Kenneth Volk Vineyards

Kenneth Volk Vineyards
5230 Tepusquet Rd
Santa Maria, California
USA 93454
Phone: 805-938-7896
http://www.volkwines.com/

Contact: Kenneth Volk
Email: [email protected]

Kenneth Volk Vineyards is located on Tepusquet Road, in the northeastern portion of the Santa Maria Valley AVA in Santa Barbara County, California. The property is located at the mouth of Tepusquet Canyon on the Sisquoc River Bench.

The vineyard and winery property was formerly the "original" Byron Winery (the "new" Byron Winery is located next door), established by Ken Byron Brown in 1981. In 1994 the winery was acquired by the Robert Mondavi Winery Corporation. Ken Volk purchased the building and land at the end of 2004, after over a year of negotiations. The sale included the winery and vineyard only - no brands, no wine, and no on-going business venture. Ken was attracted to the property for a variety of reasons, including its beautiful, tranquil location along the ever-flowing Tepusquet Creek, and the oak and sycamore riparian habitat surrounding the winery. Another blessed feature of the site is its adjacency to some of the top Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vineyards in Santa Barbara wine country. As well, being located up Tepusquet Canyon, the winery is out of the wind tunnel of the Santa Maria mesa.

Ken describes the facility as a winery "fixer-upper." No maintenance, preventative or otherwise, had been done since the property changed hands in 1994. Ken spent much of 2005, and much of his resources, creating an efficient, sanitary and safe working environment appropriate for the production of luxury class wines. The 12 acre property includes a 4 acre vineyard that was planted in 1981 to own-rooted Wente Clone Chardonnay. This fruit was used for the 2005 Estate Chardonnay.
Some notable accolades:

1990 - Winemaker of the Year, Wine & Spirits Magazine
1990 - Winemaker of the Year, Central Coast Wine Classic
1998 - 1st San Luis Obispo County Winemaker of the Year, CA Mid-State Fair
1998 - Outstanding Citizen Award, Central Coast Salmon Enhancement
1999 - Agriculturalist of the Year, Cal Poly State University
2001 - Wine Industry Person of the Year, Paso Robles Vintners and Growers Association

Winemaker: Kenneth Volk

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