by wanderer 2005

January 10, 2005

From journal Movie Stars and Rock Stars

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.

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