I’ve paid several visits to Briar Rose Winery and have enjoyed their wine on many occasions, but it wasn’t until I spent some time with co-owner Dorian Linkogle that I discovered what a fascinating history this unique winery has.In the 1980s, Dorian and her husband Les lived in Orange County.
They were looking for property in a remote area where their son could ride his motorcycle. They got a phone call from their REALTOR telling them she had found the perfect place for them. The owner was ready to sell and they needed to meet her at 8:30 the next morning. The problem was, they were in Seattle with their son for a motorcycle event. They wound up driving all night and went to see the property on Calle Cabrillo that next morning. They found it charming, straight out of Disney’s Snow White. The problem was, they couldn’t get the key to work. They peered in the windows, walked around, loved what they saw and made a full price offer on the spot.Dorian came back and met the caretaker.
She told them they had made an offer on the property, but hadn’t been able to get in to see it. He offered to show them around. He told them the owner, Beldon Fields, worked for Walt Disney and had built Snow White’s cottage on the Temecula property as a labor of love for his wife. He said that whoever purchased the property had to make a commitment to Mr. Fields to leave the property as it was as long as he remained alive.
