Art and culture have long been a favorite pairing with wine—at a gallery or in a theater during intermission. Rarely do you get to enjoy it all at an actual winery. But Salerno Winery in Ramona Valley serves up wine, opera, and sculpture every Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Take in live performances of Mozart, Verdi, and Beethoven sung by San Diego Opera alum Jorge D’Soria. The tenor—who sings in six languages—is joined by Salvador Padilla, an award-winning baritone who has the distinction of taking top prize at the Bel Canto Foundation’s opera competition in Chicago.
The winery’s co-owner, Herman Salerno, is himself a former opera singer from Calabria. He and his wife, Rose, brought on their friend and co-proprietor Jaime Chaljon, who helped renovate the property. Recently, he added to the vineyard’s sculpture garden, which now features more than 30 pieces from his multimillion-dollar collection, including the largest group of works from Mexican brothers Jorge and Javier Marín. All that, and there’s wood-fired Naples-style pizza, too.
Sculptures, Arias, and Vino
