Our Story
Margerum Wine Company began in 2001 in a tiny 240-square-foot cold room behind Brander Vineyards — at the time the smallest bonded winery in the United States. The idea was to return winemaking to its previous form: handcrafted and personal.
With my years of experience in California food and wine, I started Margerum Wine Company in 2001 to focus on the great terroirs of Santa Barbara County. I am committed to creating handcrafted wines using only the highest-quality grapes, to make wines that are indicative of the place where they are grown. We source from our Estate Vineyard in the Los Olivos District AVA and from top vineyards in Santa Barbara County. The Barden wines share the same philosophy but are exclusively sourced from fruit grown in the Sta. Rita Hills, on the cold western edge of the Santa Ynez Valley.
I strive to make natural wines that have individual characteristics and personality. The scale of production is kept at a level where we can touch and know the wines as they are raised to the bottle — the antithesis of mass production. The standards of quality are measured by our criteria, not by external sources. I make wines I personally enjoy — some to drink young and others for long aging in cool cellars for my children to enjoy. These are wines to share with family and friends at the table, where they belong.
Wine is Good Living,
Douglas Margerum, Owner & Director of Winemaking
How we work
- Our winery is kept at a constant 55 degrees to preserve varietal fruit flavors in the wines.
- All of the red wines are fermented in small open-top fermenters and punched down by hand.
- We use lees and the CO2 from fermentation as antioxidants rather than excessive sulfur.
- We farm organically and sustainably, and are good stewards of the land.
- We do well by doing good — part of what we do is to help others and our community.
- We honor tradition while embracing change — making better decisions is part of our DNA.
- We are built to last — we still take chances, and everyone gets heard.
