Bittersweet memory: Filippi winery leaves the cherished Guasti tasting room
Article Created: 12/31/2007 07:13:16 PM PST (Daily Bulletin)
By Wendy Leung, Staff Writer
ONTARIO - In the Guasti District where wine once flowed freely, it was hard to keep the tears from flowing.Photo Gallery: Last day the Guasti Filippi winery is open
With huge oak barrels and empty racks as backdrop to all the packing Monday, Candy Nelson taped up another box and admitted, "It's an end to an era."
Joseph Filippi Winery Tasting Room, one of the few family-owned wineries in the Inland Valley, served its last customers at the Guasti location on Monday. In a few weeks, all inventory will be moved to the existing Rancho Cucamonga location and the historical building that once anchored the vineyard community will be ready for development.
A San Diego developer has mixed-use plans for Guasti Villa. It wants to keep the historic buildings and integrate them into a project that includes hotels, restaurants, offices and residential units.
As everyone readied for the new year, employees readied for a new Guasti, spending Monday tidying up and waxing nostalgic about the place where they worked, socialized and enjoyed a glass of Syrah.
Nelson, an employee for 12 years who plans to continue her job at the Rancho Cucamonga location, remembers coming to the winery as a customer in the late 1970s.
"I remember coming here with my mother and sitting on that little step," she said, pointing to tiled Advertisement entryway to the tasting room. "Who would've thought I'd be working here?"
Who would've thought she'd be packing up for good?
At noon, a display of "got wine?" magnets still sat next to the cash register begging for a chuckle. Several bottles of Pride of Cucamonga remained on one lonely rack. They would eventually be tucked inside cardboard boxes by 5 p.m.
"They keep saying it's progress but you're taking away the history of this place," said Reno Morra, a winery employee who grew up in the Guasti community in the 1930s. "You take away the tasting room and there will be nothing that ties to the winery."
Developers have said the grapevine past will be kept in mind and the winery may be invited back.
Still, sadness permeated the tasting room where customers and workers echoed the same sentiment - it's not going to be the same.
Frank Navarro, a customer of 11 years, purchased 16 liters of red wine Monday.
"We're going to celebrate and then cry," said Navarro.
The Filippi winery is just one of several tenants leaving the airport-adjacent community. Guasti Cafe, a popular breakfast joint, relocated to Chino in November. The post office will relocate to Turner Avenue on Jan. 14.
Catering company Saffron, which occupies the magnificent Guasti mansion will remain open until August, but its cafe closes Jan. 11. The building will eventually turn into a boutique hotel, leaving just eight months for private events to be held there.
Saffron owner Linda Rouyer said her five-year plan of branching out became a five-month plan. The catering company recently revamped the banquet room at Filippi's Rancho Cucamonga location and kicked off its Riverside Art Museum location Monday.
"Wonderful things happen out of adversity in life," Rouyer said. "We're sure to find opportunities that we wouldn't have, had we not moved."
Saffron recently placed a bid at Claremont's Padua Hills Theatre and is also looking to open a restaurant in downtown Upland.
But many say there's something special about being near the airport with mountain views. Winery employees say the Ontario location brings in many flight attendants and other out-of-towners who want a taste of the state's famed wines.
Churches come here for their communion supply and movie crews (most recently "Seabiscuit") come to the area to shoot scenes of yesteryear.
"It's a fun job dealing with products that make people happy," said winery manager Ron Swenson. "I'm gonna miss this."
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