Kaena is the story of one grape and one person devoted to it. Mikael Sigouin grew up in Hawaii, learned to make wine in the Santa Ynez Valley, and after years of working for others fell hard for Grenache, the aromatic, shape-shifting Rhone red that few California producers chase with this kind of single-mindedness. His goal is the most diverse Grenache portfolio in the valley, and he is very close to pulling it off.

From a Hawaiian kitchen to a California cellar

Mikael Sigouin did not grow up around wine, but he grew up around flavor. Raised in Hawaii by his great-grandmother, whom he called Tutu, he spent hours watching her layer ingredients and coax the best out of every dish, a sensory education in aroma and taste that he carried into winemaking. She had a nickname for him, Kaena ai, meaning potential for greatness, and it became the name of his winery and the standard he holds himself to.

His first harvest was at Beckmen Vineyards in 1999, where the learning curve was nearly vertical. He moved to Fess Parker, returned to Beckmen as head winemaker in 2006, and finally left his day job in 2014 to give everything to Kaena. His very first Syrah, back in 2001, was so small he pressed it by hand through cheesecloth. Everyone starts somewhere.

The Grenache obsession

Along the way, working with fruit from many of the best vineyards in Santa Barbara County, Mikael found his grape. He describes Grenache as intensely aromatic, bold, and always full of surprise, and he has built Kaena around it with the focus of someone who has found his life work.

The ambition is specific: to make the most diverse Grenache portfolio in the Santa Ynez Valley, exploring the variety across different sites, clones, and styles, from bright and perfumed to deep and structured. Alongside the Grenache sit Syrah and Rhone-style blends, but Grenache is the heart of it. Few wineries anywhere give a single grape this much sustained attention.

Why Grenache, why here

Grenache is one of the great chameleons of the wine world, capable of delicacy and power depending on where it grows and how it is handled. The warmer pockets of the Santa Ynez Valley, especially Rhone-friendly sites like Ballard Canyon, give it the ripeness it needs while the region cool nights keep its perfume and acidity intact.

That balance is exactly what Mikael is after. His Grenache leans into the grape sexy, aromatic side, all red fruit, spice, and lift, without tipping into the jammy heaviness that warm-climate Grenache can fall into. It is a thoughtful, expressive take on a grape that rewards a patient, obsessive hand.

What to pour it with

Grenache is one of the most food-friendly reds you can put on a table. Its bright red fruit, gentle tannin, and lively acidity make it a natural with grilled and roasted meats, lamb, pork, duck, sausages, and herb-rubbed chicken, where the wine acidity cuts the fat and its spice echoes the seasoning. It also has the rare gift of handling a little heat, so it is excellent with Moroccan tagines, paella, and lightly spiced dishes.

The Syrah and Rhone blends step toward bigger fare: peppered steak, braised short ribs, anything off a live fire, where dark fruit and pepper meet the char. As with most reds, a little salt on the plate rounds the wine and lifts its fruit. Grenache loves a crowd and a long table, which is exactly the spirit Kaena was built on.

Kaena Wine Company: common questions