Lady of the Sunshine - 'Chêne Vineyard' - Chardonnay - Edna Valley, CA - 2021

the 2021 harvest marked the first official year of demeter biodynamic certification for both the chardonnay & pinot noir from grape to bottle. the one acre of wente clone chardonnay yielded 3 tons to the acre and was picked the first week of september. the grapes were foot crushed and soaked on the skins overnight before being whole bunch pressed the next morning. the juice was collected and barreled down to ferment with native yeast in neutral oak barrels. the fermentation was encouraged to keep warm by soaking in the sun throughout the duration of the fermentation before going dry. the wine aged on its lees for 10 months before being racked for the first time to bottle, without filtration.
think olive oil cake, lemon zest, & sea salt

192 cases produced | 12.8% alcohol

I started Lady of the Sunshine in 2017 as a playful expression of wines that focus on farming, prioritizing organic and biodynamic vineyard sites, and making wine without additives or manipulation. The ultimate goal is to make fun, fresh, what we call, breakfast wines, that are built on the mantra, "know your farmer". I've drawn inspiration from my home, and from the regions and other winemakers I've worked with in France, New Zealand, Oregon and Napa. My personal growth in my trade is inspired by Old World winemaking techniques, from a simpler time, when less was more.
Lady of the Sunshine only works with vineyards practicing organic farming techniques or better. All of the wines are fermented using native yeast, natural acidity, minimal amounts of sulfur, and neutral french oak barrels. The wines are moved off the lees only once for bottling, & are always unfined and unfiltered. These wines are made with intention, love, and a deep respect for the land, carrying with them the spirit of the place in which they come from.

The foundation of Lady of the Sunshine focuses on regenerative, biodynamic farming practices that lead us to spend more time walking, listening and learning from the land we farm.
The goal is simple, to leave the land better than we found.
I grew up on my family’s ninety acre biodynamic ranch, Narrow Gate Vineyards in the Sierra Foothills of California. I am now a second generation biodynamic farmer and winemaker, inspired by my father’s trade. Growing up on a biodynamic farm, I learned we must lean into Mother Nature to work with her, rather than against her. Through regenerative farming practices, we can heal soil, increase biodiversity, and turn waste into new energy.
With inspiration from home, I now farm 6.5 acres on the Central Coast of California, where I utilize regenerative, biodynamic farming practices in pursuit of making wines that speak of place. The Chene Vineyard, which I have been farming since the beginning of 2018, received it’s Demeter certification for biodynamic farming practices in June 2020, after a three year conversion period. I hope that this newly earned stamp will bring authenticity to inspire others about farming for our future, by healing through farming.