About The Thomas Winery
California's Oldest Winery

Located at on the Northeast corner of Foothill and Vineyard.
Our address is 8916 Foothill Blvd in Rancho Cucamonga.

Click Here for Mapquest

See The Wine Tailor in the news (click on links below):

Allan Borgen's Let's Dine Out Show

Fox News Interview

Dialogue with Doti, President of Chapman University

History of Rancho Cucamonga Winemaking

        Winery circa 1900                                  Angela & Ken

Tubercio Tapia was granted 13,000 acres of land around the area called Cucamonga by Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado on March 3, 1839. Using Indian labor, Tapia constructed a well-fortified adobe home on Red Hill and raised great herds of cattle. Unlike many who had gone before him, Tapia began a successful winery, portions of which stand today known to us as the Thomas Winery. American forces invaded California in 1846, annexed it in 1848, and made it a state in 1850.

A block to the north of the winery stands the estate developed by Alabama-born John Rains and his wife Maria Merced Williams de Rains. Dona Merced was the great-granddaughter of Francisco Lugo and granddaughter of Antonio Lugo, and daughter of Isaac Williams of the famous Rancho Santa Ana del Chino. The Rains purchased the Rancho de Cucamonga from Tapia's daughter and her husband Leon Victor Prudhomme in 1858. Before his murder in 1862, Rains greatly expanded the vineyards Tapia had planted and imported brick masons from Ohio, via Los Angeles, to construct the family home, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Thomas Winery was in production through the mid-1960's and became a popular destination for travelers along Route 66. Development in the area eventually overran most of the vineyards used by the winery and it was converted to a retail center. The Thomas Winery building is a California Historic Landmark (#490), designated as the oldest commercial winery in California and second oldest in the United States.

The Wine Tailor was opened in this location in 2004 by Ken & Angela Lineberger as

a Wine Not International Custom Winery franchise.  Come by for a historical tour of our location and learn some of the interesting history of our landmark location.