Casa Barranca Wines
Casa Barranca Wines - At Casa Barranca, we endeavor to find a synthesis of the finest Old World traditions with appropriate contemporary tools and techniques to handcraft extraordinary wine. We believe in natural, sustainable practices, and continue to strive for an optimal balance in our approach to wine making.
Our ICO certified organic vineyard consists of Syrah, Grenache, and Semillon grapes which thrive in the hot Mediterranean like climate of the Ojai Valley – akin to the southern Rhone region of France. We use natural, organic nutrients (like the squeezed grape matter left over after pressing) to fertilize our vines.
Our winery facility is the first certified organic winery on the Central Coast. It was converted from a century-old subterranean stone water cistern, which we excavated 15 feet down one side, and cut through two feet of stone wall to gain access.
In building the tiered shelving system in the winery for our gravity racking protocol, we used local craftsmen who employed Old World skills like “mortis and tenon,” and “scarf joinery,” and who finished the walls in a “board and batten” style. Our press “hopper” (the funnel we use to dump the fermented grapes into the press) is crafted of oak and is inspired by Greene & Greene design. Both the estate and winery draw their water from an artesian spring and are powered by solar energy.
On the personal side, we sweeten our day with honey from our apiary. We get sustenance from our organic orchards and vegetables gardens which are pollinated by our Italian honeybees. And we end our day with the evening family meal, a sunset over the fertile Ojai Valley, and a glass of our handcrafted wine.