Take a Bow

What’s next for Santa Barbara’s celebrated winemaker Greg Brewer

Written by Gabe Saglie | Photography by Jeremy Ball

Winemaker Greg Brewer believes his latest honor— “Winemaker of the Year,” bestowed by Wine Enthusiast Magazine—belongs to the entire Santa Barbara wine community. “Through my entire career, everything I’ve learned, my inspiration, the nurturing, all the dynamics—they’re all from Santa Barbara,” he says. “I am this place.” Notably, his win marks the first nod for a county vintner in the award’s 21-year history.

Brewer pours a glass of 2015 Brewer-Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir

The 51-year-old Brewer, who gained fame as Melville’s winemaker for almost 20 years, though 2015, launched the celebrated Brewer-Clifton label in 1996 with then-business partner Steve Clifton; he sold it to Jackson Family Wines in 2017 but stayed on as winemaker. He also makes acid-driven Chardonnays for the Diatom brand and cool-climate Syrahs for Ex Post Facto. A 120-acre Sta. Rita Hills vineyard dubbed Perilune, whose development he’s spearheading, will begin producing its first Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vintages this year.