Wine Making and Wineries in Rancho Cucamonga
Wine-making in Southern California dates to the 1700s. Settlers from Europe planted vineyards all over the south of California especially in the Cucamonga Valley that once had the biggest vineyards in the USA. Â Rancho Cucamonga was one of the regions in Cucamonga Valley that were popular for wine growing. There have been several wineries established in this region over the years; while some of them collapsed, others are still in business to date.
Joseph Filipi Winery
The Joseph Filipi Winery is a family-owned business that has been in existence since 1922. In the last 30 years, the winery has received more than 200 awards for its delicious wine. Some of their popular products include Rose of Grenache, Fondante Ciello, Tempranillo, Alicante, Syrah, and Zinfandel. The winery has a store and a wine tasting place in Rancho Cucamonga where wine-lovers can taste and buy their award-winning bottles. The Filipi family has developed by not only growing grapes for almost a century but by restoring old wineries and vineyards as well.
Rancho de Philo
Established in 1973 by Brookside Vineyard’s ex CEO, Philo Biane, Rancho de Philo has become one of the most famous wineries in Rancho Cucamonga.  Biane visited various wineries in Europe especially in Spain where he learned and developed an interest in sherry and its production process. When he returned to Cucamonga, he began brewing sherry in Soleras as he had learned in the Spanish wineries and stored it until he retired.  Rancho de Philo is therefore known for its Spanish inspired wine, the Triple Cream Sherry that has won multiple awards such as the 4-star Gold 2009 Orange County Wine Competition. Their Solera method of production entails the use of 15 American Oak barrels that allow different wine to blend and oxidize. The result of this process is an amber colored liquid with a nutty taste. It’s 18% alcohol content, and 13% of sugar level makes it an ideal dessert. This wine, however, differs from the original Spanish sherry as it uses mission grapes that were introduced in Southern California 300 years ago instead of the Palomino grapes used in Spanish sherry.
The Wine Tailor
After the collapse of the Thomas Winery, one of the oldest wineries in California, The Wine Tailor in 2004 took its place.  As the name suggests, this winery tailors your wine according to your preferences and has been famous for its custom wine. The winery is one of the ten franchise of the company Wine Not International. It allows wine enthusiasts to make wine of their choice by letting them initiate fermentation through the use of yeast and storing the wine. They use grape juice from different regions such as South Africa, Canada, and Europe to give customers a variety of choices. The Wine Tailor’s tasting room is a good place to start for anyone interested in making wine as it offers you a chance to explore the various flavors available. The winery produces over 50 wines and hosts many fun events like complimentary tastings and fruit wine tasting.
Rancho Cucamonga is a home for every wine lover. It not only has a rich wine heritage but it is also a place where the finest wine in the USA is made.
