Former OB Winery Spent Over $45K to Buy a New Name for a Section of Midway District — April Fools!

The following is based on an April First and Fool’s Day jest by Gianni Buonomo Vintners.

The former winery in OB, Gianni Buonomo Vintners, just bought a new name for a section of the Midway District. Keith Rolle, owner and chief winemaker, just spent over $45,000 to petition the City of San Diego to change a subsection of the area where the winery just moved to.

This sounds like an April Fool’s joke but it’s not.

The new name? “Rancho Point Loma.”

The specific area is three square miles delineated by Kurtz Street to the south, Interstate 8 to the north, with the eastern border at Sherman Street and the western border at Hicock Street.

Supposedly, the name change for the small area will happen on May 1 this year. And aren’t we fortunate that Mayor Todd Gloria will be on hand for a public ribbon cutting ceremony that day at 2:00 pm. A news conference will follow, of course — any time Gloria goes any where, there’s a news conference. Plus, since it’s a winery, there will be wine tasting. And yes, the public is invited — but you’re urged to bring cheese to share. (Is the winery broke after that expensive purchase?)

The urban winery moved from it’s OB birth site on Newport Avenue — supposedly due to a huge rent increase — and settled in an area of the Midway District that vintner Rolle felt was too dominated by “vagrancy, open drug use and prostitution.” (Not to mention marijuana dispensaries.)

The press release had Rolle quoted as saying, “With all the excitement around the redevelopment plans here” — he’s talking of course about Midway Rising — “I felt it deserved a new name. The name is consistent with the renewed hope and optimism for the area while also recognizing the area’s history.”

Hey, did anyone ask the local planning group?

Also quoted was City of San Diego’s Deputy Chief Nomenclator Officer Huyen Nguyen Nelson. (Did you even know our fair city had a “chief nomenclator officer”?)

Nelson “agreed that the refresh button needed to be hit regarding the name of the area.” Nelson was quoted:

“Many associate the Midway District as a hotbed for vagrancy, open drug use and prostitution. But that is simply not the case. Thanks to the efforts of the SDPD, vagrancy and open drug use in the area has dropped by over 95 percent.”

Rolle’s winery is perched in the middle of the new “Rancho Point Loma.”

He said it took about 6 months and over $45,000 to get the petition approved. “I liked the name Rancho Point Loma because in some ways the area is very similar to Rancho Santa Fe and Rancho Bernardo. Also, the new name brings its history around full circle.”

Golly gee and here I was feeling sorry for the winery with all the expenses to the new digs. I just don’t think I’ll remember to call it Rancho anything.

MORE INFORMATION:

Al Dorvinen, General Manager, (562.458.9477)

Gianni Buonomo Vintners
3492 Pickett Street
Midway District aka “Rancho Point Loma”, CA 92110