United States · California

The Ojai Vineyard

The Ojai Vineyard is a benchmark California producer of single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Syrah from the Central Coast, founded in 1983 by Adam Tolmach (formerly of Au Bon Climat). The winery purchases fruit from a carefully selected group of Central Coast vineyards including Bien Nacido (Santa Maria Valley), Thompson Vineyard, Pisoni Vineyard (Santa Lucia Highlands), Solomon Hills, Clos Pepe, and White Hawk — all recognized among California's finest Pinot Noir and Syrah sources. Ojai operates in a deliberately artisan manner with tiny production per lot and a no-intervention philosophy. At auction, prices range from $18 to $308, with an average of $50 per bottle across 122 lots. The Bien Nacido Vineyard Syrah and Pisoni Vineyard Pinot Noir command premiums above the standard range. Tolmach's approach — whole-cluster fermentation, native yeast, minimal sulfur — produces wines of remarkable freshness and site transparency that have made Ojai a reference for California winemaking of the soil-expressive school.