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In the heart of Los Angeles, nestled in a historic brick building just across from Los Angeles State Historic Park, Angeleno Wine Company stands as a testament to the city’s long-forgotten winemaking heritage. Far from the rolling vineyards you might envision when thinking of California wine country, this urban winery is reviving a tradition that predates Hollywood, bringing winemaking back to its California roots. If you’re looking for a unique Angeleno Wine Company tour experience that combines history, artisanal craftsmanship, and exceptional wines, you’re in for a delightful surprise in this hidden gem.
The Rebirth of Los Angeles Wine History
While most wine enthusiasts associate California winemaking with Napa and Sonoma, few realize that Los Angeles was actually California’s original wine region. Long before Northern California became synonymous with vineyard-covered hills, Los Angeles was producing millions of bottles of wine annually. In fact, by the late 1800s, Los Angeles wineries were making 25 million bottles a year until Prohibition brought the thriving industry to an abrupt halt.
It was this rich but forgotten history that inspired Jasper Dickson and Amy Luftig to establish Angeleno Wine Company in 2014. Dickson, who previously worked at Silver Lake Wine and made wine independently under the label Rhythm Wine, and Luftig, who developed a passion for winemaking while volunteering during harvest, joined forces with a mission to revive Los Angeles’ winemaking heritage.
“There’s such a rich history of wine in L.A.,” says Luftig. “The grapes here are awesome, and our climate is fabulous for grape growing and winemaking. It just made so much sense to try and bring back that kind of legacy to Los Angeles.”
“There’s such a rich history of wine in L.A.,” says Luftig
Their dedication to local wine production makes an Angeleno Wine Company tour a must for anyone interested in exploring wine in the San Gabriel Valley and beyond. The winery’s commitment to showcasing Southern California’s viticultural potential offers visitors a truly unique perspective on local wines.
Angeleno Wine Company: From Vision to Reality
Located at 1646 N. Spring Street in a building constructed from recycled bricks of Los Angeles’ first City Hall, Angeleno Wine Company became one of the first urban wineries to open in Los Angeles since Prohibition. Dickson and Luftig’s journey began with a Kickstarter campaign in 2018, where they raised funds to purchase essential winemaking equipment for their small 1,200-square-foot space.
What sets this winery apart isn’t just its urban location but its dedication to sourcing grapes from Los Angeles County vineyards. Their close partnership with Juan Alonso, owner of Alonso Family Vineyard in Agua Dulce (about an hour north of Los Angeles in the Sierra Pelona Valley AVA), forms the cornerstone of their winemaking approach. Alonso, a Galician native, planted Spanish grape varieties like Albariño on his vineyard alongside other unique varietals.
The winery’s focus on lesser-known grape varieties makes it an excellent stop for wine enthusiasts looking to expand their palate beyond the usual offerings. If you’re someone who enjoys discovering unique wine profiles and learning about tannins and acidity in different wine varieties, the distinctive wines at Angeleno will be particularly intriguing.
What to Expect on Your Angeleno Wine Company Tour
Visiting Angeleno Wine Company offers a distinctly different experience from traditional winery tours. Open only on weekends (Saturday 12pm-8pm, Sunday 12pm-6pm), the winery transforms its industrial brick space into a lively, ad-hoc tasting room complete with picnic tables and folding chairs.
By noon, the space typically fills with groups of friends and families, many bringing their own food since the winery doesn’t have a kitchen. This casual, communal atmosphere creates a welcoming environment for both wine connoisseurs and curious newcomers alike.
During your Angeleno Wine Company tour, you can expect:
- Tasting Flights: For $20, you can sample four of their unique wines, expertly guided by knowledgeable staff who share the story behind each pour.
- Bottle Service: If you find something you love, full bottles are available for purchase to enjoy at the winery or take home.
- Bring Your Own Food: Unlike many wineries that restrict outside food, Angeleno encourages visitors to bring their own snacks or meals to pair with their wines.
- Live Music and Food Trucks: On special weekends, the winery hosts food trucks and live music, enhancing the festive atmosphere.
- Meet the Winemakers: Chances are you’ll encounter Jasper and Amy during your visit, both passionate about sharing their wine journey with guests.
For those who might be visiting a winery for the first time, knowing what to ask during winery tours can significantly enhance your experience. Questions about grape sourcing, fermentation techniques, and aging processes will be met with enthusiasm by the knowledgeable staff.
Ladies visiting Angeleno might particularly appreciate these wine tasting tips for women, which include practical advice on pacing yourself through tastings and techniques for fully appreciating the complexity of each wine.
Unique Varietals: The Heart of Angeleno Wine Company
What truly sets an Angeleno Wine Company tour apart is the opportunity to taste wines made from grape varieties rarely found in California. While most wineries focus on familiar names like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, Angeleno showcases unique varietals that push the boundaries of Southern California winemaking.
These include:
- Tannat: Originally from France’s Basque region and now Uruguay’s flagship grape, Tannat produces bold, deeply colored wines with firm tannins and notes of dark fruit.
- Graciano: A Spanish variety prized for its aromatic intensity and ability to age well, offering spicy notes and vibrant acidity.
- Godello: A white grape from northwestern Spain that produces medium-bodied wines with mineral notes and good aging potential.
- Loureiro: A highly aromatic white grape variety from Portugal and Spain that creates wines with floral character and bright acidity.
- Treixadura: Another white grape from Spain’s Galicia region, adding complexity and structure to white blends.
- Alicante Bouschet: One of the few red wine grapes with red flesh (most have clear juice), contributing deep color and robust flavor.
Their approach to winemaking is equally distinctive. Angeleno harvests early to preserve natural acidity in the fruit and employs minimal intervention techniques. Their wines are 100% vegan and crafted to express Los Angeles’ unique terroir—a growing region where the desert meets the sea.
For visitors who’ve enjoyed exploring best wineries to try in Los Angeles, Angeleno offers something distinctly different with its focus on these rare varietals and urban setting.
Signature Wines to Experience
During your Angeleno Wine Company tour, you’ll have the opportunity to taste from their diverse portfolio. While offerings may change seasonally, these signature wines are worth looking for:
- Gold Line: A skin-contact wine made from Moscato grapes and Tannat, named after the nearby Metro line. Its amber color and complex flavor profile make it a favorite among natural wine enthusiasts.
- California Crackler: Their 100% Champagne-style sparkling wine made from Chardonnay, offering bright acidity and a festive effervescence.
- Skin-Contact Albariño: A unique take on the Spanish white grape, with half fermented in barrels and half in stainless steel tanks, creating complexity and texture.
- Tannat: Their bold red showcases this robust grape variety with its characteristic deep color and structured tannins.
- Superbloom: A field blend of several white varieties that captures the essence of California’s wildflower blooms.
For fans of certain wine profiles, Angeleno’s Tannat might draw comparisons to the 2022 Kivelstadt Cellars KC Labs Carbonic Zinfandel in terms of its innovative approach to winemaking, though with different varietal characteristics.
The Tasting Room Experience
Walking into Angeleno Wine Company feels more like discovering a secret urban hideaway than visiting a traditional winery. The brick-walled tasting room maintains an industrial charm while creating a warm, inviting atmosphere. Large windows flood the space with natural light, illuminating the production area where stainless steel tanks and oak barrels are visible reminders that you’re in a working winery.
Unlike the sometimes stuffy atmosphere of more formal wine tasting rooms, Angeleno cultivates a relaxed, inclusive vibe. The communal seating encourages conversation between groups, often leading to shared recommendations and impromptu tastings of each other’s selections.
“It’s always fun to see people surprised,” says Luftig. “That just opens up a whole conversation when they say, ‘oh my god, who knew wine from L.A. could be good?’ Well, let me tell you a little history.”
After your Angeleno Wine Company tour, you might want to continue your wine exploration at some of the best wine bars in Los Angeles, many of which feature Angeleno wines on their menus, allowing you to compare how these unique bottles show in different settings.
The Harvest Experience and Beyond
For wine enthusiasts looking for a deeper connection to the winemaking process, Angeleno Wine Company offers special opportunities during harvest season (typically late summer to early fall). During this time, the team personally harvests grapes from their partner vineyards, and dedicated visitors can sometimes participate in the process.
As Luftig describes in their Kickstarter campaign: “There are no words to articulate the stunning beauty of the vineyard at 6am, when the sun is rising above the vines at harvest. It is still cold enough to see your breath and you need to wear gloves, even though it’s summer.”
Beyond regular tastings, Angeleno Wine Company hosts special events throughout the year:
- Wine release parties celebrating new vintages
- Winemaker dinners featuring food pairings
- Educational seminars about unique grape varieties and winemaking techniques
- Music events highlighting local performers
These events offer additional dimensions to the Angeleno Wine Company tour experience and provide reasons to return throughout the year. For those planning a special outing, the winery can be an unexpected highlight on a date itinerary, offering something different from the usual wine country experience.
A Taste of Los Angeles History: Special Projects
One of the most fascinating aspects of Angeleno Wine Company is their dedication to reviving not just winemaking in Los Angeles, but specific historical wines. Their collaboration with the California Missions Foundation led to a remarkable project involving the historic vines at Mission San Gabriel, some dating back to 1770.
Alongside other members of the Los Angeles Vintners Association, Dickson and Luftig helped tend to these ancient vines and harvest their fruit to create Angelica—one of the first types of wine made in California. This sweet, fortified wine made using Mission grapes and brandy represents a direct connection to California’s earliest winemaking traditions.
Limited releases like this exemplify the winery’s commitment to honoring Los Angeles’ viticultural history while creating wines that appeal to contemporary palates. These special projects add another compelling reason to include an Angeleno Wine Company tour on your Los Angeles itinerary.
Planning Your Visit
To make the most of your Angeleno Wine Company tour, keep these practical tips in mind:
- Hours: Saturday 12pm-8pm, Sunday 12pm-6pm only
- Location: 1646 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012
- Reservations: Not typically required for small groups, but recommended for larger parties
- What to Bring: Feel free to bring your own food; picnic-style snacks pair wonderfully with their wines
- Parking: Street parking is usually available nearby
- Cost: Tasting flights are $20 for four wines; individual glass prices vary
For the best experience, consider visiting earlier in the day when the tasting room is less crowded, allowing for more personalized attention from the staff. Weekend afternoons tend to be busiest, especially when special events or live music are scheduled.
If you’re planning a comprehensive wine tour of Los Angeles, Angeleno Wine Company pairs beautifully with visits to other urban wineries and wine bars in the area, creating a diverse exploration of the city’s evolving wine scene.
Supporting Local Wine Culture
By participating in an Angeleno Wine Company tour, you’re not just enjoying exceptional wines—you’re supporting the revival of Los Angeles’ winemaking heritage. The winery does 85-90% of their sales directly through their tasting room, with limited distribution to select restaurants and wine shops throughout California.
Becoming a member of their wine club offers perks including:
- Pick-up parties with food, music, and wine tastings
- Members-only invitations to special dinners and events
- Discounts on tastings and bottle purchases
- First access to limited releases and new vintages
Whether you’re a dedicated oenophile or simply looking for a unique Los Angeles experience, Angeleno Wine Company offers something special. Their commitment to quality, innovation, and local heritage makes this hidden gem a standout destination for wine lovers seeking authentic experiences beyond the expected.
A Hidden Gem Worth Discovering
An Angeleno Wine Company tour offers far more than just wine tasting—it’s an immersion into Los Angeles’ forgotten viticultural history and a glimpse into its exciting future. Through their dedication to unique varietals, local sourcing, and urban winemaking, Jasper Dickson and Amy Luftig have created something truly special in the heart of Los Angeles.
As you sip their distinctive wines in the brick-walled tasting room, surrounded by the energy of fellow wine enthusiasts and the subtle hum of the city outside, you’ll understand why this hidden gem has garnered such a devoted following. Angeleno Wine Company represents not just excellent winemaking but a reconnection with a vital part of Los Angeles’ cultural heritage that has been obscured by time.
So the next time you’re exploring Los Angeles or planning a special outing, consider venturing beyond the typical tourist attractions and seeking out this urban winery. Whether you’re a seasoned wine connoisseur or new to the world of wine, an Angeleno Wine Company tour promises discovery, delight, and wines you won’t soon forget—all hidden in plain sight in the City of Angels.
