At Gianni Buonomo Vintners in Ocean Beach, winemaking is more lifestyle than occupation. And it’s the first such occupation on the Peninsula. “It’s a tasting room and a full-blown, functioning winery,” said Keith Rolle, winemaker and managing partner of Gianni Buonomo, which recently opened at 4836 Newport Ave. in a space previously inhabited by Newport Avenue Antiques. “We actually produce it (wine) onsite,” said Rolle. “We’re the only ones who do that in the beach area. There’s nothing else like this.” Rolle’s story is an interesting one. An OBecian for 18 years, Rolle, originally from Minnesota, left a corporate career there and moved to San Diego to teach Spanish immersion in Baja. He later moved for a time to Walla, Walla Wash. to learn about the vintner industry. He’s returned to the beachfront to build on what he’s learned. And what — or who — is Gianni Buonomo? Rolle, with a smile, was quick to relate the story behind his winery’s name. In Italian, “buon uomo” means “good man.” Gianni is “beneducato,” well mannered, the consummate gentleman. “My father called me Johnny Buonomo,” said Rolle, noting that is why, when it came time to choose a business name, that “we were thinking of the names of winners, and we thought about Johnny Buonomo.” And what of the company’s trademark fedora hat on its logo? “Johnny Buonomo would wear a hat, a fedora, a sign of style and elegance,” Rolle said. Will the fedora stick in people’s minds when they think of his business’ logo? “I hope they think of the wine — and then the hat,” replied Rolle. “We may add a habedashery later,” he joked. During a tour of his facility, Rolle noted that the front half is a tasting room, whereas the rear of the deep building space is his wine cellar, with more than 100 aging casks of red wine. He sells some white wine but only makes red onsite. “We sell by the taste, the glass, the bottle or the case,” Rolle said, noting the grapes for the red wines he makes are imported from Washington state vineyards. Rolle said his Gianni Buonomo wines range in price from $24 to $50 a bottle and $260 to $420 a case. At his tastings, Rolle also offers seven different wines at $15. And if you’re a member of Gianni’s Fedora Wine Club, you not only get invited to exclusive, members-only events, but you get a 20 percent discount as well. Gianni Buonomo Vintners produces around 1,500 cases of wine a year. The winery also has an agreement with OB Warehouse down the street, allowing its customers to order food from that restaurant and have it delivered. The winery is also available to host catered, special events onsite. The secret to the high quality of his wine: Rolle attributes that to the soil it’s grown in. He said a combination of eastern Washington state’s semi-arid climate, minimizing mildew and spoilage, coupled with glacier-deposited loess soil left over from the ice ages, produces a unique growing environment for grapes. “We’re the first winery on the Peninsula; we’re proud of that,” said Rolle. Tasting room winter hours at Gianni Buonomo are noon to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and noon to 6 p.m. weekends. The winery is closed Mondays and Tuesdays. For more information, call (619) 991-9911 or visit gbvintners.com.
