Briar Rose Winery

By the 1969 Caddy team · Updated November 7, 2026

Briar Rose is unlike any other winery in Temecula. Tucked off the main wine trails among rolling hills, it pairs a storybook setting — a life-size replica of the Brothers Grimm’s Snow White’s Cottage — with a seated, personal tasting experience. It was the valley’s first reservation-only winery, and a visit feels more like being welcomed into a private home than visiting a commercial tasting room.

The story of Briar Rose

The property was originally designed by Beldon Fields, who assisted in creating Disneyland in the 1950s — which helps explain the fairy-tale architecture. Les Linkogle purchased it in the 1980s as a gift to his wife, Dorian, and the couple opened Briar Rose Winery in 2006. Les is the winemaker, and production is about 2,400 cases a year, making Briar Rose one of the smallest wineries in this guide.

Les’s approach starts in the vineyard: careful vineyard work and harvesting healthy, ripe grapes. The grapes are hand-picked before crushing, and only the finest go into a bottle of Briar Rose. That hands-on, small-lot philosophy is what you taste in the glass.

What to taste at Briar Rose

The winery describes Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel as its signature reds. Beyond those, the red list includes Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, a Super Tuscan-style blend and Sangiovese. On the white side, Viognier and Gewürztraminer are the stars, with Riesling and a Fumé Blanc also mentioned in the winery’s own description.

That range is unusually aromatic for Temecula — Gewürztraminer and Riesling are rarely poured in the valley — so take the opportunity to try them. Then move to the Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon, the wines Briar Rose is proudest of. Because tastings are seated with a personal wine associate, you can ask questions and set your own pace.

The Briar Rose experience

Every visit is by reservation, with seated table service in an Old World-style tasting room and a dedicated wine associate guiding you through the list. Same-day reservations are often available, and the winery is open Thursday through Monday. Gourmet deli snacks are available to accompany your wines.

The cottage and gardens are made for photographs, and the contrast between a fairy-tale facade and a gleaming red 1969 Cadillac is a memorable one. Because Briar Rose works entirely by reservation, it is an especially easy winery to build into a chauffeured itinerary: we book your table, and your driver delivers you right on time.

Who will love Briar Rose

Couples celebrating an anniversary, small groups who prefer a quiet, guided tasting, and anyone with a soft spot for whimsy will love Briar Rose. It is also a wonderful choice for proposals and milestone birthdays — the setting does half the work. Plan it as a calm centerpiece in a day otherwise spent on busier trails, and allow time to wander the grounds before or after your seating.

Because the tasting is seated and unhurried, Briar Rose also works well for guests who are newer to wine. A personal associate can explain each grape, compare styles and help you find what you like without the noise of a crowded bar — a gentle, memorable introduction to Temecula.

The grapes behind Briar Rose Winery’s wines

A quick guide to the varieties on Briar Rose Winery’s list, and how they tend to show in Temecula:

• Cabernet Sauvignon — the king of Bordeaux grapes; in Temecula’s warm days and cool nights it ripens to dark cherry and cassis with firm, age-worthy tannins.
• Zinfandel — a California classic with jammy berry fruit and spice; Temecula’s warmth brings out its generous side.
• Petit Verdot — usually a small part of Bordeaux blends, it is deeply colored and structured, with violet and dark-fruit aromas when bottled on its own.
• Cabernet Franc — Cabernet Sauvignon’s aromatic parent, lighter on its feet, with red fruit, herbs and a hint of spice; it performs especially well in Temecula.
• Sangiovese — the grape of Chianti — bright cherry, high acidity and an earthy edge that makes it one of the most food-friendly reds in the valley.
• Viognier — an aromatic Rhône white with apricot, peach and floral notes that suits Temecula’s heat remarkably well.

Briar Rose Winery fact sheet

Details from the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association directory. Hours, menus and policies change, so confirm on the winery’s website before visiting.

Arriving at Briar Rose Winery in a 1969 Cadillac

Calle Contento runs north off Rancho California Road, and within a minute the traffic thins and the road narrows into a quieter corridor of family wineries, ranch gates and long views across the valley. It is a lovely road for an open-top cruise: slow enough to enjoy the vines rolling by, close enough to the main trail that you can pair a Calle Contento stop with a lunch on Rancho California Road in the same afternoon.

Briar Rose Winery is at 41720 Calle Cabrillo. We plan the route, confirm any reservation or group policy with the winery, and time the drive so you arrive relaxed — and leave without anyone in your party needing to drive after tasting. Chauffeured hire is $325 per hour with a three-hour minimum; most guests pair Briar Rose Winery with two or three nearby wineries in a four- to five-hour booking.

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Wineries near Briar Rose Winery

Pair your visit with these neighbors on the Calle Contento corridor:

• Bella Vista Winery — 41220 Calle Contento
• Akash Winery — 39730 Calle Contento
• Europa Village Wineries & Resort — 41150 Via Europa
• Falkner Winery — 40620 Calle Contento

See all 45 Temecula wineries →

Frequently asked questions