San Antonio Winery Est. 1917

The California wine tradition began with the Franciscan Fathers of the early Spanish Missions. In 1833, French winemaker Jean-Louis Vignes brought the first European vines from his native Bordeaux, where he planted them in Downtown Los Angeles and built a winery. Vignes, the founder of California’s wine industry, eventually had a street in Downtown named after him. The wine industry quickly became one of Southern California’s most economically significant and popular industries. By 1880s end, Los Angeles was the premier appellation for grape growing and winemaking in all of California. By the early 1890s, vineyards stretched to encompass Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties too, as the area’s temperate Mediterranean climate made it an ideal location for growing fruity, lush, richly-colored grapes. The landscape was prime for Santo Cambianica’s fresh ideas and hard-working philosophy