Some winemakers find their calling late. Andrew Murray found his as a teenager, falling for the Rhone Valley and its grape, Syrah, and convincing his family to plant a steep hillside in the Santa Ynez Valley to chase it. Decades later, he has made his name one of the surest bets for Syrah in California.

One of the original Rhone Rangers

The Murray family planted their Foxen Canyon estate in the early 1990s, and Andrew Murray, barely out of his teens, devoted himself to the Rhone varieties that the warm eastern Santa Ynez Valley ripens so beautifully. He became one of the original young Rhone Rangers of Santa Barbara, building a reputation for Syrah of power and polish, alongside Grenache, Viognier, and Roussanne. In recent years the winery took on an even greater role in the region’s Rhone story, becoming the home of Qupe, the historic label founded by Bob Lindquist, one of the genre’s founding fathers.

He fell for Syrah as a teenager, and never looked back. The county is richer for it.

The wines

Syrah is the heart of the house, from the friendly, everyday Tous Les Jours bottling to serious single-vineyard wines that show off the warm hillsides of the Santa Ynez Valley with their signature black pepper and dark fruit. Around it sit Grenache, the aromatic whites Viognier and Roussanne, and the wider Rhone family. With Qupe now under the same roof, this is one of the great places in California to explore the Rhone grapes side by side.

The winery began in 1990, when Jim and Fran Murray sold their Southern California restaurants and bought 200 acres in the Santa Ynez Valley. Their son Andrew had fallen for the Rhone Valley and its grapes as a teenager and talked the family into planting Syrah, and he has run the cellar ever since. The result is one of Santa Barbara County’s original Rhone houses, built by someone who chose these grapes on purpose rather than by default.

The range stays close to that first love: Syrah above all, plus Grenache and the white Rhones Roussanne, Marsanne, and Grenache Blanc. His Syrahs in particular have a long track record of punching above their price, which is part of why the wines turn up on so many Central Coast lists. You can taste at the estate winery out on Foxen Canyon Road or at the E11even tasting room right in the village of Los Olivos, which makes Andrew Murray an easy stop whether you are driving the wine trail or walking the town.

What to drink it with

The Syrah is built for fire and fat: Santa Maria style tri-tip, grilled lamb, or braised short ribs, where the wine’s pepper and dark fruit lock into the char. The Grenache, softer and red-fruited, loves roast pork or duck, and the Viognier, full and low in acidity, is a natural with roast chicken, pork loin, or stone fruit and a soft cheese.

Plan your visit

Andrew Murray pours at its estate winery on Foxen Canyon Road, open daily, and also keeps a tasting room in the walkable village of Los Olivos. Either way, this is the spot to taste a true Rhone specialist at work.

Frequently asked questions