April 15, 2026
The Chardonnay pushed its first leaves overnight — two days ahead of what my notebook says. cool maritime, fierce afternoon wind funneled off monterey bay onto east-facing benches is running warm. I'll take it, cautiously.
2026 Vintage
Santa Lucia Chardonnay
Santa Lucia Highlands, USA
About this Crew
Revealed on enrollment
Winemaker
East-facing benches above the Salinas Valley, raked by Monterey Bay wind that shuts the vines down by mid-afternoon. The estate behind this lot is named only to enrolled members; until then you're backing the region, the style, and a verified track record — not a label.
The history.
Santa Lucia Highlands has made wine far longer than any of us. We farm a small parcel of it, by hand, the way it was taught to us — cool maritime, fierce afternoon wind funneled off monterey bay onto east-facing benches.
What this vintage is showing so far.
“Cooler nights than usual through spring. Flowering was clean. Cautiously optimistic about where this vintage is heading.”
— the winemaker, updated this month
Philosophy.
Balance over power. I'd take a wine you can finish a bottle of over one that wins a tasting and tires by the second glass.
The year ahead
Every shipment, every sample, every pick.
Real dates as they're known. Updated as the vintage progresses.
May 2026
Flowering update
Fruit set, first yield estimate.
August 2026
Verijuice ships
Pressed from green fruit, shipped to every member.
September 2026
Pick expected
Livestream from dawn. Date confirmed 48 hours ahead.
December 2026
Post-ferment sample
Your wine at its youngest, weeks after pressing.
March 2027
First barrel sample
A pull from the vessel where your wine lives.
May 2027
Blend trial
Vote on the final cuvée with the Crew.
August 2027
Bottling
Livestream from the bottling line.
October 2027
Wine arrives
Your bottles, allocated pro-rata to your vines.
May 2026
Flowering update
Fruit set, first yield estimate.
August 2026
Verijuice ships
Pressed from green fruit, shipped to every member.
September 2026
Pick expected
Livestream from dawn. Date confirmed 48 hours ahead.
December 2026
Post-ferment sample
Your wine at its youngest, weeks after pressing.
March 2027
First barrel sample
A pull from the vessel where your wine lives.
May 2027
Blend trial
Vote on the final cuvée with the Crew.
August 2027
Bottling
Livestream from the bottling line.
October 2027
Wine arrives
Your bottles, allocated pro-rata to your vines.
Meet the current Crew
35
members
9
cities
6
countries represented
9 yrs
average tenure in wine
No individual profiles — privacy matters inside the Crew. You'll meet each other once you're in.
How it's priced
By the vine.
The winemaker sets the price per vine. Buy as few as 5 — choose how many in the next step. Your bottles are allocated pro-rata to your vines.
Santa Lucia Chardonnay
Priced by the vine · 5-vine minimum
$84 / vine
From $420 · 5 vines · USD
- A share of the lot, by the vine (5-vine minimum)
- Samples across the season: verijuice, post-ferment, barrel, finished wine
- A vote at every fork — pick date, oak, where the blend lands
- Your bottles at release, allocated pro-rata to your vines
- Livestream access to every moment
49 vines left
Pickup or ship
How your wine reaches you.
Swing by the tasting room when the next shipment is ready. Free. For everyone else, ship is the default and equally smooth.
Ship to my address
Standard carrier, adult signature required. Flat fee per shipment. You can switch the destination per shipment at any time.
Ships to: US
Choose at signup. Switch per shipment anytime.
Recent updates
From the rows.
March 30, 2026
Dug soil pits across the old block. You can watch the well-drained granitic and decomposed-granite terraces of the salinas valley bench change with every shovel — it's why no two rows here taste the same.
March 12, 2026
Welcomed the Crew this week — notes came in from further away than usual. If you've never tasted unripe-grape verjuice, the summer ship will surprise you.
Join this Crew.
One year of your life, inside one vineyard's year. You'll follow the winemaker from bud break to bottle.