From the beginning, True Believer has been a vineyard-based practice in traditional & natural vineyard planting, training and and farming.  From the sandy plain of head-trained Grenache to the extremely steep, never-before-cultivated, 100% hand/animal-farmed Syrah-dominated hillsides, the vines are trained using centuries-old methods still in-use today in parts of France and Spain.  Through aggressive pruning and severe fruit-thinning, we can achieve levels of concentration and power unusual for a relatively cool area like the Santa Maria Valley AVA.  Our cold climate, along with an openness to judicious whole-cluster fermentation enables us to coax the herb (rather than fruit)-driven flavors from these grapes that are so intriguing and attractive to us.  Savoriness, concentration and balance are still the goal!  I know of no other project like it, which makes it thrilling and fun.  The Estate Vineyard lies tucked-away in a wind-protected corner on the edge of the glorious Bien Nacido Vineyards, where an ancient riverbed is sheltered from the harshest ocean winds by a 600' hill immediately to the north & east.  It's from these 6 acres our True Believer Estate wines are made.