Elegant lovely and the reds wow I just had a moment. Not casual but elegant. Unique tasting room built by a very wealthy Persian businessman. Blocks of travertine imported from Iran, rare blue granite and fine craftsmanship are on full display. The staff is knowledgable and friendly and the cabernets, given some time to age and soften the abundant tannins, are terrific.

A Family Ensemble

“When I was a little kid, both my mother and father came from musical families. My father was a great flautist, composer, and conductor and my mother’s father was a wonderful Neapolitan songwriter. Her brother was a fine trumpet player in the same orchestra my father played in. He brought his friend home to dinner one occasion, and that’s how my father met my mother.”
-Francis Ford Coppola

Summerland Winery is a boutique winery dedicated to the production of fine wines from the Central Coast of California. Nebil “Bilo” Zarif founded Summerland Winery in 2002 with the goal of producing premium wines from expressive vineyard sources spanning from Santa Barbara to Monterey. Since then, the winery has built a name synonymous with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The 14+ different varietals from 9 renowned vineyards allow the Central Coast and Single Vineyard Collections to showcase their excellent fruit character combined with strong regional character. The winery’s tasting room is located in Summerland’s charming seaside setting, just 10 minutes south of Santa Barbara.

It may have been a bit of romanticism at the start, but Coterie's founders, Shala and Kyle Loudon, were hooked the first day they worked at a small winery. Shala, whose family has a history with wine in Italy, and Kyle, a lifelong foodie, envisioned a future inspired by their pasts. Plenty of points test your resolve when you create a winery from scratch, but the spiritual sway of the land and wine are strong in California. These feelings run deep.

Shala and Kyle believe in a little of the unconventional. They believe in making wine primarily by hand, without the homogenization imposed by too much technology. They offer the wines of Coterie primarily through a members list, directly from the winery, and at a small number of fine restaurants, rather than through wide distribution. They take special pride in receiving accolades that are volunteered, rather than soliciting scores, reviews, and awards. Furthermore, they don’t engage much in publicity; they are honored that the winery has a special clientele.