San Antonio Winery
From LoveToKnow Wine
No Need to Remember the Alamo
Contrary to where the name suggests this winery might be, this San Antonio is not in Texas and Davy Crockett never set foot inside. John Wayne maybe, but not the coonskin-capped Davy. No, San Antonio Winery is actually located in the Golden State of California in that beating heart of the state's wine country, Los Angeles.
Los Angeles? Well, nowadays it's not really a part of California's wine country, but it used to be when many immigrants from France and Italy arrived in this country in the 19th and 20th centuries. The winery was established in 1917 by an Italian immigrant, Santo Cambianica, who settled into Los Angeles' Italian-American community.
Built near the Los Angeles River, San Antonio is now the last of over a hundred wineries that operated in this area. Some wineries closed because of Prohibition and some just disappeared due to the encroachment of L.A.'s residential and industrial sprawl over the last century. San Antonio Winery is named after Cambianica's patron saint, St. Anthony, and his winery survived Prohibition by making sacramental wines for the Catholic Church. Coincidence? Perhaps but it doesn't hurt to have a patron saint in one's corner.
A Family Tradition Continues at San Antonio Winery
The winery is still a family operation. There are now four generations that have followed Santo Cambianica, and the current descendant running the show is his nephew, Stefano Riboli, along with his wife, Maddalena, and the rest of the Riboli family. The vineyards are gone now but San Antonio still operates, producing wine at their original spot on Lamar Street near downtown just off of I-5.
Because of the winery's historic significance to the early history of the city, Los Angeles has designated San Antonio Winery as a Cultural Historical Landmark to protect it from the eye of any developer. The winery is open daily for tours and wine tastings. On site is also their Maddalena restaurant named after the family's matriarch, and they operate a fine wine shop that sells both their own wine and other domestic and imported wines. There is also an additional tasting room in Ontario, California.
Vineyards
As previously stated, there are no vineyards at San Antonio or in the neighborhood. The winery does have 500 acres of vineyards in Monterey, 16 acres at Rutherford in Napa Valley, and they source grapes from partners in Alexander Valley in Sonoma and from the Central Coast's Santa Maria Valley and Paso Robles. And while white wines are made at San Antonio Winery in L.A., the Riboli family makes their red wines at a facility in Paso Robles.
Wine Brands
The Ribolis market their wine under several different brand names ,with each brand reflecting a different style or quality of their handcrafted wine. The following is brief overview of the Riboli wines.
- Riboli Family Vineyard
These are premium Cabernet Sauvignon wines from their Rutherford vineyards. The Rutherford AVA is one of the best for Cabs, and the Ribolis age their full-bodied Cabernet in new French Oak barrels.
- Santo Stefano
This brand is named using the first name of Santo Cambianica and Stefano Riboli. Santo Stefanos represent smooth, velvety Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma County's Alexander Valley. Karen Culler is the winemaker for both Riboli and Santo Stefano wines.
- Aliento del Sol
These are Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines from the Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County with its cool and hot maritime climate. Anthony Riboli and Arnaud Debons are the winemakers.
- Maddalena Vineyards
This line includes several varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Gris. These premium-quality table wines are from the Paso Robles and Monterey areas of the Central Coast.
- San Simeon
San Simeon is that small coastal town north of San Luis Obispo where W.R. Hearst built his castle. This line includes the higher-quality reserve wines from Maddalena Vineyards.
- La Quinta
These are Marsala, Port, and Almondoro dessert wines made from California Central Valley grapes.
- Kinderwood
Basic red and white varietals blends from around California aged in stainless steel only.
- San Antonio
Yes, there is a San Antonio brand. This includes Marsala, Sherry, and Port dessert wines that are probably better suited for cooking than on their own. This line also represents value-oriented wines from California and Italy.
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