Gianni Buonomo Vintners, an award-winning winery in Ocean Beach, is moving to a new facility in Sports Arena at 3492 Pickett Street.
Founder Keith Rolle opened the concept in August 2015 and quickly gained recognition from statewide competitions, including double gold at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. The longtime OB resident is getting ready to close on July 31 to relocate three miles away to Point Loma’s Sports Arena area, according to SanDiegoVille. The new facility is scheduled to open on September 21. Rolle decided to find a new home after the landlord of the original location allegedly raised the rent by 20 percent.
Rolle has good reason to move, citing various economic reasons as the main factors. This tends to be an ongoing issue within Ocean Beach, a close-knit beach community that takes pride in keeping large corporate chains out of its neighborhood. Even as new tenants come in, such as Pazzo’s Italian, whose owners promise to bring cheaper options to the area, San Diego’s increasing cost of living is proving to be detrimental to local businesses.
The move proves to be a good decision for the business owner, who tells SanDiegoVille about his big plans for the new facility. Customers can expect a 40-foot tasting bar, lounge area, warehouse for case goods and barrel storage and a parking lot for 18 vehicles. Although the new location will be slightly less visible to the public, it will be located next to the Tool Depot, a few blocks from Kobey’s Swap Meet, bringing in plenty of customers to the area.
