San Simeon Wines and their soon-to-be San Simeon Winery occupies a singular place in California’s wine landscape. At the intersection of tradition and innovation, San Simeon is the model to which other California Central Coast vineyards aspire. Well-respected and without pretense, San Simeon offers rugged yet refined wines quintessential of the region’s unique terroir. These wines are part of California’s century-old winemaking tradition, one that can be traced all the way back to San Simeon’s winemakers, the Riboli Family, and their native Piedmont region of Italy.
Winner of the prestigious American Winery of the Year Award, San Simeon’s operating company Riboli Family Wines began in 1917 when an Italian immigrant named Santo Cambianica founded a small winery in Downtown Los Angeles. After weathering Prohibition by producing sacramental and ceremonial wine for The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, the winery passed to Cambianica’s nephew, Stefano Riboli, and his wife, Maddalena, who became the second-generation leaders of the family business.
San Simeon: the Central Coast Winery at the Intersection of Tradition and Innovation
BY STORYSTUDIO ON FEBRUARY 23, 2024
The cool climate and nutrient-rich soils here allow grapes to ripen slowly, producing rich flavors we associate with the finest Pinot, Chardonnay, and Cabernet varietals.
Four generations and 100+ years later, Riboli Family Wines is still a family owned and operated winery, having become a massively successful wine empire with wines grown in the finest terroirs of Italy, Napa Valley and the Central Coast. At 100 years old, you still see Maddalena Riboli’s influence in the winery, while the 3rd and 4th generations continue the Riboli family legacy of producing exceptional wines. For winemaker Anthony Riboli, San Simeon holds a special place in the Riboli stable of wines.
“Our mission with our San Simeon collection,” says Anthony, “is to share our passion for high-quality artisan wine expertly curated with detail to satisfy all palates.”
To Anthony, San Simeon’s exceptional vintages epitomize the value of opening a bottle of wine: bringing together people of all backgrounds to celebrate our shared values of family and human connection. He’s hoping San Simeon will bridge the gap to the next generation of wine lovers.
SHOP AWARD-WINNING WINES
San Simeon Cabernet Sauvignon
San Simeon Pinot Noir
San Simeon Sauvignon Blanc
San Simeon Chardonnay
With quality wines at approachable price points, San Simeon Wines are accessible. It’s also a winery thinking about the future. From ground to glass, San Simeon prioritizes sustainability. Across all its 1800 acres, San Simeon produces dynamic wines using sustainable, earth-friendly practices. Across their 12 vineyards in both Paso Robles and Monterey, they do not use any artificial pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers. The use of cover crops fights erosion, nurture soil health and fertility, and support beneficial insects and other predators that naturally control vineyard pests. A flock of sheep does the gardening and helps with fertilization. An on-site water reclamation system is used to water the vineyards, the use of drip irrigation dramatically reduces water sue and helps vines achieve peak quality. This marriage of old-world practices with innovative thinking sets San Simeon apart.
San Simeon’s commitment to sustainability doesn’t stop in the vineyards. Their 100% solar-powered winemaking facility in Paso Robles employs several methods to sustainably produce wines, like capturing rainwater and treating reclaimed wastewater, saving over 1 million gallons to date. The use of Paso Roble’s famous 50-degree diurnal temperature swing is harnessed by the barrel room’s cooling system, automatically switching to less energy-intensive fans with the temperature drop. The winery’s newest affiliated vineyard, Jada, is even certified organic while San Simeon as a whole is a few years into the seven-year organic certification process.
Sustainability is crucial for the future of winemaking, but if the wine produced by sustainable practices doesn’t inspire new wine drinkers, then much of its utility is lost. The forward-thinking Riboli family takes this challenge to heart. By making San Simeon their new prized Estate Winery, the Riboli Family is acknowledging San Simeon’s dominance in one major wine category: the California Cabernet Sauvignon.
Our guests enjoy the luxury of an exclusive experience with friendly, knowledgeable staff.
— Martha Barra, Proprietor
In Paso Robles, Cab is king. San Simeon’s Cabernet Sauvignon, produced from 100% sustainably certified estate vineyards in Paso Robles, is the winery’s crown jewel, having been awarded Double-Gold by the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition three separate times. Since 2019, San Simeon Cab has racked up over 20, 90+ wine scores with plenty of accolades along the way.
San Simeon Cabernet is a Paso Robles wine through and through, right down to its new label. Timeless in appearance and emboldened with San Simeon’s iconic trident, the label pays homage to Paso’s limestone terroir that sat beneath the ocean for millions of years (you can still find ancient shell fragments and fossils in the vineyard soil to this day). The name San Simeon itself nods to the vital role the fog and cool air from the Pacific Ocean play in crafting the wine’s singular palette and aroma.
Swirled in the glass, the San Simeon Cabernet is velvety with luxurious legs. Off the nose, the wine welcomes you with scents of black currant, dark cherry, cedar box, and leather. One sip and you’re sold. Approachable with a luscious mouthfeel, the wine opens with blackberry jam and plum and finishes with strong tannins and a touch of spice. If you’re looking for a wine that embodies a Paso Robles Cabernet, San Simeon Cabernet is it.
This winery boasts several other highly-rated wines. From Stormwatch, its premium red blend; Stormwatch is reminiscent of the finest Bordeaux wines to a fruit-driven Monterey Pinot Noir, the crowd-pleasing Chardonnay to bright, crisp Sauvignon Blanc, Rose, and Viognier, San Simeon has a wine for every palette.
With so many quality selections, San Simeon is getting its own tasting room location. Opening soon, the San Simeon tasting room will be located in the upscale Willow Creek District, in the heart of the Paso Robles. Located equidistant from SF and LA, or an easy direct flight into the San Luis Obispo Airport.
“The San Simeon tasting room will really give the brand a sense of place and identity,” says Anthony Riboli. “It represents our evolution as a company and gives San Simeon a home to showcase our great wines.”
Explore everything San Simeon has to offer at sansimeonwines.com or stop by a Riboli Family Wines tasting room in Paso Robles, Los Angeles or Ontario, California.
PLAN YOUR VISIT TO Our Tasting Room
Set on 50 acres of organic vineyards planted to organic Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, the tasting room is an architectural phenomenon that dates back to the 1970’s.
SPONSORED BY
San Simeon Stormwatch
San Simeon Stormwatch