Ojai Vineyard, Kick On Ranch Riesling 2022, Santa Barbara, California, USA

Kick On Ranch is a few miles West of Los Alamos, getting close to the ocean and Vandenberg Air Force Base, and this vineyard is home to our Riesling. It’s located in a narrow East-West corridor that funnels the Pacific Westerlies inland, so the wind is near constant and you get goosebumps even when visiting the vineyard in summertime.

It’s a truly marginal location for growing grapes. The wind and fog challenge the vines, and the terribly poor sandy soils temper vine vigor. Our Riesling is always our last white fruit to ripen (generally in October). So much abuse and deprivation seems like a bad thing, but it’s exactly what provides the intense character and fine balance that you’ll find in our dry Riesling.