Beckmen Vineyards Crafts Santa Ynez’s Rh’ne Home

While any estate-grown wine in the region is by definition made in Santa Barbara, few winemakers have gone to the lengths that Tom and Steve Beckmen have. In addition to their vineyard in Santa Ynez, complete with a tasting room (2670 Ontiveros Rd., Los Olivos; 688-8664; beckmenvineyards.com), the two discovered a high-elevation, limestone subsoil site to carve out Purisima Mountain Vineyard. “When we first found Purisima, we were impressed by the complex range of soil types, exposures, and elevations, and were convinced that the site had great potential for producing Rh’ne varietals,” Steve Beckmen said. “In addition, we began farming the vineyard bio-dynamically in 2006, a development that has further enhanced the vineyard’s potential, and has led to some of our finest wines to date.” Try any of their syrahs to see what Santa Barbara tastes like in a bottle.