Tag Archives: Santa Barbara

Tyler Winery: Growing Fast in the Sta Rita Hills

Posted on March 16, 2022 by don

Justin Tyler Willett began the Tyler Winery in 2005 at age 24 after working with winemaker Joe Davis at Arcadian.  His wine trajectory since that time has been steep.  In 2011 He established the Lieu Dit label with sommelier Eric … Continue reading →

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Dragonette: Seeking Perfection in the Sta. Rita Hills

Posted on February 16, 2022 by don

Dragonette is a story about three wine-loving, young men, two of whom worked in a wine store in LA, decided to make wine and ended up producing stellar ones.  It helps, of course, that they ended up in one of … Continue reading →

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Liquid Farm: In Search of Burgundy in the Sta Rita Hills

Posted on February 15, 2022 by don

The Sta Rita Hills is a collegial place where vineyards share fruit and winemakers share their knowledge and experience. Inspired by the wines of Burgundy, Jeff Nelson started Liquid Farm in 2009 with assistance from Brandon Sparks-Gillis, winemaker at Dragonette. … Continue reading →

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Peake Ranch: New Releases from the Sta. Rita Hills

Posted on February 13, 2022 by don

Founded in 2012 by John and Gillian Wagner of Los Angeles, Peake Ranch occupies 105 acres (50 planted) on the southeastern end of the Santa Rita Hills on Santa Rosa Road.  The plantings at the ranch include seven different clones … Continue reading →

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Melville: Setting High Standards for Sta Rita Hills Wines

Posted on February 8, 2022 by don

Melville is a family-owned and operated estate winery consisting of 125 acres along Hwy 246 in the Sta. Rita Hills. About 75% of the plantings are of Pinot Noir and the balance of Chardonnay and Syrah. Melville was founded in … Continue reading →

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Paul Lato Wines: Artisanal Winemaking at its Best

Posted on February 3, 2021 by don

Paul Lato is one of Santa Barbara’s finest artisanal winemakers.  Since 2002, he has been crafting outstanding wines from grapes sourced from some of the finest vineyards in Santa Barbara County.  To his good fortune, Paul was discovered early in … Continue reading →

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Paradise Springs: Premium Wines from Coast to Coast*

Posted on February 27, 2019 by don

Paradise Springs is a family owned winery with operations in Virginia and Santa Barbara. It is owned and operated by Kirk Wilde and his mother Jane Kinchiloe along with local partners.  In Santa Barbara it shares  winemaking space in Buelton … Continue reading →

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Pence Winery’s Outrageously Good Wines from the Sta Rita Hills*

Posted on February 22, 2019 by don

The Pence Winery is set on 200 acres in the Santa Rita Hills. A tiny artisanal winery, it is part of a working ranch and farm owned and operated by Blair Pence, a California realtor with a passion for wine stemming … Continue reading →

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Margerum: New Releases from Santa Barbara*

Posted on February 20, 2019 by don

Margerum Wine Company is owned and operated by Doug Margerum, one of Santa Barbara’s leading winemaking entrepreneurs. It produces small quantities of premium wines made from estate-grown and purchased grapes from top neighboring vineyards.  We recently visited Doug at the … Continue reading →

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Spear Vineyards and Winery: A New Promising Farm Winery in the Sta. Rita Hills

Posted on February 14, 2019 by don

Spear is a tiny and relatively new, family-owned Santa Barbara winery that shows great promise.  Its estate vineyard nestled in the Sta Rita Hills is certified organic and sustainable.  It was first planted in 2013  on 33 acres, and its first … Continue reading →

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