High in the hills behind the little town of Creston, three sisters run one of Paso Robles’ most quietly defiant wineries. The Faulkner family chose this remote eastern corner for its unusual terroir, and the name fits: Defiance Vineyard is a women-led wine brand in an industry that has not always made room for them, and a boutique estate that does things its own way. The cozy tasting room comes with 360-degree views of the valley and wines worth the drive.

Three sisters, one defiant estate

Defiance Vineyard was founded in 2012, when the Faulkner family planted a boutique vineyard in the rolling hills behind the small town of Creston, east of Paso Robles, chosen specifically for its distinctive terroir. What began as a vineyard grew into a full winery, and in September 2020 Defiance launched its own estate wine after seeing how concentrated and balanced its fruit had become.

Today three sisters run the show, and the division of labor says everything about this family. Erin manages the vineyard, Brianna makes the wine, and Vincenta leads marketing and sales, a genuinely women-led operation that takes pride in promoting women in business and in the wine industry. It is a small, personal, hands-on winery where the people who grow and make the wine are the same ones who built the brand, and you feel that the moment you arrive.

Three sisters run Defiance, with Erin in the vineyard, Brianna making the wine, and Vincenta leading sales, a genuinely women-led estate in the Creston hills.

High-elevation Creston ground

Defiance sits in the Creston District, a high, remote stretch of the Paso Robles AVA on an eroded plateau at the base of the La Panza Range. Elevations climb from roughly 1,000 to 2,000 feet, the soils carry an old terrace, granitic, and sedimentary character, and the climate is a warm Region III moderated by altitude. The cozy hilltop tasting room takes in 360-degree views of the valley below.

That high-elevation setting is what drew the Faulkners. The altitude brings cool nights and a wide daily temperature swing, so the Bordeaux grapes ripen fully in the warm days while keeping the acidity and structure that give them aging potential. The granitic, well-drained soils stress the vines and concentrate the fruit, which is exactly why Defiance’s grapes turn out so rich and naturally balanced, and why the family was confident enough to bottle their own estate wine.

The wines: a serious Bordeaux palette

Defiance is built around Bordeaux, growing the full classic set: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot among the reds, and Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc among the whites, with Petite Sirah rounding out the lineup. That is an ambitious, serious palette for a boutique winery, and it reflects a family confident in what their high-elevation Creston fruit can do.

The wines show the richness and natural balance the estate is known for, concentrated and structured from the granitic hillside, but kept fresh by the cool Creston nights. Made in small quantities by a winemaker who farms her own family’s land, they carry the detail and care that only a tiny, hands-on operation can give. For drinkers willing to venture off the beaten path to the eastern hills, Defiance is a rewarding find.

What to pour it with

The Bordeaux reds are the heart of the table here, and they follow the classic logic. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot carry firm tannins, and tannin binds to protein and fat, so a grilled ribeye, a rack of lamb, or a braised short rib turns the wine plush while the meat tastes cleaner. Malbec, plush and dark, loves grilled red meat too, from skirt steak to a good burger.

The Cabernet Franc, with its savory, herbal edge, suits herb-roasted lamb or a mushroom dish, where the wine and the food meet on earthy common ground. For the whites, the Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon bring bright acidity and texture that pair beautifully with goat cheese, fresh seafood, or a salad with vinaigrette, since the wine’s acid cuts richness and echoes the tang. Keep the reds with red meat and the whites with lighter, brighter fare, and you cannot miss.

Defiance Vineyard: common questions