Sunny Doench Stricker had one Hollywood life before this one. An Ohio native, she moved to Los Angeles chasing the screen, landing roles from the first and last seasons of Beverly Hills 90210 to more than twenty indie films, before the pull of wine won out. Now she hand-crafts Future Perfect, a limited-production label in Los Olivos that ranges across nearly every grape Santa Barbara County can grow, from dry Riesling to barrel-aged Syrah to traditional-method sparkling.

From the screen to the cellar

Future Perfect is a one-winemaker labor of love, and that winemaker is Sunny Doench Stricker. She grew up in Ohio and spent more than two decades in Los Angeles as a working actor, with credits stretching from television to a long list of independent films. Somewhere along the way wine became the bigger story, and she committed to it the way she had committed to the screen.

The result is a tasting room that runs on warmth. Regulars and first-timers describe the same thing: an owner-winemaker who is genuinely glad you came, pouring her wines and talking shop with anyone who walks in. The sunshine in the glass matches the sunshine in the room.

One county, almost every grape

Future Perfect is built on a simple Santa Barbara truth: with its wildly varied microclimates, the county can grow almost any grape in the world. Rather than specialize, Sunny leans into that range, sourcing hand-harvested fruit from local vineyards that farm sustainably, organically, or biodynamically, and turning each into its own small bottling.

The transverse mountains are what make it possible. They funnel cool Pacific fog inland, so cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and sparkling base can ripen slowly in the west while Rhone and Bordeaux grapes get the heat they need farther inland. Future Perfect is a tour of that whole spectrum, made by one set of hands.

The wines: sparkling to Syrah

Few small labels offer this much variety. Future Perfect pours a Rose of Grenache, a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, a dry Riesling, and reds across Grenache, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah, the Syrah aged in barrel to smooth and deepen it. The crown jewels are the traditional-method sparkling wines, a Brut Rose, a Blanc de Noirs, and a Blanc de Blanc made in the same painstaking way as Champagne. Everything is small lot, so the lineup rewards a visit and a full flight.

What to pour it with

Start with the bubbles, because traditional-method sparkling is one of the great food wines. A Blanc de Blanc or Brut Rose next to fried chicken, oysters, or salty snacks is pure physics: the high acidity and fine bubbles scrub away fat and salt and reset your palate for the next bite, a complementary, contrast-driven match.

The dry Riesling is the secret weapon for spice. Its bright acidity and faint sweetness cool the burn of Thai or Indian food, where a high-alcohol red would only stoke the fire. The Pinot Noir wants duck or salmon, its acidity cutting the fat while its red fruit echoes a cherry sauce, and the barrel-aged Syrah loves grilled lamb or a peppered steak, where its tannins find the protein and fat. Match the wine to the plate and this lineup can cover an entire dinner.

Future Perfect Wine: common questions