Donnachadh Family Wines

Donnachadh Family Wines brings wines from its certified-organic estate in California’s Sta. Rita Hills American Viticultural Area to a tasting room in Los Olivos. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay share attention with Syrah and Gamay Noir, giving this stop more range than a two-grape tasting. Wines come by the flight, glass, or bottle, so a visit can mean a focused comparison or simply a glass.

Founders Drew and Laurie Duncan work with South African-born winemaker Ernst Storm. Their 285-acre estate on Santa Rosa Road has approximately 52 acres of vines, with plantings dating to 2013. Just nine miles from the Pacific Ocean, the vineyard spans wind-exposed, rocky hillsides and more sheltered blocks beside the Santa Ynez River. That contrast gives Storm different expressions of the same property to work with, while fog and ocean breezes help preserve the wines’ fresh acidity.

The Los Olivos tasting room sits at 2938 San Marcos Avenue, Suite 101—not at the vineyard. It opens Wednesday through Monday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., with walk-ins welcome and reservations encouraged. Groups of five or more arrange visits directly by email. Even the name comes with a useful introduction: Donnachadh is pronounced “DON nuh kuh.”