Get to Know Melissa Hoxsey, Briar Rose Winery
My name is Melissa Hoxsey. I am a wife and a mother of three. Prior to working for Briar Rose Winery I was a Registered Nurse for 13 years. Of those 13 years I spent the last 3 years as a Quality and Patient Safety Specialist. In 2022, I decided to leave the medical field altogether to be my children’s full time teacher. 6 months into staying home a friend asked if I’d like to work Saturdays as a server at Briar Rose Winery and I couldn’t say no. I have now worked at Briar Rise Winery for over 3 years and I absolutely love it! It is truly a fairytale dream job!
On my time off I spend time watching by boys in BJJ, my daughter perform as aerialist and my husband sing in punk rock band. As a family we love to hike with our 2 dogs, geocache, play escape rooms and board games . We are adventurous and love traveling and trying new food and beverages.
If you could recommend one must-try experience at your winery, what would it be?
At Briar Rose we have so many amazing events that we have every year including our Halloween party and our Bridgerton tea parties. But I think enjoying a simple wine tasting is the best experience. We do it a little different. At Briar Rose Winery the server comes to you! This makes the tasting more personal and you really get to know our wines and learn about our amazing history!
What do you love most about working in wine country?
I love that I get to meet so many people from all over the world! It’s amazing how Temecula has become a force for tourism and wine and that people come to Temecula from across the world just to experience our wine country!
Describe your ideal wine and food pairing.
My ideal wine pairing is a glass of Briar Rose’s 2017 Zinfandel and a piece of dark chocolate! The wine elevates the chocolate and the chocolate elevates the wine, which in my opinion is the perfect match!
What’s your go-to sip after a long day?
My favorite sip changes everyday!! It all depends on my mood!😁 On a hot day I love to sip on a cold Viognier and on a cold day a nice Cabernet Sauvignon!
Any dream role or experience you’d love to take on in the industry?
I honestly can’t think of a better role than the one I have now! I am the lead server at a family owned boutique winery where I am treated like family. I get to serve the best customers while helping our winery run smoothly. My opinions and ideas matter and I get to do what I love best and interact with people!
