Our vineyards are in the extreme western part of Santa Barbara County where our family has been farming for generations. The Cargasacchi Vineyard was planted in 1998 on the ranch just off Sweeney Road. It comprises twelve acres of Pinot Noir, all of which are clone 115. The Jalama Vineyard is a few miles to the west – one of the most western vineyards in California and definitely one of the coolest climate vineyards for Pinot Noir in the state. This sixteen-acre vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. The Levante vineyard was planted in 2008 and is made up entirely of Pinot Noir.

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Two of the vineyards - Cargasacchi and Levante - are in the Sta. Rita Hills appellation and Jalama is just to the west of the appellation boundary. Back when Sta. Rita Hills was designated, there was a question as to whether the increased marine influence would mean warmer winter temperatures and that the vines would not go dormant every winter.

The Sta.Rita Hills appellation and the region to its west represent an extreme area for winegrowing - a typical day starts with a marine layer of fog that burns off around 10am; then as things warm up, a wind from the Ocean picks up, bringing cooler temperatures, and eventually that marine fog again. These weather patterns produce a very long grape-growing season, producing very well developed flavors and tannins in the resulting wines.

The area is also the bed of an ancient sea, so there are large deposits of diatomaceous earth in and around the vineyards. This limestone produces a discernable edge and minerality in the wines.