Deovlet Wines
Sta. Rita Hills AVA
Growing his own eponymous label, crafting award-winning wines that are expressive, pure and with a true sense of place.
Established in 2008 by one of California’s most exciting young winemakers, Deovlet Wines (pronounced Dev-let) offers small batches of single vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays from premium vineyards in Sta. Rita Hills, Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara, and Edna Valley on California’s Central Coast. Ryan Deovlet, the owner and winemaker behind the brand, has worked under such famed winemakers as Paul Hobbs, David Ramey and Stephen Dooley, and now focuses on growing his own eponymous label, crafting award-winning wines that are expressive, pure and with a true sense of place.
An Orange County native, Ryan Deovlet did not grow up surrounded by wine country and went off to college at UC San Diego where he pursued a degree in Sociology. It wasn’t until a family vacation in Kona, Hawaii in 2003 that Ryan was first bit by the ‘ag bug,’ and it wasn’t over a life-changing glass of wine as you might expect - it was actually over a cup of coffee.
“It was a single-plantation coffee from beans my cousin grew,” Ryan recently explained. “It was a ‘wow’ moment for me and it got me thinking about farm-to-table and considering agriculture from a new perspective.”
After finishing his degree at UC San Diego, Ryan headed to Australia to volunteer with a program called ‘Willing Workers on Organic Farms’ and it was here that he was exposed to viticulture and the world of wine. He was hooked after the first vineyard. From there, Ryan began working across vineyards in Australia and New Zealand, bouncing around the Hunter and Yarra Valleys, Central Otago, and Hawkes Bay, where he pruned alongside vineyard crews and absorbed as much knowledge as he could.
Upon returning to California in 2008, Ryan spent two years with Central Coast legend Stephen Dooley, the owner and winemaker of Stephen Ross Wine Cellars. Two years later, he became the assistant winemaker at Red Car Wine Company, where he soaked up invaluable tips from consulting winemaker David Ramey, highly renowned winegrower Ulises Valdez, and sought-after soil scientist Dr. Daniel Roberts. Ryan also had the opportunity to work the 2008 harvest under the tutelage of Paul Hobbs at Vina Cobos in Mendoza, Argentina, and it was after this inspiring trip that he was ready to start his own label back on California’s Central Coast.
Today, Ryan Deovlet is sourcing fruit from exceptional growers and premium vineyards including Zotovich Family Vineyard, Sanford & Benedict, Star Lane, and La Encantada, among others. These wines are classic, timeless, and built to age, with most receiving prestigious 90+ ratings from the top industry periodicals.
In addition to crafting wine for his own winery, Ryan is also the winemaker for Edna Valley’s Refugio Ranch Winery and Biddle Ranch Vineyard. He has also taken viticulture classes at UC Davis and Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and earned his level 1 sommelier certification. We hope our Garagiste Wine Club and Pinot Noir Wine Club members enjoy this special selection from Deovlet Wines. Cheers!
