Brick Barn Wine Estate

795 W. Hwy 246nBuellton, CA

Brick Barn Wine Estate founder Norman Williams acquired 40 acres from the Buell family in 1968, and shortly thereafter purchased an adjacent 1,100 acres of the original Buell Ranch. The property became home to an Arabian horse farm, replete with a 36-stall brick barn created by an Italian stonemason in the early 1970s. Beyond its distinctive split-face brick and redwood beams, the barn was artfully marked by a mid-century modern roofline at its entrance. Years later, Norman and his wife Kathleen were drawn to the idea of growing grapes—and ultimately making wine. They saw immense promise in their land, and they knew that its distinct location could create wines with site-specific personality. In 2012, they planted 35 acres of vines in two key locations on the property. White varieties were planted near the Santa Ynez riverbed to take advantage of the sandy soils and cooler temperatures. Red varieties were planted to an upper highland with broader sun exposure, sloping aspects and rocky soils. The specific varieties were chosen for their synergy with the estate’s unique growing conditions, and because Norman and Kathleen were passionate about them. The original brick barn has now been reimagined as a winery and gathering place, while other portions of the ranch continue to be dedicated to organic vegetable farming and cattle ranching. The first Brick Barn wines were made from the 2016 vintage, and the winery opened to the public in 2018.