The Wine Palate - Lisa Perotti-Brown June 2025

Santa Lucia Highlands is in Monterey County, California, just south of San Francisco and Silicon Valley. The entire AVA is only around 15 miles long and 1 mile wide. Tiny though it may be, the area is home to some of California’s most incredible Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards, in- cluding Pisoni Estate, Garys’ Vineyard, Rosella’s Vineyard, Soberanes, and Sierra Mar, to name a few. Windswept The first grape vines—primarily Chardonnay and Caber- net Sauvignon—were planted in Santa Lucia Highlands in 1973. Although the Cabernet had difficulty ripening, Chardonnay proved to be successful from the start. Since the defining feature of Santa Lucia Highlands’ climate is its cool, marginal nature, Pinot Noir was perfectly suited to the terroir. The maritime influence and accompanying fog, along with the constant wind, create distinctly whispery, nuanced Pinot expressions that have become a signature of this area. Jeff Pisoni is married to Bibiana González Rave, the former winemaker at Wayfarer Vineyard in Fort Ross- Seaview. Together, Jeff and Bibiana produce a stunning pair of Sauvignons from the Russian River Valley called Shared Notes. Bibiana also has her own Cattleya and Alma de Cat- tleya labels, both demonstrating her flair for crafting wines with old-world restraint and grace layered with California purity and persistence. This small, windswept region is well worth seeking out, especially for lovers of elegantly styled, nuanced Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.