2023 · Santa Barbara County Chardonnay

Nielson is a Santa Barbara County producer named for Uriel J. Nielson, the viticulture pioneer who planted the region’s first commercial vineyard in 1964 despite doubts about its cold climate. Based on this historic site on the Santa Maria Bench near the Pacific, the winery focuses on Santa Barbara Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Its style emphasizes small-lot winemaking, with hand pruning, block-by-block harvesting, barrel fermentations, and lees stirring. Since 2020, winemaker Anna Clifford has led production, bringing experience from Napa, Sonoma, and New Zealand and a strong focus on vineyards and estate fruit. Nielson also supports local nonprofit organizations in California and Oregon.