Spring is beginning to stir at Rideau…

After a dry 2024/2025 rain year, we’re grateful to be off to a strong start this winter—with over 22 inches of rain so far and more on the way. The vineyard is quietly waking; bud break hasn’t quite appeared yet, but we expect those first signs of green in the coming weeks as we move into the heart of the season.

As bottling begins and the days grow brighter, we’re excited to share this Spring Cellar Club selection—fresh, expressive wines made for sunny afternoons and effortless pairing. Below, you’ll find the full list of wines in your shipment, along with technical details, winery updates, and upcoming events. Happy spring!

RECENTLY AT RIDEAU

Our Vineyard and Barrel Room Tours Return!

Our Vineyard Walk and Barrel Room Tours are back! These complimentary tours run Thursday through Sunday at 1:30pm and 3:00pm. Join one of our tasting hosts for a guided walk through the property and a visit to the barrel room for a closer look at how our wines are made. No reservations are required!

Excellent scores from Wine Enthusiast Magazine!

We’re thrilled to be featured in the February issue of Wine Enthusiast with a round of great scores. Thank you to Matt Kettmann and the Wine Enthusiast team for the thoughtful reviews. Click below to view the full list of scores.

CELLAR CLUB CORNER

March Wine Club Shipment Wines

This month’s March Cellar Club shipment features a dynamic selection of whites and reds—each chosen to reflect the changing season and the distinctive character of Santa Barbara County terroir. We’re especially proud to include our 2023 Reserve Syrah, recently awarded 95 points by Wine Enthusiast.

A quick reminder: Keep an eye out for your shipment notification email, sent a couple of weeks prior to each quarterly release. From there, you can easily customize your allocation to suit your personal preferences before it processes.

Below, you’ll find tasting notes and technical details for each wine in this season’s allocation.

REDS

• 2022 Eighteen Eighty-Four – Our estate GSM blend is a beautiful expression of three varietals from our unique echalas planting.
• 2023 Eighteen Eighty-Four – The latest vintage of our echalas-planted GSM highlights the synergy of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah, with bright red fruit, savory herbs, and a lingering spice-laced finish.
• 2021 Zotovich Vineyard Syrah – Sourced from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, this Syrah shows cool-climate elegance, lifted aromatics, and age-worthy structure shaped by coastal influence.
• 2022 Cinsault – This bright, expressive Cinsault highlights juicy red fruit, gentle spice, and a fresh, food-friendly profile that makes it a versatile partner at the table.
• 2022 Estate Grenache – Sourced from our estate blocks, this Grenache shows vibrant red fruit, herbal nuance, and graceful structure framed by balanced acidity.
• 2022 Estate Mourvedre – Savory and structured, this Mourvèdre reveals dark fruit, earthy spice, and refined tannins that speak to its Rhône heritage.

Red for Black Label Clubs

• 2023 Reserve Estate Syrah – From a single, meticulously selected block with sun-dried stem inclusion, this Reserve Syrah is layered, structured, and deeply savory with remarkable depth and elegance.

WHITES

• 2023 Enchevêtré Blanc – This textural, round Rhône white blend balances richness and restraint, with white florals, stone fruit, and a polished, creamy finish.
• 2024 Brassman White – A vibrant and expressive stainless steel blend highlighting stone fruit, citrus, and a touch of florality, finishing with a crisp, refreshing snap.
• 2023 Stainless Steel Estate Viognier – Our annual stainless steel bottling of Viognier has been a favorite for nearly 30 years, showcasing pure, lifted aromatics and a bright, clean finish.
• 2018 Cuvee Doree Roussanne – Grown at the iconic Zaca Mesa Vineyard, this skin-contact Roussanne offers honeyed depth, layered texture, and preserved freshness.
• 2022 Chardonnay – Sourced from Zotovich Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills, this Chardonnay features bright citrus and orchard fruit with subtle texture and balance.

White for Black Label Clubs

• 2023 Reserve Estate Viognier – Twenty-four hours of skin contact, followed by neutral barrel fermentation and full malolactic conversion, give this Viognier rounded richness with a polished, creamy finish.

UPCOMING EVENTS

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP

We’re always looking for ways to help you make the most of your membership.
Here are a few quick tips to ensure you’re getting all the perks and benefits available to you:

• • Reserve a Tasting: Enjoy up to six complimentary wine tastings every time you visit, depending on your club level. It’s one of the easiest—and tastiest—ways to make the most of your membership.

• • Set Up Your Online Profile: Our new platform makes it simple to manage your account in one place. You can update your preferences, track past orders, and customize upcoming shipments once they’re released.

• • Shop New Wines: Can’t make it to the vineyard? No problem. Your club discounts apply online, too—shop our latest releases from the comfort of home.

• • Refer a Friend: Share the Rideau experience! If someone you refer joins the club and remains a member for at least a year, you’ll receive one of your club shipments for free.

• • Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes peeks, event news, and more.

As always, thank you from all of us at Rideau Vineyard for your continuing support. For 30 years now, we’ve done nearly everything on-site, from planting the vines to packing up the wines that go into your shipment. We truly wouldn’t be here without you, and we’re grateful for your ongoing trust. If you have any questions about your membership, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Hi, this is Steve at Rideau Vineyard. As Estate Manager, I’ve walked through our historic adobe almost every day for nearly two decades—and every time, I’m reminded of just how much life and history these walls hold. Built in 1884, the adobe sits at the heart of our estate, a steady presence that has been a homestead, a bustling guest ranch, a family farmhouse, and now a place where we welcome guests from near and far. Today, we’re proud to share the story of this remarkable building—one that has anchored our property for well over a century.

For all of us on the team, the adobe is more than a structure—it’s a living record of the Santa Ynez Valley. Generations have cooked here, worked here, celebrated here, and found rest here. Its story is woven into the broader fabric of early ranching life, agricultural innovation, and the sense of hospitality that still defines Rideau Vineyard today. Here’s a look at how this special place came to be.

OUR HISTORIC ADOBE

The adobe’s story begins on land once belonging to the Mexican-era Rancho El Alamo Pintado—“the painted sycamore,” named for the creek that still winds through the valley. In 1884, two young English immigrants (known as “remittance men”), Daniel Basil Alexander and his friend Mr. Grundy, built a sturdy two-story adobe home from the local earth. From all accounts, they created a warm and welcoming homestead that soon became a gathering point for the valley’s earliest settlers.

Agriculture quickly became a defining part of life here. By the late 1880s, new owners planted one of the region’s first commercial peach orchards—hundreds of acres that helped shape the agricultural identity of the Santa Ynez Valley. Those early plantings began a long tradition of farming on this land, a tradition we’re honored to carry forward today at Rideau Vineyard.

FROM HOMESTEAD TO GUEST RANCH

A major shift came in the late 1890s, when Alden March Boyd purchased the adobe and transformed it into the Fonda del Alamo Pintado, the first guest ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley. Opening in 1899, it offered hearty meals, fresh air, and a peaceful rural escape for travelers arriving by horse, stagecoach, or rail.

Guests enjoyed cool adobe interiors, broad verandas, and simple, welcoming rooms. The inn quickly became known as one of California’s most charming country retreats, even hosting overflow guests from Mattei’s Tavern. Although the guest ranch eventually closed, its spirit of warmth and hospitality continues to inspire how we welcome visitors at Rideau Vineyard today.

RANCHO LIFE & PRESERVATION

In 1937, the adobe was purchased by the de la Cuesta family—descendants of early Spanish-Californian settlers who farmed the land for decades. Their stewardship kept the adobe alive through family gatherings, ranching operations, and the rhythms of rural life well into the mid-20th century.

Recognizing its cultural importance, Santa Barbara County designated the adobe as Historic Landmark No. 12 in the 1970s. Even with that protection, by the mid-1980s, the building eventually sat empty, weathered by time and waiting for someone to restore it and give it a new purpose.

THE RIDEAU VINEYARD ERA

In 1995, the adobe entered a new era when Iris Rideau purchased and thoughtfully restored it as the home of Rideau Vineyard. Her work preserved the building’s original architecture—its thick earthen walls, hand-hewn beams, and timeless character—ensuring the adobe remained a living piece of valley history.

In 2016, Martin and Isabelle Gauthier purchased Rideau Vineyard from Iris, preserving the name and the spirit of hospitality she established, while bringing renewed focus and strength to the estate through organic farming and sustainable vineyard practices.

Today, the adobe is still the heart of our estate—a place where we welcome guests, share our wines, and celebrate the heritage of one of the valley’s oldest surviving structures. It’s a privilege to continue its story, and all of us take pride in caring for it every day.

We invite you to visit Rideau Vineyard, step inside our historic adobe, and experience its story for yourself. Whether you’re enjoying a tasting under the oak trees or exploring the rooms of this remarkable building, we hope you feel the sense of place that makes Rideau truly special.

BOOK YOUR VISIT

Harvest has concluded here at Rideau…

…and we are excited to welcome to start of the holiday season! We hope you’re enjoying these late-fall days as we ease into the start of winter. This season’s wine shipment selections were crafted to reflect the richness and warmth of autumn leading into the holidays—whether you’ve opened a bottle with friends or are saving them for the celebrations ahead, we trust they’ll bring depth and delight to your table.

RECENTLY AT RIDEAU

Thanks to all who contributed to our Breast Cancer Resource Center drive!

In October, we were proud to donate 50% of all sales from our Rosé à la Fraise cocktail to the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Santa Barbara. Supporting this important cause means a great deal to us, and we were honored to present the check to the BCRC right here at the vineyard.

Harvest 2025 is in the books!

With our final fruit arriving in late October, we wrapped up a wonderful growing season. Below is a look at the fruit we brought in this year, organized by vineyard and tonnage. We’re thrilled with the quality and can’t wait to share these wines with you in the coming years!

Excellent scores from Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling

Jeb Dunnuck and James Suckling are two of the most influential wine writers in the industry, each having cut their teeth at one of the world’s most prestigious wine publications. We’re thrilled to share that our new releases have received a slate of 90+ point scores from both critics. For an easy, mobile-friendly look at their full comments and ratings, click below to view each score sheet.

CELLAR CLUB CORNER

December Wine Club Shipment Wines

This month’s club selections feature a stellar array of whites and reds—each chosen to complement the season and highlight the beauty of Santa Barbara County terroir. These releases include our brand new 2022 Château Duplantier, rated 92 points by Jeb Dunnuck. Click below to explore tasting notes and technical details for each wine.

REDS

• 2022 Château Duplantier – One of our most iconic reds, this robust Petite Sirah, Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenache blend shows strength and balance in equal measure.
• 2023 Carignane – Our iconic 100% varietal Carignane shows all the classic qualities of this bottling, with silky, smooth tannins and a supple blend of both dark fruit and bright spice elements.
• 2021 Stolpman Syrah – The Ballard Canyon AVA is the source of one of our most robust and full-bodied Syrah expressions, from some of the oldest vines in the region.
• 2023 Cinsault – This bright, expressive Cinsault highlights juicy red fruit, gentle spice, and a fresh, food-friendly profile that makes it a versatile partner at the table.
• 2023 Zotovich Syrah – Sourced from the acclaimed Zotovich Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills, this Syrah impresses with its cool-climate elegance, depth, and age-worthy structure.

Red for Black Label Clubs

• 2022 Reserve Estate Syrah – The pinnacle of our estate Syrah bottlings is this luscious, silky Reserve Syrah, which balances deep, dark, rich fruit with layer after layer of spice and earth.
• 2022 Siempre Malbec – Legendary in our program, this Black Label bottling sourced from Happy Canyon Vineyard is a yearly favorite.

WHITES

• 2024 Enchevêtré Blanc – This textural, round Rhône white blend showcases a gentle beeswax and honey character brightened by elegant tropical tones.
• 2024 Brassman White – A vibrant and expressive blend highlighting stone fruit, citrus, and a touch of florality, finishing with a crisp, refreshing snap.
• 2023 Estate Viognier – A richly textured estate Viognier offering layers of peach, apricot, and honeysuckle, framed by balanced acidity.
• 2023 Stainless Steel Estate Viognier – Our annual stainless steel bottling of Viognier has been a favorite for nearly 30 years, showcasing pure, lifted aromatics and a bright, clean finish.
• 2024 Estate Roussanne – Grown on our ancient riverbed lower vineyard, this Roussanne exhibits surprising, razor-sharp clarity and definition, offering a unique expression of our estate terroir.
• 2023 Chardonnay – Sourced from the acclaimed Zotovich Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills, this Chardonnay features bright notes of citrus blossom and white peach, with hints of pear and a touch of honeydew melon. Subtle oak influence adds a layer of complexity to the vibrant palate.

White for Black Label Clubs

• 2023 Reserve Estate Viognier – This Viognier underwent skin contact, neutral barrel fermentation and aging, along with complete malolactic fermentation, bringing richness to the palate while retaining the grape’s floral character.

UPCOMING EVENTS

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP

We’re always looking for ways to help you make the most of your membership.
Here are a few quick tips to ensure you’re getting all the perks and benefits available to you:

• Reserve a Tasting: Enjoy up to six complimentary wine tastings every time you visit, depending on your club level. It’s one of the easiest—and tastiest—ways to make the most of your membership.
• Set Up Your Online Profile: Our new platform makes it simple to manage your account in one place. You can update your preferences, track past orders, and customize upcoming shipments once they’re released.
• Shop New Wines: Can’t make it to the vineyard? No problem. Your club discounts apply online, too—shop our latest releases from the comfort of home.
• Refer a Friend: Share the Rideau experience! If someone you refer joins the club and remains a member for at least a year, you’ll receive one of your club shipments for free.
• Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes peeks, event news, and more.

As always, thank you from all of us at Rideau Vineyard for your continuing support. For 30 years now, we’ve done nearly everything on-site, from planting the vines to packing up the wines that go into your shipment. We truly wouldn’t be here without you, and we’re grateful for your ongoing trust. If you have any questions about your membership, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Hi, I’m Adrienne Rule, winemaker here at Rideau Vineyard. For nearly three decades, our team has been crafting small-lot wines with one guiding belief: the land should lead the way. When guests ask what gives our wines their distinctive character, we always point to two things—our terroir and our shared, minimal-intervention approach in the cellar. Together, these shape every bottle we make.

OUR TERROIR

One of the things we love most about working with this vineyard is our climate. Long, warm days give the grapes generous ripeness, while the cool evenings—carried in by Pacific breezes—help maintain natural acidity. That daily rhythm creates the balance we strive for in our wines, with a style that’s both age-worthy and food-friendly.

The soils beneath our vines are just as essential. The lower part of our estate rests on what was once an ancient riverbed, leaving us with gravelly soils that drain quickly. Varietals like Viognier, Roussanne, and Grenache thrive here, developing distinctive aromatics and minerality. As the ground rises into gentle slopes, the soil becomes more clay-loam—richer, with more water-retention capacity. That’s where our Syrah is planted, and the fruit from these blocks naturally shows more depth, structure, and savory character. Our job in the cellar is to honor these differences rather than smooth them away.

This land has been tended for generations—first as orchards of peaches and walnuts, and now as organically farmed vineyard rows shaded by ancient oaks. We avoid synthetic pesticides and have worked to build out solar operations as part of our commitment to sustainable stewardship. Healthy soils and healthy vines are essential to expressive wines, and we work every season to ensure this place continues to thrive.

The vineyard map below shows how we’ve planted each variety where it naturally thrives. Viognier spans much of thelower vineyard, joined by Roussanne and our more delicate red varietals, while the dense échalas-method blocks of Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Syrah rise up the hillside toward our upper Syrah plantings. These subtle shifts in exposure, drainage, and soil composition give our wines their layered personalities—and capturing those nuances is at the heart of our work.

OUR WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY

Our winemaking philosophy flows directly from this respect for the land. We hand-harvest each block, ferment with native yeast, and keep intervention to a minimum so the vineyard can speak for itself. We use oak sparingly, choosing barrels that add subtle texture rather than overt flavor. As a team, we’re always focused on clarity and balance, allowing each wine to reflect the character of the fruit and the soils it came from.

So when you open a bottle from our estate, you’re tasting more than just the fruit—you’re tasting our riverbed soils, our coastal evenings, our sustainable farming, and the thoughtful, hands-on work we put into every small lot. That’s the beauty of our terroir, and it’s what inspires us every day at Rideau.

We hope this gives you a deeper sense of how our estate comes together—from the soils beneath your feet to the wines you enjoy in your glass. Take a stroll through our shop to discover the full extent of the many varietals we work with.

DISCOVER OUR WINES

Harvest is approaching here at Rideau…

…and as excited as we are about the wines to come, we’re just as thrilled about those we’ve chosen for your club shipment this quarter. We hope you’re already enjoying them! This season’s selection was crafted with care to reflect the richness and warmth of early fall—whether you’ve opened a bottle with friends or are saving them for the holidays ahead, we trust they’ll bring depth and delight to your table.

RECENTLY AT RIDEAU

New Wine Release – 2022 Blanc de Blancs

We’re so excited to introduce a brand-new milestone for Rideau: our very first sparkling wine release. The 2022 Blanc de Blancs marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in our program. Made primarily from Chardonnay and crafted in the traditional méthode, this elegant sparkler showcases fine bubbles, vibrant acidity, and layered notes of green apple, lemon peel, and fresh-baked brioche. It’s a refined and celebratory wine—perfect with oysters, creamy cheeses, or simply raising a glass to something special. You can try the wine in our tasting room, and also purchase it on our website!

Vineyard Update – Veraison and the coming of Harvest!

Over the past month, we’ve entered one of the most exciting and visually striking times in the vineyard—veraison, when the grapes begin to soften and change color, signaling the final stretch before harvest. The canopy is still lush and vibrant, but you can feel the shift in the air as the vines channel their energy into ripening the fruit. If the weather holds steady, we anticipate the first picks to begin in the next two to three weeks—an exciting start to what we hope will be a concentrated, flavorful, and expressive vintage.

National Relaxation Day – Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who joined us on August 16th to celebrate National Relaxation Day at Rideau! Guests lounged under the oaks, snapped playful photos in our brand-new 8-foot pink Adirondack chair, and enjoyed a lovely performance from Shennie Smith and her guitarist Brahms. The afternoon was filled with laughter, games of corn hole, and plenty of delicious bites including smash burgers, lobster rolls, pizzas, and charcuterie plates. Of course, the stars of the day were the wines—we poured bottle after bottle of our new Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine and fresh Estate Viognier for a packed crowd. It was the perfect way to toast summer in true Rideau style!

CELLAR CLUB CORNER

September Wine Club Shipment Wines

This month’s club selections feature a stellar array of whites and reds—each chosen to complement the season and highlight the beauty of Santa Barbara County terroir. These releases include our brand new 2022 Reserve Estate Syrah, an absolutely gorgeous expression of our estate fruit, as always, and rated 94 points by Jeb Dunnuck. Click below to explore tasting notes and technical details for each wine.

REDS

• 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon – Sourced from the estimable Happy Canyon Vineyard, this balanced, medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon is a lovely expression of the warmest AVA in Santa Barbara County.
• 2022 Estate Mourvèdre – Our iconic 100% varietal Mourvèdre shows all the classic qualities of this bottling, with silky smooth, chocolatey tannins, and a supple blend of both dark fruit and bright spice elements.
• 2022 Stolpman Syrah – The Ballard Canyon AVA is the source of one of our most robust and full-bodied Syrah expressions, from some of the oldest vines in the region.
• 2022 Thompson Syrah – The Alisos Canyon AVA, a windy east-west corridor towards Los Alamos, is the home of Thompson Vineyard. We’ve always loved the intensely concentrated raspberry quality of the fruit from this low-yielding vineyard.
• 2021 La Encantada Pinot Noir – We have sourced fruit from the incredible La Encantada Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills for nearly fifteen years now, and each vintage impresses us with its elegance, complexity, and drinkability.

Red for Black Label Clubs

• 2022 Reserve Estate Syrah – The pinnacle of our estate Syrah bottlings is this luscious, silky Reserve Syrah, which balances both deep, dark, rich fruit and layer after layer of spice and earth with truly mouth-watering results.
• 2021 Siempre Malbec – Legendary in our program, this Black Label bottling sourced from Happy Canyon Vineyard is a yearly favorite.

WHITES

• 2024 Enchevêtré Blanc – This textural, round Rhône white blend showcases a gentle beeswax and honey character brightened by elegant tropical tones.
• 2023 Stainless Steel Estate Viognier – Our annual stainless steel bottling of Viognier has been a favorite for nearly 30 years.
• 2024 Estate Roussanne – Grown on our ancient riverbed lower vineyard, this Roussanne exhibits surprising, razor-sharp clarity and definition not often seen in the varietal, offering a unique expression of our estate terroir.
• 2022 Chardonnay – Sourced from the acclaimed Zotovich Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills, this Chardonnay features bright notes of citrus blossom and white peach, with hints of pear and a touch of honeydew melon. The subtle oak influence adds a layer of complexity to the vibrant palate.
• 2024 Riesling – Our annual sweet Riesling is a gorgeous, elegant expression of the varietal with lovely sweet tones, making it a delightful choice for those who appreciate a touch of sweetness in their wine.

White for Black Label Clubs

• 2022 Reserve Estate Viognier – This Viognier underwent skin contact, neutral barrel fermentation and aging, along with complete malolactic fermentation, bringing richness to the palate while retaining the grape’s floral character.

We hope you’re enjoying our new platform!

Our new platform launched earlier this summer to make customizing your club shipments easier than ever, and we’re so happy that many of you used it for the June and September releases! As always, a couple of weeks before each shipment you’ll receive an email with the wines selected for your package and a link to your profile where you can adjust your allocation however you like. This feature has long been requested by our members, and we’re so glad it’s now a seamless part of your club experience.

UPCOMING EVENTS

MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR MEMBERSHIP

We’re always looking for ways to help you make the most of your membership.
Here are a few quick tips to ensure you’re getting all the perks and benefits available to you:

• Reserve a Tasting: Enjoy up to six complimentary wine tastings every time you visit, depending on your club level. It’s one of the easiest—and tastiest—ways to make the most of your membership.
• Set Up Your Online Profile: Our new platform makes it simple to manage your account in one place. You can update your preferences, track past orders, and customize upcoming shipments once they’re released.
• Shop New Wines: Can’t make it to the vineyard? No problem. Your club discounts apply online, too—shop our latest releases from the comfort of home.
• Refer a Friend: Share the Rideau experience! If someone you refer joins the club and remains a member for at least a year, you’ll receive one of your club shipments for free.
• Follow us on Instagram for behind-the-scenes and more.

As always, thank you from all of us at Rideau Vineyard for your continuing support. For 30 years now, we’ve done literally everything on-site, from planting the vines to packing up the wines that go into your shipment. We truly wouldn’t be here without you and we’re grateful for your ongoing trust.  If you have any questions about your membership, please don’t hesitate to contact us.