Santa Barbara Region

The below thoughts are from Don Ackerman, the general manager for our Santa Barbara County vineyards, Cat Canyon and North Canyon.

On Santa Barbara County

As a vineyard guy, I am not exaggerating when I say Santa Barbara County is the most exciting place to be growing grapes in the world. Our climate and our soils in Santa Barbara are proving ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and we have much in common with the most classic terroir for these varieties: Burgundy.

Being a relatively young region we are producing great wines, but there is still a lot of untapped potential as far as our region and our vineyards go. So I see the most exciting aspect of our region as its "high ceiling".

On the Cat Canyon and North Canyon Vineyards

These vineyards are among the best and most unique vineyards on the Santa Barbara Coast. Their limiting, marine soils and long, cool growing season provide for ideal fruit exposure and expressive, elegant wines that are more about where and how the fruit is grown than about the forest where the barrels were produced.

Finally, both Cat Canyon and North Canyon vineyards are great examples of sustainable winegrowing, and the sites are farmed with a great respect for the ecological niches they occupy.  We consider ourselves stewards of the land and have an unwavering commitment to the vineyard's soil, air, water and wildlife.