Matt and Carolina met playing Romeo and Juliet, which tells you something about the romance behind Fuil. Two decades later the husband-and-wife team makes small lots of Santa Ynez Valley wine that marry Old World restraint with California sunshine, using native yeast, whole-cluster fermentation, and fruit from organically and biodynamically farmed vineyards. The name, pronounced fool, is the Gaelic word for blood, kin, land, passion, and temperament, a nod to Matt Irish roots and to how personal this whole thing is.

A wine romance, two decades in

Matt grew up in rural Wisconsin, in beer and brat country, with parents who rarely drank. The spark came when his father took a community college wine appreciation course and had to finish a bottle a week, sitting at the table analyzing color, aroma, and taste. Matt was hooked, and in his twenties and thirties he took extra jobs just to afford the wines that moved him. Now he makes the wine that moves other people.

Carolina moved to California from Chile at the age of two, raised in a family where wine simply belonged on the dinner table. A filmmaker and storyteller, she came to see wine as the rare thing that can tell you exactly where and how it was grown, and she handles the storytelling and marketing while Matt makes the wine. As Matt puts it, wine is the only work of art we can enjoy with all five senses.

Old World structure, California fruit

Fuil is a Santa Ynez Valley label at heart, sourcing from sustainably managed, certified organic, and biodynamically farmed vineyards across the region. The fruit comes from cool, distinctive sites: Syrah and Viognier from Ballard Canyon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the edge of the Sta. Rita Hills, each chosen for the way the place stamps the grape.

The winemaking is deliberately old-fashioned in the best sense. Matt uses native yeast and whole-cluster fermentation, times harvest carefully, and aims for elegance and balance rather than power, joining the aromatics of California fruit to the structure of Old World wine. The couple even leans on Matt Celtic ancestry for the naming and release schedule, a small touch that keeps the whole project personal.

The wines: small lots, both ends of the county

The Fuil lineup spans both ends of Santa Barbara wine. From warmer Ballard Canyon come a savory, structured Syrah and a honeyed, citrusy Viognier off the J+K Vineyard. From the cooler reaches near the Sta. Rita Hills come a bright Pinot Noir and a detailed Chardonnay, with Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon rounding out the range. Everything is small production and made to be elegant and intriguing rather than loud, which is exactly why bottles tend to sell out.

What to pour it with

The Ballard Canyon Syrah is built for the grill, all pepper and dark fruit with real structure. Pour it with lamb, a peppered steak, or sausages off the fire: the tannins bind to the protein and fat so the wine softens and the meat tastes cleaner, while the savory side of the Syrah meets the char head on. The whole-cluster style adds a peppery lift that loves a cracked-pepper crust.

The Viognier is the surprise pairing of the bunch. Its honeyed stone fruit and texture stand up to richer, aromatic dishes, think roast chicken with herbs, a mild Thai curry, or grilled pork with peaches, where most whites would fold. The cool-climate Pinot Noir, meanwhile, wants duck or salmon, its acidity cutting the fat while its red fruit echoes a cherry sauce. Keep delicate fish away from the tannic reds, the match would only turn bitter.

Fuil Wines: common questions