First Pick Pinot Noir

Aged in neutral puncheons to preserve the bright, nuanced flavors of the fruit. Our namesake, Uriel J. Nielson, planted Santa Barbara’s first commercial vineyard in 1964 when his critics thought the region was too cold to deliver world class wines. At Nielson, we pay homage to that pioneering spirit, producing Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from some of the area’s most celebrated vineyards. Our east-west valleys, marine soils, morning fog and seaside sunsets make Santa Barbara the perfect setting for uncommon wines of stunning minerality, acidity and balance. We use small-lot winemaking techniques such as hand pruning, block-by-block harvesting, barrel fermentations and lees stirring to create wines that beg discovery. The Santa Maria Valley – of Santa Barbara County – is one of California’s coolest AVAs, with one of the longest growing seasons in the world. The region is defined by its well-drained, lean soils and the unique east/west transverse mountain ranges that act as a funnel for morning fog and cold afternoon winds off the Pacific Ocean, resulting in balanced, vibrant wines.