Inspiring Winemaking at Stolpman Vineyards

The first time I encountered Stolpman was back in 2008 when I was working for Randall Grahm at Bonny Doon Vineyard. As the infamous “Rhône Ranger,” Randall sought out excellence in Rhône varietals throughout California, so it's no surprise that he ended up buying fruit from Stolpman who pioneered Syrah and other Rhône varieties in what was to later become the Ballard Canyon AVA. Stolpman’s Vineyard is planted across a series of undulating hills on the Western side of Ballard Canyon, just a few miles south of Los Olivos.

Wine NewsletterRyan WoodhouseSeptember 18, 2025K&L Wine Merchantsklwines, staff trip, ryan woodhosue, ryan woodhouse, domestic wine, santa barbara county, central coast wine, sta rita hills wine, ballard canyon, california wine, combe wines, pete stolpman, ruben solorzano, kyle knapp

Soil Talk: Sta. Rita Hills with Brandon Sparks-Gillis

Terroir geeks: can we talk? Soil, bedrock, micronutrients—it’s downright complicated unless you have a degree in geology. Am I right? Luckily the wine world has Brandon Sparks-Gillis, geologist, winemaker, Master of Wine candidate, cofounder of Dragonette in Santa Barbara County, and all-around great resource on wines and soils. Brandon indulged me all my nerdy soil questions about the special place that is Sta. Rita Hills.

Kate SotoSeptember 24, 2019K&L Wine Merchantssoil, bedrock, vineyard, terroir, sta rita hills, understanding vineyard soil, vines grapes, vines, grapes, santa barbara county wine, dragonette cellars, sta rita hills wine, diatomaceous earth, california wine, pinot noir, chardonnay, domestic wine

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