Fun Times at Easy Street Wine Collective 

Cooperative winemaking facilities are how Santa Barbara County blossomed as a wine country in the early days, as dozens of vintners who are famous today learned their craft together at places such as Central Coast Wine Services in Santa Maria. Though that landmark cellar center is no longer, smaller co-op wineries still persist in typically urban corners of our region, allowing winemakers both established and emerging to share equipment and cut costs while helping each other along the way.

A prominent example today is Easy Street Wine Collective in Buellton, which Etienne Terlinden of Cordon Winery developed in 2014 after taking over the property from Arthur White of the brands Arthur Earl and Alexander Wayne. “Easy Street was built for people who want to make great wine, not just own a winery,” explained Terlinden. “It’s about shared knowledge, shared tools, and a community that genuinely wants to see each other succeed.”

It is now home to nearly a dozen brands, from tiny projects like Jim Schlegel’s two-barrel brand Calm Down Jim to larger labels such as Larry Schaffer’s Tercero and Andrew Figge’s Figge Family, to veterans such as Karen Steinwachs, who just recently moved her Seagrape Wine Company to Easy Street. 

On January 31, for the third year in a row, the collective will open its doors to the public for an “open-bottle open house” featuring numerous brands, music, and food.

I asked Easy Street tenant Jason Scrymgeour, proprietor of Bocce Ball Wines and Clean Slate Wine Bar in Solvang, a few questions about the facility and event.

How did your own winery get involved there? 

Bocce Ball Wines was essentially born at Easy Street. Without Etienne Terlinden’s encouragement and guidance, and the insight and support of the other winemakers, Bocce Ball Wines simply would not exist. 

What’s the advantage of a collective like this? 

Producing wine in a shared setting lowers the barriers for small, independent winemakers while raising the overall level of craftsmanship. The facility offers shared resources like tank rentals and crossflow filtration, making professional-grade tools accessible to small producers. By sharing equipment, space, and resources, producers can focus their time and energy on the wine itself rather than the cost and complexity of running a standalone facility.

Just as important, the shared environment fosters collaboration. Winemakers are constantly exchanging ideas, tasting each other’s wines, and offering insight during critical moments of the winemaking process. We’ve created a culture where experience is shared and everyone benefits.

Any disadvantages? 

A shared winemaking facility requires flexibility, communication, and mutual respect. Scheduling around winemaking activities, storage space, and bottling is more complex when multiple producers are working simultaneously. Winemakers need to be highly organized, which is not always their strongest trait, especially during the stress of harvest.

How does this party differ from a usual wine event? 

Guests can expect a behind-the-scenes wine experience rather than a traditional tasting event. The Easy Street Open House takes place inside a working production facility, allowing attendees to taste wines in the exact space where they’re made, surrounded by tanks, barrels, and the winemakers themselves.

Unlike most wine festivals, wines will be available for purchase at the event. If guests find a wine they love, they can take home a few bottles directly from the source. Combined with food from Chef Melissa Scrymgeour of Clean Slate Wine Bar and live music from a full band, Keith Cox and Different Strings, the day is designed for some serious fun.

The Easy Street Wine Collective Open House is on Saturday, January 31, noon-3 p.m., at 90 Easy Street in Buellton. Tickets are $99 and can be purchased at bit.ly/45JVv4g.