Gainey Vineyard, Santa Barbara

The Gainey Vineyard is part of a large, sustainable farming operation owned and run by the Gainey family for the past 50 years. The Home Ranch, the largest of the three Gainey ranches in the Santa Ynez Valley, is 1800 acres. It is comprised of 100 acres of vineyards, an Arabian horse operation, 1000 acres of rangeland upon which beef cattle feed on native grasses, and 600 acres farmed primarily to organically grown fruits and vegetables.

The other two Gainey ranches are located in the Santa Rita Hills appellation. Evan's Ranch and Rancho Esperanza are farmed exclusively to wine grapes. These very cool sites are perfect locations for growing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and small amounts of Syrah, while the Home Ranch on the warmer, eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley is ideal for growing Bordeaux varieties of Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

In the early 1980’s, Dan J. and his son Dan H. became convinced that the unique geographical and climatical conditions of the area gave it the potential to produce world class wines. They planted 50 acres in 1983 and opened their Spanish style winery in 1984. The winery quickly became one of the most popular wineries to visit in the area and was named as “one of the best wineries to visit on California’s Central Coast” by Wine Spectator magazine.

Dan J. and Dan H. Gainey have always understood the primacy of the vineyard in making wine and have gone to great lengths to explore the diverse micro-climates available to them in the Santa Ynez Valley. In the 1990’s, the family purchased and planted a 120 acre parcel on the western end of the valley in what would later become the Santa Rita Hills AVA. The Gainey Vineyard thus became the first winery to own properties in both the warm, eastern end of the valley, where the family concentrates on Bordeaux varieties, and the cool, western end of the valley, where they planted Pinot Noir Chardonnay and Syrah. This unique advantage allows the Gaineys to completely control all phases of their winegrowing: from planting of vines ideally suited to each of their vineyard sites, to viticultural techniques that emphasize low yields, to winemaking that stresses minimal processing.

High quality and long term consistency of fruit are two principles that guide all farming decisions. Dan Gainey, Vineyard Manager Jeff Newton and Winemakers Kirby Anderson and Jon Engelskirger work closely to constantly strive to improve their fruit. By controlling all aspects of grape growing, Gainey Vineyard is able to ensure that quality takes priority over farming economics. The result are vines low in vigor that produce small yields and fruit with great concentration and complexity.

The goal of Gainey Vineyard’s winemaking program is to create wines of uncompromising quality with optimum flavor and aromatic components that reflect the unique characteristics of the vineyards from which they come. Toward that end, the Gaineys have recently constructed a new gravity flow winemaking facility. Grapes processed here are handled in the most gentle manner possible and then fermented and aged in one of five temperature and humidity controlled rooms.

“We consider our vineyards and the wines we make from them an expression of the love we have for our land and this beautiful area of California.” – Dan H. Gainey

The Gainey Vineyard produces 18,000 cases annually. Our collection of "Limited Selection" bottlings have received rave reviews from critics and consumers alike. In addition to producing premium wines, we also pride ourselves on our attention to guests. Our Tasting Room is open for tours and tastings daily and we encourage guests to enjoy Gainey wines in our scenic picnic area. We also have an extensive program of annual events, including winemaker dinners, cooking classes and our annual Crush Party. We invite you to join us in the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley.