Ranchos de Ontiveros - Rancho Viñedo Vineyard

Ranchos de Ontiveros’ Rancho Viñedo Vineyard in Santa Maria, California, centers on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines dating to 1973. Ninth-generation California farmer James Ontiveros farms this 12.75-acre property on the western portion of the original Rancho Tepusquet land grant, a place tied to his family’s Santa Maria Valley history since 1855. The distinction here is more than ancestry: these vines grow on their own roots rather than grafted rootstock, preserving a direct connection to the vineyard’s original planting.

Chardonnay takes the lead, with Wente Clone 72 growing in two separate blocks and Martini-clone Pinot Noir occupying the middle block. Winemaker Justin Willett favors earlier picking and a restrained style rather than pushing the fruit toward maximum ripeness. Although Rancho Viñedo sits just four miles from the producer’s Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard, its older vines and different soils give it a separate identity—not simply another address for Native9 Pinot Noir.

Visits require an appointment rather than a casual drop-in. Rancho Viñedo’s address is 4800 Santa Maria Mesa Road, distinct from the Dominion Road property. Reservations are available online or by phone at (805) 694-8882.