Leoness Cellars

By the 1969 Caddy team · Updated November 7, 2026

Leoness Cellars is one of the De Portola Wine Trail’s signature estates: a hillside winery with sweeping vineyard views, wines made only from its own fruit, and a restaurant that has earned national recognition. For many visitors, it is the defining stop on the southern side of the valley.

The story of Leoness Cellars

Leoness’s story begins with farming. Co-founder Gary Winder began farming in Southern California in 1972, founding Stage Ranch Farm Management with a focus on organic citrus and avocados and building a reputation as a talented, high-quality grower. In 1989 he was joined by co-founder Mike Rennie, and together they expanded into vineyards. Encouraged by founding figures of Temecula agriculture, including John Moramarco, they grew to around 60 owned and leased vineyard acres and more than 450 contracted acres, selling grapes to well-known wineries in Central and Northern California.

In 2002, Gary and Mike, joined by Rebaux Steyn, Jessica Steyn, winemaker Tim Kramer and farm manager Billy Bower, formed the idea for Leoness Cellars, centered on a 20-acre Cabernet Sauvignon estate known as Rolling Hills Vineyard. The Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association lists the winery as established in 2003, now under the Steyn family’s ownership, with production of about 15,000 cases a year.

What to taste at Leoness

Leoness’s winemaking uses grapes grown by Leoness exclusively, giving the team complete control over quality. Among its wines are Viognier, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, White Merlot, Muscat Canelli and a Cinsault Port, as well as small lots of other select varietals. Early efforts produced the winery’s renowned Port and its Meritage and Merlot blends, which established Leoness’s signature style.

Prioritize the estate Cabernet Sauvignon and the Bordeaux-style blends, try the Viognier for a taste of Temecula’s aromatic side, and finish with the Port.

The Leoness experience

The Restaurant at Leoness, open Friday through Sunday, was voted Best Winery Restaurant by USA Today two consecutive years, and reservations are encouraged. Lunch on the Members’ Terrace is available daily by reservation. Leoness offers guided tours, live music, wedding and event spaces and a gift shop, and it is dog friendly and family friendly.

Who will love Leoness

Food lovers, serious red-wine drinkers and anyone seeking a view-rich, polished experience will find Leoness a highlight. Book a weekend lunch, arrive by chauffeured 1969 Cadillac along De Portola Road’s curves, and you have the centerpiece of a perfect wine-country day.

The grapes behind Leoness Cellars’s wines

A quick guide to the varieties on Leoness Cellars’s list, and how they tend to show in Temecula:

• 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.
• 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.
• Grenache — a heat-loving Mediterranean grape with bright raspberry fruit and gentle spice, at its best in sunny valleys like Temecula.
• Malbec — best known from Argentina; in Temecula it gives inky color, ripe plum and a velvety texture.
• Merlot — a softer, rounder Bordeaux variety with plum and chocolate notes — an easy, food-friendly red and a key blending partner.
• Red blend — proprietary blends that let winemakers combine varieties into a house style; ask which grapes are in the current release.

Leoness Cellars 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 Leoness Cellars in a 1969 Cadillac

The De Portola Wine Trail is the most scenic driving in Temecula — a winding two-lane road through hillside vineyards, horse properties and oak-studded slopes on the valley’s southern side. It is the stretch our guests most often remember from the back seat of the '69 Cadillac, with long views opening at every curve. Wineries here are spread a little farther apart than on Rancho California Road, which makes a chauffeur especially useful.

Leoness Cellars is at 38311 De Portola Road. 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 Leoness Cellars with two or three nearby wineries in a four- to five-hour booking.

Book the '69 Cadillac on DriveShare

Wineries near Leoness Cellars

Pair your visit with these neighbors on the De Portola Wine Trail:

• Gershon Bachus Vintners — 37750 De Portola Road
• Masia de la Vinya Winery — 40230 De Portola Road
• Frangipani Estate Winery — 39750 De Portola Road
• Fazeli Cellars — 37320 De Portola Road

See all 45 Temecula wineries →

Frequently asked questions