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How to Spend a Weekend Wine Tasting in Temecula, California (with map)
Here's how to spend the weekend in Temecula, California, and our wine tasting itinerary - Where to go in Temecula | Best places and vineyards to taste at in Temecula | Where to stay in Temecula | Best wine in Temecula, CA #wine #temecula
Temecula Wine Tasting is the best!
Best wineries and where to go in Temecula, California - with map!
My sister and I had a wedding to attend in Temecula and decided to make the most of it. Since it is only a few hours away from Los Angeles, we decided to drive up on a Saturday morning and come back on Sunday. We went to 4 wineries across the 2 days and here's how it went down..
My sweet sister kindly picked up some Starbucks and swooped me up along the way, leaving LA with enough time to drive to Temecula (approx 2 hours without traffic) to make it to our wine tour!
Here is a Temecula winery map made with the Wanderlog Travel Planner, so you can follow along, add to your Google maps account, or create your own personal map! Wanderlog allows you to create great maps and guides for any vacation!
ENTRANCE TO OLD TOWN TEMECULA
A little after 9a, we arrived at our hotel, the Extended Stay America (see review below), checked-in and called for our Uber to take us to the Stampede where we were to meet our tour, Grapeline Wine Tours Temecula, and get our taste on.
Temecula Antique Shop
We entered through the Old Town, which the downtown area, that looked like an old miners town with wood-planked sidewalks and old tanks of all sorts, with antique shops galore! Super charming!
Grapeline Wine Tours - Best Wine Tour in Temecula!
OUR WINE TOUR ITINERARY FOR THE DAY.
We booked a half-day wine tour for $95 which included tasting flights at 3 wineries, vineyard tour, cheese pairing, and a driver for the day. We reserved our spots about a month prior and emailed them directly, requesting the vineyards we were interested in.
The tour picked around 10a and was scheduled to drop us off at 2p just in time to get ready for the wedding we were attending at 5p. We were greeted by Robert, our guide, and he told us that we would be visiting all the wineries we requested and we had a great selection. He handed us a detailed itinerary and a discount card that basically gave 10-20% off all bottle purchases! He also told us the cheesiest, most amazing jokes to keep us entertained.
South Coast Winery
STROLLING THROUGH SOUTH COAST WINERY, TEMECULA
We traveled about 10 minutes to our first stop, South Coast Winery.
The grounds were so beautiful, full of flowers and Instagrammable photo ops. The inside was different with animals everywhere. We went in for our tasting and we were the first and only ones there, but it was also 10:30am. Pamela helped us out, and she was very generous with her pours. She even volunteered to take a picture of us... and we got a selfie of her as well! Didn't even know she was taking it!
The most notable wines we enjoyed were:
Extra Dry Sparkling - Yummy Champagne taste
Boulder Red 2.0 - Closest to a petite Sirah
Wild Horse Peak Temporale - Earthy with a pepper taste
South Coast Wine Tasting Room
Robert kept us on schedule (even though we wandered off to take pictures) and got us back on the bus to take us to our next stop, Falkner Winery.
Falkner Winery
Gorgeous Temecula Views from Falkner
Falkner had beautiful views from the top of the hill of Temecula Valley. We really wanted to come here because of the name to say things like Falk you and Falk off. Robert said no one had ever made those jokes before. We didn't believe him!
We went down into the cellar where we had the wine tasting along with a cheese and fruit pairing. Our fave was the Amante Super Tuscan which was similar to Sangiovese. I wasn't sure if I liked the Risque Riesling, or if I just liked the bottle and name... either way it wasn't bad!
We were kinda disappointed we were in this dark room and the day was so beautiful. I was just excited that they let us keep the glass! FREE SOUVENIRS!
Falkner Winery Free Glasses
Europa Village Winery
THIS WAY TO EUROPA VILLAGE WINERY!
Our last stop was Europa Village Winery which was under construction but you couldn't really tell at first glance (especially after 2 other tastings).
EUROPA VILLAGE WINERY - OUTSIDE TASTING BAR AND SEATING
EUROPA VILLAGE WINE TASTING PASSPORT AND COUPON
We were handed a tasting passport that they would stamp after each tasting (sometimes they forgot) and had a large selection of wines. Our favorite Europa wine was the Vendetta, which was a fruity yet rich red. We decided to buy a couple bottles and upon purchasing, we decided to become a member!
We were dropped back off at the Stampede in the old town area and picked up a pizza to eat at our hotel to get ready and go to our friend's wedding. We proceeded to eat our Shakey's pepperoni pizza and popped a bottle of Vendetta.
Old Town Temecula Restaurants
The next day we got ready (slowly) and sought out a good brunch spot. Our options seemed limited via Yelp so we decided we would drive through Old Town until we found a place we liked. 1909 was the happening spot, we put our name down for a 40-minute wait while we looked around for another restaurant before we ate each other out of starvation. Luckily it didn't come to that and right next door was Public House, which had a shaded patio and no wait! I had the eggs benedict with bacon (pork belly) and a coffee since we weren't ready for mimosas yet.
Briar Rose Winery
Briar Rose Winery House - Straight out of a Disney movie
Before heading back to LA, there was one more spot we HAD to check out, Briar Rose Winery. It was like a Disneyland vineyard, with a cottage and princess statues.
The gardens were filled with statues that were very Disney like. We were convinced that Snow White or Cinderella were going to come out and break into song at any moment! It didn’t happen, probably for the best!
We didn't make a reservation so our only option was to buy a bottle or glass of wine to walk around. I got a glass of the White Zin which I hadn't seen white zin at any other vineyard (or ever) - it was refreshing and pink!
Briar Rose Wine Tasting Room
Finally, it was time to head home to beat traffic. I took one last look at the rolling hills covered in grapevines. BUT, before we left, we needed ice cream! So we stopped at Creamistry for some Liquid Nitrogen ice cream and then got on the freeway.
VINES AND KATE SPADE ICE CREAM UMBRELLAS
Where we stayed: Extended Stay America - Temecula Hotels - Wine Country
27622 Jefferson Avenue, Temecula, CA 92590
I would never stay here again. We booked through Expedia which apparently means you are automatically signed up for a smoking room. The lady at the front desk said it doesn't smell THAT bad. She at least let us check it out before we took it. The hallway smelled terrible but the room wasn't too bad. It had new hardwood floors and was relatively clean. The view was of the parking lot and the freeway, which you could hear the cars rushing down the 15. The clientele was interesting as people hung out and smoked blunts in the parking lot. We were worried our car wasn't going to be there the next day. Luckily, we spent just one night and had enough wine to make it bearable. I’d recommend staying at an Airbnb or some of the vineyards have fancy rooms available!
If you have ever been to Temecula, let us know about your favorite places! We'll be back soon - I have to pick up wine at Europa Village for my wine club! A hot air balloon ride over Temecula is on my list, which my friend highly recommended! Please note this is not a sponsored post and based on my own personal experience, all thoughts are my own.
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Wine Tasting in Temecula
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Hobbiton really exists and I want to live there! See the movie set in New Zealand!
Hobbiton really exists and I want to live there! See why you must visit this movie set in New Zealand! Take the Hobbiton Village Tour from Auckland, NZ. Travel tips and Things to do in New Zealand #hobbiton #newzealand
Hobbiton really exists and I want to live there! See why you must visit this movie set in New Zealand!
We work in television, so being on set is something we're used to, but the Lord of the Rings HOBBITON movie set was awesome! I read the first Lord of the Rings books in high school and have seen a couple of the movies but I wouldn't call myself an expert or super fan by any means. This place was so picturesque and perfect, I enjoyed it way more than I thought I was going to!
Hobbiton, New Zealand
How to Get to Hobbiton from Auckland
We were staying in Auckland and booked our tour through Viator.
Click here for the Small-Group Tour: The Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour from Auckland
It's around $220 USD but includes:
Transportation to and from Hobbiton
Tour of the Shire
Lunch at the Dragon Inn
A cider, ale or ginger beer inside the Green Dragon Inn
$10 Voucher for the Giftshop
It's an 8-hour tour which starts bright and early with a pickup from your hotel around 7am. We stopped at a coffee shop along the way for a little snack and stretch since it was a 2.5 hour bus ride. Sounds like a long ride, but the sites along the way were picturesque and gorgeous. The ride also allowed us to catch up on a little sleep!
Welcome to Hobbiton
Arriving at Hobbiton
When searching New Zealand for the perfect location, Jackson sought out for a tall tree near a lake that could live up to the "Party Tree" as described in the books. The perfect location for the Shire was finally found in Matamata on a working sheep farm in the heart of Waikato.
Hobbiton Map - Movie Set Tour
Sheep Farm - Hobbiton
Apparently the location scout for the movie landed his helicopter and went up to the Alexander house to inquire about using the land in an upcoming movie. Mr. Alexander's reaction was the best, he told the scout that the rugby was on, and he should come back later. He did.
To get to bag end, you must drive through the 1250 acre sheep farm owned by the Alexander family to make it up to the world’s biggest outdoor movie set.
Fun fact: with over 13,500 sheep on the farm, not one of them was shown in the film. Director, writer and producer, Peter Jackson, preferred the look of Suffolk sheep with dark faces and legs, which were brought in for filming.
Read more about Small-Group Tour: The Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour from Auckland - Auckland | Viator at: Small Group Hobbiton Movie Set Tour
The Shire was built twice since it was torn down after the Lord of the Rings trilogy wrapped, then rebuilt for the Hobbit movies. The set covers 12 acres, featuring 44 hobbit holes.
Hobbit Holes!
Hobbit Holes
We started venturing into the Shire, seeing all the hobbit holes including Bilbo Baggins’s house. Between 30 and 200 plants surround each hobbit hole, employing seven to eight gardeners to maintain the beautiful agricultural grounds.
Bilbo Baggins Hobbit Hole
The holes are based on different sizes to feed to the illusion of their actual size. The holes used by actors playing hobbits were built at a 90 percent scale, while the holes used by Gandalf were built at a 60 percent scale to make him look much larger.
Most of the scenes filmed inside the holes were on a set, leaving the Hobbit holes as facades but there are some you can walk into. The inside is only about 5 feet, but still, fun to walk in!
Visiting Hobbit Holes at 60% scale
Hobbit holes ay 90% scale and a 5 foot inside
Click here for the Small-Group Tour: The Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour from Auckland
This hobbit hole was my favorite! Just look at how pretty it is! We spent a lot of time here!
My favorite hobbit hole with pretty flowers!
Hobbiton was allowed to stay in New Zealand as long as they kept the grounds just as it looked in the movie.
Hobbiton Party Tree
The Party Tree
The "Party Tree" can be found on the top of the hill of Hobbiton above Bilbo's house. This 70-80 meter tall oak tree's color is greener than most because it is made of fiberglass and hand painted silk leaves that were individually wired on to each branch.
The Pond at Hobbiton
The Pond
While shooting the movies, the frogs in the pond were too noisy affecting dialogue among the characters and causing an inability to hear each other. Peter Jackson actually paid someone to move ALL of the frogs relocating them to a different pond on the sheep farm. They were put back after production wrapped.
The Green Dragon
The Green Dragon
The Green Dragon was a later edition to the farm in 2012. Southfarthing beverages can be found exclusively at the Green Dragon Inn: an apple cider, non-alcoholic ginger beer and two ales, all brewed at the Good George Brewery in Hamilton. They are served at the bar in the Green Dragon Inn. Our tour came with one, but we bought another round.
Totally worth checking out! Click here for the Small-Group Tour: The Lord of the Rings Hobbiton Movie Set Tour from Auckland
Please note this is not a sponsored post and based on my own personal experience, all thoughts are my own.
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Behind the Scenes at Disney: Inside a Private Walt Disney Office
Come tour Walt Disney’s office set up just as he had it when he worked on the Walt Disney Studios lot from 1940-1966. Read all about the fun stories, famous Walt Disney quotes, and experience where magic once happened.
Updated January 24, 2026
Team Disney Building with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Insider Tour of Walt Disney's Restored Office Suite at Walt Disney Studios - Los Angeles, CA
Most Disney fans will never step foot inside this space — and I didn’t even know it existed until I was there.
Tucked away from the parks and crowds is a private Walt Disney office in Burbank, California. It’s filled with history, creativity, and details that feel frozen in time. This is a rare behind-the-scenes Disney experience few people ever get to see — and one I’ll never forget.
As a kid, my Mom would take us to the Disney lot to see Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs (that were 19 feet tall) hold up the now Team Disney building. Years later, who knew I’d be working for the company?! As an employee, I was selected in a lottery to tour Walt Disney’s office suite. Unlike other lots like Warner Bros, Universal, or Paramount, Walt Disney Studios doesn’t offer lot tours often, only D23 Members receive offers now and again. Well friends, I’ll give you the tour for free!
Who Will Love This Experience
Disney history fans
Creative professionals & designers
Disney adults who love behind-the-scenes stories
Anyone obsessed with rare, invite-only experiences
Hyperion Bungalow
What It’s Like to Experience a Private Disney Space
I thought I’d give you a tour of Walt Disney’s office set up just as he had it when he worked on the Disney Studios lot from 1940-1966. Disney’s first office was over at Hyperion Studios in Silverlake. The original home of the Disney Publicity and Comic Strip Departments was moved from Hyperion Studios to the Burbank lot and is now known as Hyperion Bungalow.
Walt’s office was in the top left corner - Suite 3H
Unique Disney History
After the success of Snow White, Disney was able to purchase the land in Burbank to build a new campus. Disney moved into Suite 3H in the Animation building until his death in 1966. There were a few occupants in the office including Roy Disney, and even television producer, Marc Cherry. The office was restored in 2016 and now looks just as if Disney had walked away for the day thanks to Disney Legend and archivist, David Smith, who carefully catalogued and documented every inch of the suite after Walt had passed.
Walt Disney’s Office Desk
What It Felt Like to Step Inside a Private Disney Space
Trophy Cabinet and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs Oscar
When you enter the lobby and secretary area of Suite 3H, there is a trophy case including a replica of the Oscar for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This special Oscar was presented by Shirley Temple to Walt Disney and was a special statue made with the 7 little Oscars behind the main one! Walt Disney won 32 Academy Awards between 1931 and 1968, and still holds the record for most individual Academy Awards won (per Google). This replica was used in Saving Mr. Banks, the real Oscar is up on display at The Walt Disney Family Museum near San Francisco.
Walt Disney’s Secretary Desk
Walt had two secretaries to maintain his busy schedule!
Hidden Disney History Inside the Formal Office of Walt Disney
Walt Disney’s Formal Office Desk
Walt’s suite essentially had 2 offices, a formal office, and a working office (pics to come). This desk is part of his formal office which initially was his only office in 1940.
Here are 5 fun facts about his formal desk area:
MINIATURES - Walt loved to collect miniatures and had a collection from his travels as well as gifts from family and friends.
NORMAN ROCKWELL - Pictures of his daughters, Sharon and Diane, hang on the wall to complete his corner. Oh, and the pencil drawings were originals, drawn by Norman Rockwell. Most Dad’s have that in their office, right? Walt had his daughter’s shoes bronzed and made them into bookends.
GIANT BELL - The giant bell on his desk was presented to Walt by the United States Coast Guard, in recognition of a film Walt produced showing how icebreakers make their way through heavy Arctic icepacks. One day in the office, Walt’s secretary rang the bell to get his attention to remind him about lunchtime. He loved it so much, he asked her to do it every day at 12:30, so he would remember that it was time to go to lunch.
FURNITURE - Most of the furniture in the office was designed in a Streamline Moderne style by industrial designer and architect, Kem Weber. Disney loved the style so much, he made Weber the supervising designer of the original animation building, along with several of the original studio lot buildings.
CURTAINS - Those are the original curtains and blinds in the windows! What stories they could tell.
Walt Disney’s Piano
Many songwriters auditioned songs and score for features on this piano. Famous singers would also audition for Walt, accompanied by this piano. Disney songwriter Richard Sherman frequently played Walt’s favorite song from Mary Poppins (1964), “Feed the Birds,” on this 1914 Knabe grand piano. The piano was customized just for Walt by Kem Weber in 1940 to match the other Weber designed furniture.
The books on the shelves behind the piano were meticulously returned as Walt had them. Disney archive historians looked through many photographs to replicate the shelves as Walt once had them.
Guest seating and treasured trinkets
The birds in the cage were found on one of Disney’s travels and inspiration for audio-animatronics in Pirates of the Caribbean and the Haunted House. Do they remind you of the Enchanted Tiki Room? There’s a reason for that. ;-) There is also a Lady plush in the cubby under the table.
Panoramic View of Walt’s Formal Office
Inside Walt Disney’s Working Office: A Space Frozen in Time
Walt Disney’s Working Office Desk
Here are 5 Fun Facts about Walt’s working desk:
SCRIPTS - On the right side, it looks ordinary stacks of paperwork. Those are actually original scripts that Walt read and would take home in his briefcase that you can see on the right behind his desk.
BAMBI - Up in the corner, below what looks like a figurine of a head, there is a little Bambi miniature figurine that Walt Disney made himself!
PLANES - There is a model of a Grumman Gulfstream which was the type of plane Walt would fly over Central Florida in to view the property that would become the Walt Disney World Resort!
SPACE - The desk here was lower and larger than the formal office as it was often used to layout large blueprints.
BROTHERLY LOVE - The window on the right looked across to Roy O. Disney’s office. He wanted to keep a close eye on his brother.
Aerial View of Disneyland
Walt had an aerial view of Disneyland in his office. The red markers represented completed projects and yellow markers were in progress. The in-progress markers included a New Tomorrowland and It’s a Small World!
There was even a full kitchenette! Meals were made here using famous products like V-8 and Spam. There are also engraved personalized glasses with WED - Walter Elias Disney.
Walt Disney’s Working Office
Original Disney Animators Desks
Disney Animator Desk
Here is another Kem Weber furniture design specific for animators so they would be comfortable while working long hours.
Disney Animator Desk Drawer
Walt Disney and the Olympic Games
There was even an Olympic torch in the office! Why? For the 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Olympics, Walt Disney served as the Chairman of the Pageantry Committee.
Here are fun facts from WaltDisney.org:
As Chairman, Walt’s duties included staging the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, scheduling nightly entertainment for the athletes, providing decorations to enliven the valley, and taking care of a number of logistical details including parking concerns, security, and ticketing systems. He enlisted the help of a number of seasoned employees of WED, design and development of Disneyland, (and forerunner to Walt Disney Imagineering).
Veteran Disney artist John Hench designed the 1960 Winter Olympic torch. Though the design was modeled after the torches for the 1948 and 1956 Olympiads, Hench decided on a slightly smaller version that would be easier for torchbearers to carry. The earlier, taller models proved to be difficult to manipulate as they were top-heavy when filled with fuel. Hench also added black tape to the top part of the shaft to enable runners to pass the torch easily and ensure a stable grip.
Walt Disney Studios
And that’s our tour! For more fun Disney history, check out The Imagineering Story on Disney+! If you’re a die-hard Disney fan, you’ve probably already seen it!
5 Great Walt Disney Quotes:
“It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.”
“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”
“Why worry? If you’ve done the best you can, worrying won’t make it any better.”
“That’s the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up. They forget.”
“A man should never neglect his family for business.”
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Read more about our Disney Adventures:
Malibu Wines is a wonderful place to go for an outing with friends in LA. We hiked, saw some animals, savored rosé pops, got some wine to go, had some laughs - it was a perfect way to spend the day outside and socially distant. You may remember my Malibu Wines Safari post or the Malibu Wines Tasting Room in West Hills, but this time we tried a new experience, Malibu Wine Hikes!