In 1910 a young man named Santo Cambianica left Berzo San Fermo, a village in the Italian province of Lombardia, and crossed an ocean and a continent to downtown Los Angeles. In 1917 he founded San Antonio Winery and named it for his patron saint. More than a century and four generations later, the Riboli family that grew from that winery farms and makes wine on the east side of Paso Robles, where Old World roots meet California sun.

A century of family winemaking

The Riboli family story is one of the great unbroken runs in California wine. Santo Cambianica founded San Antonio Winery in downtown Los Angeles in 1917, and the family has owned and operated it ever since, surviving Prohibition by making sacramental wine and growing into one of the state’s most enduring producers.

As the family looked north for great vineyard ground, Paso Robles became a home for their estate fruit and a winemaking hub. Today the Riboli Family of San Antonio Winery farms estate vineyards in Paso Robles, Monterey, and Napa, and bottles a wide range under labels including San Simeon, Maddalena, and Riboli Family. Four generations now contribute to the work, a rare and genuine wine dynasty.

From a Lombardia village in 1910 to four generations of California wine, unbroken since 1917.

Warm east side ground for big reds

The Riboli estate and tasting room sit on Buena Vista Drive on the warm east side of Paso Robles, in the broad Estrella District where deep alluvial soils and a strong day to night temperature swing define the growing season. Warm afternoons ripen the fruit fully while cold nights protect acidity, the rhythm that gives east side reds their generous fruit and freshness.

This warmth is ideal for the cabernet sauvignon and Bordeaux varieties at the heart of the San Simeon and Riboli labels, along with the Italian grapes the family has always loved. A century of winemaking know how, applied to one of California’s best red wine addresses, is a powerful combination.

The wines

The portfolio is broad and crowd pleasing, anchored by cabernet sauvignon and Bordeaux reds, with chardonnay, pinot noir, and Italian leaning bottlings filling out the range. The San Simeon label is the flagship for Paso, polished and reliably delicious.

With estate fruit across three counties and a century of blending experience, the wines are consistent and food friendly, the sort you can pour for a crowd with confidence. The on site cafe bistro means you can taste them the way they were meant to be enjoyed, beside a plate of fresh pasta.

What to pour it with

This is an Italian family, so eat like one. The cabernet and Bordeaux reds want grilled steak, braised beef, or a hearty bolognese, where firm tannin binds to protein and fat and the wine turns smooth against the richness. A sangiovese or Italian red is your move for pizza and tomato sauce, the wine’s acidity matching the sauce in a classic congruent pairing.

The chardonnay loves the cafe’s creamy pastas and roast chicken, richness meeting richness, while a crisp white or rose cuts cleanly through fried antipasti and salty cured meats. Salt softens tannin and lifts fruit, which is why a salumi board makes almost any of these reds taste better.

Riboli Family Wines: common questions