Stolpman Vineyards "Crunchy Roastie" Syrah Ballard Canyon, 2022

 95% Syrah, 5% Viognier
• Syrah from assorted blocks from Stolpman Vineyards (Ballard Canyon AVA)
• Viognier from Block 4 at Stolpman Vineyards
• Whole-cluster, Native carbonic fermentation for 9-12-days
• Fermented in sealed stainless-steel tanks
• Aged 6 months in stainless steel and 3 months in neutral 500L French oak puncheon
• 1,050 cases produced
• 13% abv

Stolpman Vineyards was founded by husband and wife team Tom & Marilyn Stolpman. On their honeymoon in Napa Valley, Marilyn put the wild idea into Tom’s head about one day owning a vineyard. In 1988 their search for limestone near the ocean ended with the purchase of what is now Stolpman Vineyards in Ballard Canyon AVA of Santa Barbara County. In 1994, Ruben “the Grape Whisperer” and his wife Maria Solorzano became the vineyard managers at Stolpman – employing a year-round team and empowering them through mentorship and a profit sharing program. Tom’s son Peter joined the family business in 2009 after working for a reputable wine distributor. Since he joined the team, he took back the majority of the vineyard for wine production rather than selling the grapes. He also helped increase Ruben’s La Cuardilla profit sharing program for the vineyard workers to 10% of all Stolpman production. Stolpman Vineyards’ story is reminiscent of the early pioneers of American winegrowing. They started with a dream of cultivating land with their family, included all of those who maintain the land into the family, and produce world class wine initially through trial and error and evolving to hone their skills through collaboration.