The Set begins with an invitation: pull up a chair, pour a glass, and stay a while. Brothers Billy and Christopher Hines built the label to bring exceptional wine to the tables of family and friends, carrying the warmth and easy hospitality of their Louisiana roots into the cool, fog-fed vineyards of the Sta. Rita Hills. The wines lean on Burgundian tradition, but the welcome is pure Southern porch.

Two brothers, Louisiana values

The Set is the work of brothers Billy and Christopher Hines, who set out to make wines worthy of the tables where people they love gather. Their guiding idea is rooted in Louisiana values: authenticity in the way the wine is made, creativity in how it is shared with the world, and warmth in how they connect with the people who drink it.

That sense of welcome runs through everything. The brothers talk about bringing Southern hospitality into the vineyard, hosting guests for tastings in the Sta. Rita Hills the way you would host them on a back porch. It is a refreshing antidote to wine-world stuffiness, the rare label that takes the wine seriously and itself a little less so.

Burgundy in the Sta. Rita Hills

The Set sources from the Sta. Rita Hills, the cool-climate AVA that has made Santa Barbara County famous for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the two great grapes of Burgundy. It is no accident the brothers reach for Burgundian tradition here. The region geography is built for it, with transverse mountains that funnel cold Pacific fog and ocean air straight inland.

That marine influence means warm, sunny afternoons and genuinely cold nights, so the grapes ripen slowly while holding onto bright, mouthwatering acidity. The sandy, diatomaceous soils, the chalky remnants of an ancient seabed, lend the wines a mineral, saline lift. The goal, as the brothers put it, is to respect the history of these grapes while capturing the unique character of this specific corner of California.

The wines

At the center sit Pinot Noir and Chardonnay made in a Burgundian spirit: balanced, food-friendly, and built to express their site rather than overwhelm it. The Pinots show the red cherry, savory earth, and fine acidity of the Sta. Rita Hills, while the Chardonnays aim for freshness and texture over a wall of oak.

The brothers do not stop at Burgundy, though. The lineup stretches to a cool-climate Syrah, all dark fruit and pepper, and a PTG, the Burgundian passe-tout-grains tradition of blending Pinot Noir with Gamay into a bright, juicy, joyful red. It is a wine made for a crowded table, which is exactly the point of the whole project.

What to pour it with

The Set Pinot Noir is a natural at any table built for sharing. Its bright acidity and gentle tannins make it one of the few reds that flatters salmon, so pour it with a cedar-planked fillet, where the acid cuts the fish richness and the soft tannins never turn metallic. For something with Southern soul, try it with roast chicken and andouille, the wine earthy, savory side bridging to the smoky sausage on shared notes.

Pour the Chardonnay with butter-poached shrimp or a shrimp etouffee, where its acidity slices through the richness and refreshes each bite. The juicy PTG, served with a slight chill, is the ultimate cookout red: pour it with barbecue, burgers, or a crawfish boil, since its low tannin and bright fruit shrug off spice and char while the chill keeps it refreshing. Just keep the delicate Pinot away from a five-alarm gumbo, where the heat would bury its nuance and the alcohol would amplify the burn.

The Set Wines: common questions