Free winery tours, free wine tasting, and a restaurant... what a nice break from your day! Amid the bustling industry that is Los Angeles, The San Antonio Winery is the only still producing winery in the city. Most others are outside and north of the city. It’s a little difficult to find downtown, just around the corner from Chinatown and Union Station, but it's a great small place to visit.

They make several different varieties and brand names. The winery tour lasts about 45 minutes and was a little chilly--bring a sweater. You learn about the family's history and how the winery still thrives today after four generations.

You start off in the vintage room and hear about when the winery was built in 1917 and all the awards their brands have won. Continue on to the crushing of the grapes, the fermenting barrels, and the bottling plant.

They also have a restaurant called Maddelana, named after the family matriarch. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner. The food is homemade and consists of pastas, sandwiches, grilled meats, salads, and desserts. We had a snack and opted for two glasses of wine and a cheese-and-artichoke plate that came with bread. It was the perfect snack.

After the tour, you can taste almost all the wines they produce and buy by the bottle or case.

The winery is open 7 days a week and tours are available from 12pm to 2pm Monday to Friday and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 4pm. They also hold wine seminars that include a meal and cost anywhere between $50 and $100. You can check the dates and prices for those on their website, sanantoniowinery.com.

This is the last remaining winery in the city of Los Angeles. At one time, LA was the premier wine appellation. Now San Antonio is the last one standing.

Santo Cambianica founded San Antonio Winery in 1917. His nephew Stefano Riboli has taken over the family tradition, and the whole Riboli family is part of the San Antonio winemaking.

My friend and I went down to San Antonio to peruse the wine selection. The wine store has a large selection of wines. The San Antonio wines are: Maddalena Vineyard, San Simeon, San Antonio Winery, Kinderwood, La Quinta, Aliento del Sol, and Riboli Family Vineyard. They also stock the store with wines from many other vineyards. I managed to find a good Moscato d'Asti there. I generally do not like sweet wines, but this particular wine is like a soft drink. It's a sweet white effervescent dessert wine. It's almost like drinking Sprite. I bought two bottles for my mother, and my friend bought a bottle, too. Tastings are complimentary. There is a list of wines, but I wanted a taste of a wine that wasn't on the list. They gladly opened it for me to taste. What excellent customer service! The wine shop is open from 9am-6pm on Sunday-Tuesday, and 9am-7pm on Wednesday-Saturday.

The winery is also associated with a restaurant called Maddalena after Maddalena Riboli, the family matriarch. I have not yet had the pleasure of eating here since the restaurant closes so early (5pm on Sunday-Tuesday, and 6pm on Wednesday-Saturday).

The winery also has a tour available. The tours are every hour on the hour from 11am-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and noon-2pm Monday-Friday. I still have not made it to the tours. I intend on making it eventually, so when I do, I'll make sure to post a review.

This place is great for brunch. If you're a fan of the mimosa and you have an appetite for everything breakfast, San Antonio Winery is definitely the spot to visit. Not to mention the fact it's right in the heart of the city.