How ‘Angelica’ was born: Winemakers honor San Gabriel Mission
With church bells above her head and gravestones at her feet, Amy Luftig harvests grapes at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, home to perhaps the oldest-producing vine in California. The unique setting — part vineyard, part shrine — fills the vintner with serenity.
“The solemnity of the place itself is very touching,” said Luftig, co-owner of Angeleno Wine Company. “It has that really beautiful, very calming environment.”
The harvest was part of a recent winemaking venture between the mission and the three founding wineries of the Los Angeles Vintners Association: Angeleno Wine Company, Byron Blatty Wines, and Cavaletti Vineyards. By producing “Angelica,” a sweet fortified wine once crafted by the Franciscan friars, the partners aim to revive the missionaries’ tradition as well as the local wine industry. On Nov. 3, members from the vintners’ wine clubs arrived with shears, step ladders, and enough energy to reap around 400 pounds of fruit.