Growing up as the son of a true Santa Barbara County wine pioneer like Billy Wathen — who cofounded Foxen Winery with Dick Dore in 1985 — Bingo Wathen was never far from the scene, usually working harvests while a student at Santa Ynez High.
“It was always part of my life,” he said. “I knew it was always here for me if I wanted to take that on.”
At first, he did not, studying global studies at UCSB and then Spanish while living in Spain with dreams of travel and writing. Bingo moved back in with his parents in 2013, figuring he would save money by working harvest while plotting his next move. But something was different this time, as he started drinking more wine and getting into the Santa Ynez Valley scene.
Bingo went the restaurant route first, working as a bartender and wine buyer at SY Kitchen. In 2015, he started Barieau Wines as a one-barrel side project, naming the brand after his mom’s maiden name. “I wasn’t really sure that I wanted to take over Foxen, but I wasn’t sure that I didn’t want to either,” he said. “I wanted to keep my foot in the game”
A few years later, he did officially take up the family mantle by joining Foxen, like his sister, Riley Wathen Slack, did around the same time. “Now I’m here more than full time,” said Bingo, who works in both the vineyards and cellar.
He kept Barieau going too, slowly upping the volume until he doubled it in 2023 to about 350 cases. “That was a big gamble,” he admitted. The brand now features albariño, pinot noir, syrah, and a Rhône red blend, each sporting proprietary Latin names that represent the forces of sea, sun, earth, and man. “I’m obsessed with the natural forces that go into winemaking,” said Bingo.
After years of selling his production to a handful of Central Coast restaurants — and some via Instagram — Bingo is building a website and attending events like the Garagiste Festival. He explained, “I need to step up and put my sales face on.”
Barieau Wines will be at the Garagiste Festival: Southern Exposure in Solvang on February 7. See @barieauwines.
You must be logged in to post a comment.