Fifty years on the same ground

Brander has been family owned and estate grown since 1975, which makes it one of the longest running producers in Santa Barbara County and one of the reasons Sauvignon Blanc is taken seriously here at all. Fred Brander built the reputation on that grape and on the Bordeaux varieties that sit alongside it, and the winery has spent five decades refining the same idea rather than chasing new ones.

Fred was born in Argentina, and his personal history runs through Mexico as much as it does through Bordeaux. That shows up on the estate in a way it does not at other wineries, which is worth getting to before the wine.

The Barn, and why proximity matters

Wine production sits on the estate vineyard, a matter of yards from the nearest vines. The chemistry of a wine grape starts changing the moment it is picked, and trucking fruit any distance costs you something. Brander does not have that problem. Grapes go from the row to the crush pad almost immediately.

The winery building, which the staff call The Barn, was the only structure on the property for years. Tastings used to happen inside it at a rustic picnic table with Fred hosting personally. It is still the center of production, now fitted with European equipment that lets the team keep individual lots separate through fermentation. Rather than blending all the Cabernet Sauvignon into one tank before barrel, they can hold lots back by block, by clone, or by ripeness at harvest, and make blending decisions later with more to work with.

A folk art museum on a wine estate

The Brander Museum of Folk Art occupies a 1,500 square foot gallery on the estate, right next to the tasting room. Fred founded and curates it himself, and it holds more than sixty five hand collected pieces of Mexican folk art: painted wood carvings, clay figures, metalwork. Decades of travel in southern Mexico and friendships with the artists and communities there are what built it.

The tour is self guided and the gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday. It is a genuinely unusual thing to find attached to a tasting room, and it is free to look. For the wider appellation, see our guide to the Los Olivos District.

The wines

Every bottle below links straight to Brander’s own store. Prices and vintages come from the winery and change as releases sell through.

2024 Au NaturelSauvignon Blanc$45.002025 Cuvée NatalieWhite Blend$37.002025 Sauvignon BlancSanta Barbara County$23.002023 RieslingKick-on Vineyard$30.002025 RoséLos Olivos District$28.002024 Cuvée NicolasEstate$42.002023 BouchetEstate$70.002025 Sauvignon Blanc Case OfferingSanta Ynez Valley$276.002025 Sauvignon Blanc Half Case Offering 6 BottlesSanta Ynez Valley$160.002017 Mr.B Late Harvest SemillonSanta Ynez Valley$25.002017 Petit MansengSanta Ynez Valley$30.002023 F/RedSanta Ynez Valley$26.002024 Le Cul de RefugioEstate$37.002022 Cabernet FrancEstate$50.002024 ChardonnayLa Presa Vineyard$32.002024 Pinot GrisKick-on Vineyard$32.002024 Mesa Verde Sauvignon BlancSanta Ynez Valley$34.002024 Sauvignon BlancLa Presa Vineyard$32.002022 Cabernet Sauvignon ReserveSanta Ynez Valley$65.002023 Cabernet SauvignonEstate$42.002023 SyrahEstate$40.002024 Sauvignon GrisSanta Ynez Valley$36.002024 SemillonEstate$35.00

Looking for more producers nearby? Start with our Los Olivos District guide or the wider Santa Ynez Valley, and use the wine pairing tool to match a bottle to dinner.

Visiting Brander

The tasting room is on North Refugio Road, dog friendly, kid friendly, and relaxed about outside food. Seating is on the patio and courtyard with some room inside.

Common questions about The Brander Vineyard

Explore more Santa Barbara County wine

• Los Olivos District AVA guide
• Santa Ynez Valley wineries
• Santa Barbara County wine guide
• Sauvignon Blanc explained

Wine listings, images and pricing are pulled from the winery and link to its own store. Details change with each release. Confirm hours, tasting fees and reservations with the winery before visiting.