Palmina is all about a philosophy. A philosophy that brings people back to the table to sustain themselves with good wine and food, conversation and a small respite from the hustle and bustle of today’s world. We believe that our part in this philosophy is to craft wines that are a key part of that equation; to provide wines that can be enjoyed everyday, and that complement and enhance a wide range of food styles.

We produce solely Italian varietals from Santa Barbara County, California. We found that the climate and soil types in our own Santa Barbara County are similar to those in our adopted Northern Italy. Another parallel is that Santa Barbara County features a unique transverse mountain range, running from east to west that funnels oceanic influence into the valleys. The Alaskan current runs along the Pacific coastline until Point Concepcion where it juts in and pushes the cold air into the valley. Morning maritime fog rolls in slowly and finally meets the warm desert air flowing from the east and the Los Padres National Forest. This climatic result is very similar to what happens in the regions of Piemonte and Friuli, except that the elements are reversed. There, the Alps send extremely cold mountain air down into the hills as the Adriatic and Mediterranean Seas create a warming air that comes into the hills and valleys. This confluence of Mediterranean and Alpine air creates many microclimates that are perfect winegrape growing conditions.

These unique areas of microclimates – Piemonte, Friuli and Santa Barbara County - feature cold air pushing warm air to create growing conditions that provide enough sunlight to help fully develop fruit flavors, and cool night temperatures that maintain the grape’s natural acidity levels, and which allow winemakers to create “food wines” with a balance of fruit, tannin and acid.

At Palmina, we are not attempting to copy what the Italians have done for years with these grapes, but rather interpret the history and importance of the wines and have them still have a sense of place here in Santa Barbara County. Our intent is to make our wines the best we can by studying and understanding the translation of the region, grapes and foods of the area and how they are best interpreted here in Santa Barbara County. Just like translating a piece of literature from one language to another, the meaning of the literature must be the focus, not just the verbiage.

Even before making wine, we were captivated by Italy and the Italian lifestyle. There, food and wine is part of a healthy, happy way of life that brings people together. And so, unlike the movement called ‘Cal-Ital’, we are not focusing on making wines in a big California style. The wines are made in a delicate manner that allows them to be paired with food. Our dedication to these wines is to handle them all separately without any ‘formula’. Each of the nine different Italian varietals of grapes we work with requires our complete attention to detail to ensure that the true nature of that grape shines through.

Most of our white wines are made in stainless steel with no malolactic fermentation so the heightened aromatics balance the natural acidity and minerality in these varietals.

Our red wines range in style from an everyday drinking red wine like Dolcetto, which is made in a fresh style of neutral oak and stainless steel and released in the summer within a year of harvesting, to Nebbiolo which is a full-bodied wine full of tannins. As opposed to the early release of Dolcetto, Nebbiolo takes four years to produce, aging slowly in large upright and puncheon barrels while slowly gaining earthiness and roundness.

Here’s to food and wine, wine and food and a table full of friends, family and togetherness!