Site Wine Company
Santa Barbara County region
Allowing the wines to speak for themselves, they have been included among the finest wines made in California
If ever a winery was founded with a specific goal in mind, the Site Wine Company would most assuredly be considered. Located in the Central Coast’s heralded Paso Robles growing area, Site Wine Company is the handiwork of noted owner/winemaker Jeremy Weintraub, often referred to as the “rock star” of Paso Robles winemaking. First offered in 2012 with a minute release of only 250 cases, Site has remained petite in size and will produce only 450 cases this calendar year.
“The Site project was never intended to be large,” Weintraub recently explained. “In fact, it will never be any larger than it is today. It was designed to showcase specific terroirs from eminent vineyards I had found that produced ideal fruit with which to make wine.”
Born on Long Island, Weintraub’s love of wine turned him from economic and political writing to a career in the wine industry. A graduate of the iconic UC Davis enology program (he also holds a master’s degree in enology), Weintraub is today considered a rising star among California winemakers.
He has chosen three separate vineyards for the fruit of Site Wine Company; the celebrated Bien Nacido Vineyard in Santa Maria Valley, the Larner Vineyard in Ballard Canyon (Michael Larner was a classmate at UC Davis), and the marvelous Stolpman Vineyard that is in close proximity to Larner Vineyard.
“In winemaking, it’s all about the fruit you start with. I have been familiar with these three vineyards for more than a decade and they all produce exceptional fruit. I have long-term contracts with each of them. For the Site Wine Company, it’s a win-win situation. I can make great wines and that was my goal from the very beginning,” he added.
Site Wine Company’s wines have garnered incredible praise from industry periodicals and have consistently scored in the 90’s since their first release. Owner/winemaker Jeremy Weintraub is thrilled with the reception his wines have received and he is adamant about staying small with his prized winery. He performs all the work himself and intends to keep control of every step of the winemaking process by staying boutique in size.
To say that Jeremy Weintraub and his Site Wine Company have accomplished a great deal since its short inception is a complete understatement. To contend at the highest level of wine competition against a cadre of world-class vineyards and celebrated winemakers is the most difficult undertaking in the wine industry. Through it all, Jeremy Wientraub has remained a modest and unassuming individual and has allowed his wines - which are included among the finest made in California - to speak for themselves.
It is with a great deal of respect that we introduce our Garagiste Wine Club members to this incredibly successful little winery and it’s owner/winemaker. We are sure you will continue to hear much more about this rising star.
Dear Platinum Wine Club Members,
Site Wine Co. makes just five different wines totaling under 400 cases a year. The emphasis, as the name suggests, is on the vineyard, or site, from which the grapes are grown. The wines are encouraged to express vintage differences and the particular terroir of each of the three vineyards that I work with. There is no marketing staff, no PR consultant, no sales staff, and no assistant. Just me. That guarantees a strong connection between myself and the people who drink the wines, and few things are as pleasurable as sharing wine with friends and loved ones.
I grew up in New York drinking Italian, French and German wines with my family, and hadn’t had many California wines until I’d moved out to UC Davis for graduate school in winemaking. What I fell in love with immediately was the depth and complexity of California wines. During the summer breaks, I interned on Long Island, and after graduation I held winemaking and grape growing positions in Chianti, New Zealand, and other parts of California.
Before launching Site in 2012, I was winemaker at Seavey Vineyard in Napa Valley. Napa was wonderful for Cabernet Sauvignon, but what I found myself drinking more often were the varietals better known in the Rhône Valley - Grenache, Syrah, Viognier, and Roussanne. These wines, I was noticing, fit perfectly with a wide array of foods, from light and aromatic to spicy and rich. That realization led me to secure long-term contracts with three exceptional vineyards in Santa Barbara County.
The Site Syrah is made from Bien Nacido Vineyard, a family-owned, organically farmed estate in the far western hills of Santa Maria Valley, about 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The Syrah block is planted on a hillside and sees moderately cool days and nights throughout the growing season. The wine was fermented with 10% of its stems and aged in French oak puncheon and barrels. I bottled it without filtration.
The Site Roussanne is made from Stolpman Vineyards, a family-owned, organically farmed estate in Ballard Canyon near the town of Solvang, about 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean. I ferment and age the Roussanne in 500L puncheons and bottle it without filtration.
I hope you enjoy!
Jeremy Weintraub,
Owner/Winemaker, Site Wine Co.
