and have been meaning to make it to the tasting room and finally did recently for a fundraiser event. The winery is super cute. Don’t let the odd location or outside of the building fool you. The inside is very nice, it has a great modern feel, complete with chandeliers. The employees are nice but the wine is a bit spendy. I found most of the wines average but I did like the Chenin Blanc very much.

Ok. These guys are making North County history. Yes not easy to find a wine tasting room that I will visit more than once. And even more rare in North County. So this is the place. Come and enjoy the beautiful décor, crystal chandelier and all! friendly vibe and sweet hosts. The Chenin Blanc is a must. Just waiting for them to make a sparking wine and I will be here all the time! It’s an urban winery for sure. Live piano player on Sunday 2 – 4 pm. They are going to be doing food truck Saturdays. And they have a beautiful private room that seats 8 and you can bring your own food in and they don’t charge! Just reserve it and they let you use it! And it’s very very nice! Seriously a gem!

I have to admit, when I pulled up, I wasn’t expecting to walk out of there with a case of their wine and eager to write a Unilocal review. 5 out of the 6 I tasted, I thought were excellent wines … even my wine snob Dad thought they were very good. Quality is high and prices are good. A great match and I’ll be back.
Thanks for putting on the Kentucky Derby for us!

I came to BK Cellars to fill out my san diego urban winery passport for a tasting. It’s located in an industrial area of Escondido, with plenty of parking.
The tasting lounge is pretty spacious. Besides the bar there were two lounge areas with couches and a private tasting room that’s open when there isn’t an event booked. We were given 5 tastings plus the ability to return to a 6^th.
BK didn’t rate very high for me on the list because out of all 5 wines, I only found maybe one white and one red to really be worth the trip. However, when I went on their website, they seem to have more wines available to try. I can’t completely fault them for this. I believe they are fairly new and may not have the inventory to keep up with a variety of tastings.
But in addition to the wine issue, the service issue also left me wanting a little more. The man helping us, who I believe is the vintner, had a sarcastic attitude that was funny at times, and little offputting at times. When I had asked when they would have one of their wines available, he said «Never. We will never that that exact wine again.» Ok I understand that, but I wasn’t looking for that EXACT wine. It’s true the exact grapes will never be available. We can’t go back in time. However, you can order grapes from the same vineyard and make that wine again. Sure because of the harvest, it might taste exactly the same. But if someone asks you when you’ll have the merlot available again (can’t remember if that’s the exact one we were discussing), that someone may be referring so any merlot, not the merlot with the grapes harvested from 2012.
I may give them another chance. If a friend wants to go, I’ll go and maybe make a different assessment.

In the heart of one of the industrial areas of Escondido… an urban winery like mana falling from heavens! What a wonderful surprise, so modern, if you are a girl you will feel like a mixture of princess Diana with rock star, from that mix of delicate super illuminating chandeliers and the leathers of the streamlined sofas.
Do not miss the Grand Opening of BK Cellars Urban Winery and Tasting Lounge on January 31^st! I had the opportunity to attend the soft opening… one of the various! and just loved the atmosphere so chill, with a non intrusive big screen to hear some music while tasting some merlots with a group of girlfriends. It is the perfect hidden spot where you can escape to have some drinks and forget that it just happens that you work the next door! There is a private room nicely decorated (oh those chandelieurs!). Wines are made in house from grapes coming from Temecula and other close by locations.
$ 10 for 5 tastings and if you buy 2 bottles the tasting is complementary. Remember to bring some jacket if you are always cold, as the temperature is kept low. I asked one of the owners what does BK stands for… curiously for Bankruptcy as he says opening a winery is an act of love (he is a civil engineer by day). For sure many locals are going to work on the act of loving it as well!