Humble Domaine de la Cote.

There are luscious valleys we stroll upon, down green and curvy paths imbued with comforting fauna and flora. There are also pathways we traverse into the unknown, searching for escape or meaning in unanswerable questions.

For lovers of wine, the scent of minerals and organic matter in the earth, the aspect and steepness of slopes, the geological mysteries beneath the surface, and the sensation of temperature and wind create an ascendant awareness of the transformation between what is grown and what we sip and love.

Although wine is made from grapes in all 50 states—yes, even Hawaii produces wine from the Symphony grape grown at high altitudes in volcanic soil—California offers the most diverse terroir and, as a result, the greatest range of wine styles.

Napa’s alluvial, volcanic, and gravelly soils, combined with its Mediterranean climate, provide the ideal environment for Cabernet Sauvignon. Paso Robles, with its ancient seabed and sandy loams, is perfect for a spectrum of Zinfandels. Meanwhile, the mineral-rich sandstone and shale of the tiny Fort Ross-Seaview AVA near Mendocino give rise to novel expressions of Chenin Blanc.

Santa Rita Hills AVA

Then there’s the Santa Rita Hills AVA, south of San Luis Obispo and north of Santa Barbara, caught in the vortex of Point Conception along the Gaviota Coast of the Pacific Ocean. This is one of the most treacherous seaways in the U.S., known as the "Cape Horn of the Pacific"—a graveyard of shipwrecks, battered by 15-foot swells, 30-knot winds, deep fog, and some of the most bizarre geological formations in the world of wine. Thus, Santa Rita Hills is a daring AVA, braving the Pacific blast, blessed by the pioneering vision of skilled and patient winemakers.

Santa Rita Hills is a geological wonderland, so diverse that there is a controversial discussion of dividing the AVA into subregions. The only region I can think of that rivals its complexity is Alsace, which boasts 51 Grand Crus, each defined by unique geological structures. It’s an endless playground for wine lovers.

For the most comprehensive description of Santa Rita Hills, I recommend connecting with Brenna Quigley, geologist and founder of the Roadside Terroir podcast, https://www.roadsideterroir.com/podcast.

Brenna’s insights into the terroir and social dynamics of wine regions are illuminating—she can explain the connection between terroir and wine far better than I am able.

Being There

But being there—walking through dormant vineyards, inhaling the scent of the earth, watching grazing sheep and bug-eating hawks—offers insights beyond reading. My February visit to Santa Rita revealed paradoxical strata, ecology, and climate, reinforcing the unlikely success of growing Pinot Noir here. The terroir headlines are most relevant to the wines of Domaine de la Cote but they relate to all the wineries in this AVA.

At Domaine de la Cote, the soil composition is remarkable. It includes a generous presence of quartzite, a soil type more common in colder climates, such as Mosel, where it enhances the minerality and flinty aromas of Riesling. Even the Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc of Chile’s Itata/Bío Bío regions, grown in quartz and granite, exhibit a similar brightness and aromatic intensity. Yet, as Brenna explained, the terroir of Santa Rita Hills differs from that of Burgundy, which is more limestone- and clay-focused.

Moreover, the exposed slopes here reveal ancient seabed fossils that have been turned almost vertical by tectonic pressure, forming a microcrystalline gel—an extraordinary medium for growing vines.

At first glance, the topsoil at Domaine de la Cote appears rich and loamy, especially in winter when I scooped a handful and let it slip through my fingers. But the winemaker who led our tour explained that by July, the same soil turns to dust under the piercing sun.

Pinot Noir Country?

This is now Pinot Noir country, though some winemakers here argue that it is even more suited to Chardonnay. Pinot Noir, a finicky, thin-skinned grape, thrives on a sharp diurnal range—cold nights and warm days. However, Santa Rita Hills experiences a near-constant Pacific wind, just 11 miles from the ocean, which sets it apart from other renowned Pinot Noir regions. Burgundy lies over 200 miles from the Atlantic, and Newberg, Oregon, is nearly 100 miles from the Pacific. The seismic activity in Santa Rita Hills has turned the land sideways, rearranging the way rocks and soil interact—a geological upheaval that seems at odds with Pinot Noir yet produces astonishing results.

This challenge has inspired Rajat Parr, the Sommelier turned winemaker and previously head of the wine program for Michael Mina’s Restaurant Group, and his partner Sashi Moorman. Along with their team at the parent company Provignage, including our gracious host for the day, Head Winemaker Claire Wilson, they have defied skepticism to craft Pinot Noir and Chardonnay of stunning character.

The Pinot Noir from Domaine de la Cote is structurally unique—gorgeously fruited with tart berries, yet fresh, with a lighter alcohol presence. It glows with dried flowers and a distinctive salinity. Lower-alcohol wines often run the risk of becoming flabby, but here, they retain a savory, herbal character, mouthwatering acidity, and soft tannins, all while keeping alcohol levels well below 14%.

100 Year Plan

The team at Domaine de la Cote is committed to a project that could take a century—selecting the ideal clone or purebred variety of Pinot Noir, experimenting with seed starters, and carefully observing which strains flourish in this unique geology and climate. It’s a dedication that extends beyond individual lifetimes, rooted in the land itself. As we walked through a vineyard of baby vines, each protected in a peekaboo tube, it felt like an outdoor laboratory of the future. Generations beyond us may experience the outcomes 50 or 100 years from now. I’m coming back for that. 

After our tour, we returned to the “wine ghetto” of Lompoc—an unassuming collection of warehouses that has an inappropriate name, but inside, a hub of mad-scientist, Jackson Pollock artists of winemaking brilliance. I love that the process here is a balance of scientific precision and human craftsmanship.

For example, they employ Pied de Cuve, a method where a small batch of crushed grapes that are picked early, and indigenous yeast kick-starts fermentation before the main vat is introduced. It’s akin to a sourdough starter, ensuring a clear expression of terroir while allowing precise control over fermentation timing.

Every vineyard plot has its unique natural yeast, shaped by the surrounding flora and fauna. By starting fermentation with a localized Pied de Cuve, the team ensures a vibrant, site-specific wine.

At Domaine de la Cote, they still punch down the grapes the old-fashioned way—with their feet roaming around in three-ton cement vats. This hands-on approach allows them to feel the heat of fermentation, distribute the grape skins evenly, and ensure a gentle, controlled extraction. Not too hot, not too cool—just right, mama-bear.

My cellar now holds the 2022 Domaine de la Cote Blooms Field and Memorious, waiting for the right moment. Claire gave us a preview of Blooms Field, and I marveled at its balance of tart plums, cherries, savory herbs, cloves, dried roses, bark, and Earl Grey tea. Under a small light, we tasted more treasures, including a luminous Sandhi Chardonnay, which I plan to feature at my May events, and even a Syrah that appeared unexpectedly.

La Purisima

After our tasting, we walked for miles into La Purísima Mission State Park, just a few miles from Domaine de la Cote. This is the original home of the Chumash Tribe who owned all of this wine land for 13,000 years before wine land began and had a population of 25,000 in the mid-1800’s compared to the population of Lompoc now - around 45,000.

The paths on mission land curved gently through white layia, popcorn flowers, and yarrow, whispering the stories of those who cultivated this land long before wine. The Chumash people of the 1800s didn’t make wine, but they fermented beverages from native berries, fruits, and honey. Tule reeds and elderberries found their place in medicinal and ritual brews.

We stretched our legs near stone kilns, once used to render animal fat into soap, and reflected in the vast adobe warehouse, once a grain storehouse. The Chumash experimented with seeds, observed, and adapted—much like Domaine de la Cote is doing now with Pinot Noir. The legacy is worth the effort.

Wine is the product of patience, place, and people. A single seed, planted with care, becomes a ruby elixir decades later. The wines of Santa Rita are young on a global scale. Georgia has made wine for 5,000 years. Château Savigny-lès-Beaune was built in 1340 have been making wine since the 1600’s.

But, we are here now, privileged to experience this unfolding story, one bottle at a time. So, the phrase: “drink now or hold” seems miniscule. I say drink now AND hold” Domaine de la Cote, if you can get your hands on bottles from their small batches. Lucky me.