RZN reads as reason, and it stands for Rachelle, Zane, and Nate, a mother, son, and father who turned a pile of passions into a wine label. Founder Nate Axline came to wine sideways, off a skateboard and through a tasting room job, and he makes the kind of curious, low intervention wines that spark a conversation. Less is more is the whole philosophy, less in the vineyard, less in the cellar, more of the grape.

From skateboarding to the cellar

Nate Axline did not take the usual road into wine. He came out of the skateboarding world, and a skate friend helped him land a job in a winery tasting room, which turned a curiosity into a calling. He worked his way into the cellar, eventually serving as assistant winemaker at the respected Lompoc producer Liquid Farm, before striking out to make wine on his own terms.

RZN is named for the family, Rachelle, Zane, and Nate, whose initials spell out the label, and it is pronounced reason. Nate calls himself the juice organizer, which tells you most of what you need to know about the spirit of the place. The wines are a combination of all his passions, skateboarding, food, baseball, woodworking, sustainability, poured into a bottle and meant to be fun, interesting, and a little thought provoking.

Less is more

The RZN philosophy fits on a bumper sticker but runs deep. Less is more means less intervention at every step, fewer chemicals in the vineyard, fewer additions in the cellar, and as little manipulation as possible between the grape and the glass. The goal is to let the natural nuances of each variety come through honestly, without makeup or correction. It is natural wine made by someone who clearly loves the craft rather than the label on it.

That hands off approach takes confidence and good fruit, because there is nowhere to hide. When it works, and at RZN it does, you get wines that are vivid, alive, and unmistakably themselves, the kind of bottles that have made Lompoc a magnet for adventurous drinkers and natural wine fans from far beyond Santa Barbara County.

Offbeat grapes, done right

RZN delights in grapes most California wineries ignore. The lineup runs to Chenin Blanc, including a zero zero bottling made with no added sulfur, the brilliant white grape of the Loire that holds onto its acidity beautifully in a cool climate. There is Clairette Blanche, a rare southern French white, and on the red side a Spanish accent with Mencía, an aromatic, medium bodied variety, and Mourvèdre, dark, savory, and structured.

These are not grapes chosen to be difficult. They are chosen because they suit the cool, sunny, marine influenced sites of Santa Barbara County and because they reward the low intervention approach with freshness and personality. Each release carries a playful, issue themed name, a wink that masks how seriously the wine inside is made.

What to pour it with

The Chenin Blanc is one of the most food friendly whites on earth, its bright acidity and orchard fruit cutting through richness while it stays light on its feet. Pour it with roast chicken, pork, or anything in a cream sauce, where the acid slices the fat and resets the palate, or with fresh goat cheese, a Loire classic where the wine and the cheese share a tangy, mineral character. The no sulfur version loves a slight chill and a casual table.

The Mencía, aromatic and medium bodied, plays the role a good Pinot or Gamay would, lovely with charcuterie, grilled vegetables, or a herb roasted chicken, its acidity cutting the salt and fat. The Mourvèdre is the heavyweight, built for lamb or a hearty stew, where its firm tannins bind to protein and fat and turn supple against the meat. A little salt in the dish softens those tannins and makes the fruit taste rounder, which is exactly what you want.

RZN Wines: common questions