Kunin Wines is a Santa Barbara original. Founded in 1998 by sommelier Seth Kunin, it built a devoted following for bold, soulful wines made from Rhone and Loire Valley grapes, plus some of the most characterful old-vine Zinfandel and Syrah on the Central Coast. After Seth passing in 2017, his wife and business partner Magan carried the dream forward, and the wines have only earned more acclaim. You will find them poured in a lively tasting room in downtown Santa Barbara.

A sommelier who followed his palate

Seth Kunin came to winemaking as a seasoned sommelier, someone who had tasted widely and knew exactly the kind of wine he wanted to drink. He started Kunin Wines in 1998 with a focus on Syrah, Zinfandel, and Viognier, the grapes that spoke to his Rhone-loving palate, and over the years he layered in more Rhone and Loire varieties: Grenache, Mourvedre, Roussanne, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc.

The wines were never made to chase scores or trends. They were made to reflect the passions and personalities of the Kunin family, which is exactly why they developed such a loyal following. His signature blends, the Rhone-style Pape Star Rouge and the white Pape Star Blonde, became calling cards for a winery that always felt personal rather than corporate.

A family concern, carried forward

When Seth Kunin died suddenly in 2017 at the age of fifty, it was a real loss for the Santa Barbara wine community. But the winery did not fade. His wife and business partner Magan stepped in to continue their shared vision, and under her leadership Kunin has kept earning rave reviews from the likes of Robert Parker and Vinous.

Today Kunin makes around 5,000 cases a year and remains, in its own words, a family concern, governed more by the passions of the Kunins than by the marketplace. That continuity, a family keeping a founder vision alive and pushing it forward, gives the wines a depth of meaning that goes well beyond what is in the glass.

Bold wines with a sense of place

Kunin specialty is Rhone-inspired reds and whites, plus old-vine Zinfandel that draws on some of the Central Coast most characterful vineyard sources. The Syrahs are dark and savory, the Zinfandels brambly and full of personality, and the white blends aromatic and food-friendly. These are generous, expressive wines, made to be opened and enjoyed rather than filed away.

That generosity carries into the tasting room, set in downtown Santa Barbara on the city urban wine scene. It is an easy, welcoming place to work through a lineup that rewards curiosity, from a crisp Chenin Blanc to a brooding old-vine Syrah.

What to pour it with

Kunin bold reds were born for the table. The Syrah and Pape Star Rouge love grilled and roasted meat, lamb, peppered steak, short ribs, and sausages, where the wines dark fruit and pepper meet the char and their structure stands up to the fat. The old-vine Zinfandel is a barbecue natural, brambly and spicy enough to match smoke, ribs, and anything off the grill.

On the white side, the Rhone and Loire blends, with their bright acidity and aromatics, suit roast chicken, pork, and richer seafood, and the Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc handle goat cheese, herby dishes, and fried foods with ease. A little salt on the plate rounds the wines and lifts their fruit, the simplest pairing trick there is.

Kunin Wines: common questions