Beckmen Vineyards

Vineyard & winery

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About Us

Founded in 1994 by Tom and Steve Beckmen, Beckmen Vineyards is a family-run, estate winery located in Santa Barbara County's Santa Ynez Valley. Since its founding, Beckmen Vineyards has emerged as one of North America's premier producers of Rhone varietal wines, while also helping to establish Santa Barbara County as one of California's most highly regarded winegrowing regions.

Eager to return to his farming roots and convinced of the Santa Ynez Valley's vast potential to produce world-class wines, Tom Beckmen began searching for promising vineyard property in the early '90s. He found what he was looking for on a 40-acre parcel of land with an existing small winery. There he established Beckmen Vineyards. Working together, Tom and Steve began revitalizing the site. Convinced that the vineyard had been planted incorrectly, they painstakingly removed the 16 original acres of vines, and replanted the vineyard with carefully selected varietals, clones and rootstocks. The estate remains an idyllic wine country escape marked by red barns, duck ponds, and biodiverse vineyards.

Committed to building a world-class estate-vineyard program, the Beckmens also purchased a spectacular, unplanted 365-acre Santa Ynez Valley ranch in 1996. Naming it Purisima Mountain Vineyard, Tom and Steve began a meticulous planting process designed to maintain the natural diversity of the site. With an ideal climate and rare limestone subsoils similar to those found in Cote Rotie and Chateauneuf du Pape, the vineyard has proven perfect for producing a range of stunning Rhone varietals, especially Syrah and Grenache.

Biodynamic farming was adopted slowly over the course of several years. Steve Beckmen carefully tested biodynamic farming techniques before committing the whole vineyard. The results were impressive. When farmed biodynamically, the vines grew straight up, and the leaves were rich in color and healthy. In addition, the soil retained more moisture and there was an increase in sugar and tannin quality. Building on these exceptional results, 2006 marked the transition from a grand experiment to a fully dedicated program of biodynamic farming at Purisima Mountain Vineyard.

"Our goal," says Steve, "is to always get better and better. Biodynamics allows us to achieve the purest possible expression of our Purisima Mountain Vineyard terroir, which is at the very heart of our winegrowing philosophy."

Under the care and guidance of Tom and Steve, Purisima Mountain Vineyard has earned acclaim as one of California's great Rhone-varietal vineyards. Adding to its reputation as one of the most meticulously cultivated winegrowing sites in all of Santa Barbara County, and it was officially certified biodynamic and organic in 2009. Purisima was the first certified biodynamic vineyard in Santa Barbara Country. Reflecting a passion for quality and a belief in the natural character of the land, the adoption of biodynamic farming practices has only reinforced Steve's vineyard-focused style of winemaking. Believing that the wine in the bottle begins in the soil, Steve and the winemaking team craft wines that capture the unique terroir of Purisima Mountain.

Beckmen Vineyards produces a full line of exceptional estate-grown Rhone varietals including Syrah, Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Grenache Rose, and the Cuvee Le Bec blend. It also produces small quantities of exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Beckmen wines have been served at some of the finest restaurants and houses in the country, including the White House.

Certified Products

Features

• Wine Tasting & Wine Club

Acreage

Cropped: 365.00 Acres
Total Acreage: 365.00 Acres

How We Sell Our Products

• Retail | Whole Foods
• Tasting Room
• Website