Ranchos de Ontiveros

Ranchos de Ontiveros centers its Native9 Pinot Noir on Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard in Santa Maria, California, where ninth-generation California farmer James Ontiveros grows grapes on his childhood cattle ranch. At 764 feet on the southern side of the Santa Maria Valley, the property overlooks the historic Rancho Tepusquet land grant without belonging to it. The distinction matters: this is a family ranch with its own story, not simply another piece of the ancestral estate.

Native9 comes from two blocks totaling eight acres, with plantings dating to 1997 and 2000. Eight Pinot Noir selections, sandy soils, coastal wind, and minimal irrigation shape the raw material. Organic farming, hand harvesting, and whole-cluster fermentation—using intact bunches rather than removing every stem—define the production approach. Winemaker Justin Willett, whose tenure begins with the 2016 vintage, favors earlier picking and a restrained style. The broader Ranchos de Ontiveros range also draws Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Rancho Viñedo Vineyard, a separate property four miles away with vines dating to 1973.

Tastings are by appointment only, making this a planned stop rather than a drop-in. The Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard address is 6525 Dominion Road in Santa Maria; reservations are available online or by phone at (805) 694-8882.