Staycationing At The San Antonio Winery

Downtown’s 90-year-old San Antonio Winery has been celebrating the food and wine of several global regions this summer, holding monthly themed festivals. In July, the San Antonio offered up a “Taste of Italy,” and this past weekend we attended the winery’s “Taste of the Americas.”

The event included tastings of several Mexican, Chilean and Argentine wines, along with Mexican, Cuban, Peruvian, Brazilian, Chilean, Bolivian, Argentine and San Salvadoran bites. Dancers, meanwhile, presented some live entertainment. A few pics:

The tastings included San Antonio Winery’s own Maddalena Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. From Mexico, Guadalupe Valley’s L.A. Cetto wines included Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Nebbiolo. From Chile, Tres Pinos Viognier — which San Antonio Winery has started bottling exclusively for Trader Joe’s — was offered, along with Miguel Torres “Santa Digna” Cabernet Sauvignon. And from Argentina, the event included a Malbec and Tempranillo from Mendoza’s Correntina.

San Antonio Winery is serving up one more food and wine festival event in September: The “Taste of the Mediterranean,” on Sunday, Sept. 21 at 1 p.m. (I won’t be able to make it — that’s the night of the Emmys. But you go suck down some wine for me.)

90 Years of Downtown’s San Antonio Winery

One of our favorite L.A. landmarks, the San Antonio Winery, celebrated its 90th birthday on Sunday with a harvest festival benefitting Childrens Hospital Los Angeles.

We headed over there toward the tailend but were still made to feel at home, checking out the cuisine and tasting several wines. Apparently we missed the dancing and other entertainment.

The Riboli family first opened the winery in 1917 and continue to produce a wide variety under the Maddalena, San Simeon, Aliento del Sol and Riboli Family Vineyard labels (using grapes from estate vineyards in Napa Valley, Paso Robles and Monterey). I particularly liked the 2004 San Simeon Syrah (with grapes from their Monterey vineyard).

Maddalena Restaurant provided the food, including Italian Meatballs and Grilled Sausages, German Potatoes with Smoked Bacon, Vegetarian Lasagna, Polenta Casserole
and a delicious Black Angus Meatloaf. Good stuff. Happy 90th to one of Los Angeles’ oldest continuously operating family businesses.

Check out our past posts on the San Antonio here.