Meet our new winemaker – brianne engles

Let me first start this letter by extending my sincere gratitude to you for being a part of our wine club family. I became part of the winemaking team here two years ago because I recognized how truly special this place is. Not just in the quality of our vineyards and the wines we produce, but in the people behind the scenes who craft them and the warm embrace we feel from patrons like you when you walk through the tasting room and savor a bottle of our wines.

Being a Cal Poly graduate, I have always had an admiration for Chamisal Vineyards and their mission to make wines that serve as a benchmark in the region by earnestly capturing the vineyard’s inimitable soils and coastal influenced climate. The land here holds incredible pedigree. Being the first vineyard planted in 1973, before an official appellation was even recognized, set the winery on a path to experience many pioneering moments that give this place its rich history.

I am extraordinarily honored to be appointed as winemaker at a time when we are commemorating our 50th anniversary, embracing our coastal origins, and continuing our leadership in sustainability by adopting more organic and regenerative viticulture practices. Like you, I knew I was someplace special the first time I set foot here at Chamisal. My team and I are thrilled to showcase this special sense of place through the wines and do our part to carry on Chamisal’s legacy.

-Brianne

TRULY COASTAL: THE SAN LUIS OBISPO COAST AVA

While unboxing your club shipment or opening a bottle of one of our wines this year, you may notice a new appellation on the label: San Luis Obispo Coast. As of March 2022, San Luis Obispo Coast was officially recognized as the newest American Viticultural Area (AVA). This new AVA helps define the Pacific Ocean’s influence on our area’s culture and lifestyle, terrain, and wines. Stretching from the border of Santa Barbara County to the Monterey County Line, this 15-mile wide AVA hugs the Pacific Ocean and is bordered by the Santa Lucia Mountains to the east. It also falls within the current Edna Valley AVA, allowing our vineyards to use this new appellation.

We joined the SLO Coast Wine Collective and other local wineries in 2017 to make the case for a new designation based on our unique geography, geology, and close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. This is what gives our wines their true sense of place. What makes our location distinct is the cool, coastal climate coupled with ample sunlight that lends itself to a fresh style with bright acidity and purity of fruit.

Chamisal has always been a reflection of the land, and the vibrancy and elegance of our wines reveal our coastal origins. We are proud to be one of the first wineries to place this new AVA on our estate labels while celebrating this major milestone for the San Luis Obispo region with you.