After More Than 30 Years, North County San Diego's Orfila Vineyards & Winery Passing To New Ownership

January 14, 2024

North County San Diego's decades-old Orfila Vineyards & Winery is passing to new ownership. 

Grapes have been growing on the property of Orfila Vineyard's in San Diego's North County region of Escondido since it was first opened as San Pasqual Winery in 1973. The vineyard later became Thomas Jaeger Winery until career diplomat and longtime ambassador Alejandro Orfila purchased it in 1993 and renamed the property Orfila Vineyards and Winery. In addition to its 35 acres of estate vineyards in Escondido's San Pasqual Valley, Orfila also opened Orfila Vineyards Tasting Room & Kitchen a stone's throw from the pier in downtown Oceanside, CA, in late 2018. Orfila died in June 2021 at the age of 96 and the businesses passed to his wife Helga. 

Public records show that Orfila Vineyards and Winery, as well as the Oceanside tasting room and restaurant, are in the process of being transferred to Sara DeLuca, a 28-year-old San Diego native who operates Invita Cafe locations in Rancho Santa Fe and Carlsbad. Sara is the daughter of Dario DeLuca, the co-founder and president of Pacifica Enterprises Investments, a Rancho Santa Fe-based real estate investment firm that owns such local properties as Belmont Park in Mission Beach, BluWater Crossing in Carlsbad, View Point Apartments in San Marcos, Lakehouse Hotel on Lake San Marcos, Fit Athletic Centers in San Diego, and more.

There is no word on what changes, if any, will come to the Orfila properties in Escondido and Oceanside. We reached out to Sara De Luca and Orfila representatives for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publishing. 

For more information about Orfila Vineyards & Winery, visit orfila.com.