A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry.
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Ecclesiastes 10:19
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The California wine tradition began with the Franciscan Fathers of the early Spanish missions. However, the person considered the founder of the California wine industry was a French winemaker, Jean-Louis Vignes. In 1833, he brought the first European vines from his native Bordeaux to Los Angeles. In current downtown, Vignes planted these vines and built a winery. By the turn of the century, Los Angeles was California's premiere appellation for grape growing and winemaking.
In 1917, Santo Cambianica left his home in the Northern Italian province of Lombardy to settle in the midst of a bustling Italian-American community in Los Angeles. Here, on Lamar Street, he founded the San Antonio Winery. In hope of good fortune in this new country, Santo dedicated the winery to Saint Anthony, his patron saint. In 1920, Prohibition jolted the wine industry. The majority of Los Angeles wineries closed forever, but Santo requested permission from the Catholic Church to make sacramental wines. The church granted his request and San Antonio Winery was able to survive. Over 65 years after the repeal of Prohibition, we continue to produce altar wines for religious services. Today, the LA River is paved and the vineyards have been replaced with heavy industry. San Antonio Winery remains as the only producing winery in Los Angeles. Still in its original location on Lamar Street, the Winery is the last vestige of the rich winemaking tradition of this region. In recognition, the city of Los Angeles designated San Antonio Winery a Cultural Historical Landmark. Since the Winery's founding, four generations have carried on Santo's tradition of handcrafting fine wine. In 1938, Santo's nephew Stefano Riboli refined and expanded his uncle's company with a spirit of innovation and dedication to quality that has become a hallmark of this family business. Today, the family's dedication is evident in every aspect of San Antonio Winery. Stefano and Maddalena, sons Santo and Steven, daughter Catherine, and grandson Anthony honor this tradition with their award-winning Riboli Family of Wines. |