In the idyllic patchwork of vineyards west of Highway 154, winemaker Alice Anderson and her partner Topher De Felice, with the help of their small herd of animals, manage a historic 10-acre estate where they grow grapes for some of the most unique wines in California.
The way Anderson and her flock — a menagerie that includes ducks, chickens, 15 sheep and a rescue dog — approach their work goes beyond what you'd call organic, embracing the mystical rituals of biodynamics and likely being referred to as “regenerative,” a fashionable term that isn't without controversy.
Still, some experts say a comprehensive and immediate commitment to responsible agricultural practices could go a long way toward mitigating the environmental problems posed by climate change, soil erosion, declining rainfall and a range of potentially devastating vine diseases. Studies show we could lose grape growing in California and elsewhere by the end of the century.
“The way we manage soil, water and biodiversity as a bottomless cost accounting is over,” says Mimi Casteel, an Oregon winemaker and vintner who is one of the main minds behind the movement toward responsible viticulture. “We are in the last decades of the vast majority of our agricultural lands unless a very dramatic change is made yesterday.”
Among those at the forefront of the change are Anderson and De Felice, who began farming the Ibarra-Young vineyard four years ago using highly holistic methods.
Many of the leading voices in the wine industry, including Casteel, refuse to codify or define regenerative viticulture, fearing that an existential imperative will become a “greenwashed” commercial tool that lacks substance and intended impact.
Alice Anderson at the Ibarra-Young vineyard, one of the first in the Los Olivos region. Here, famous winemaker Bob Lindquist grew grapes associated with the Rhône Valley in France, such as Syrah, Grenache and Viognier.
No matter what it is called, “the goal is to create a system that is self-sustaining,” says Anderson.
For Anderson, this system inevitably includes the integration of animals, intercropping between vineyard rows and a firm commitment to no-till farming. These practices contribute to the development of a potent yeast population that is unique to Ibarra-Young and that Anderson relies on to drive her fermentations. As a result, the wines vividly reflect the vineyard's unique DNA rather than the anonymous imprint of commercial yeast.
If “terroir,” the inherent characteristics of a particular vineyard, piques your interest in wine, Anderson says sites managed in this way can produce wines that express their “thereness” more fully and dynamically.
A legendary vineyard
Planted in 1971, Ibarra-Young was one of the first vineyards in Santa Barbara County. Famed winemaker Bob Lindquist, who pioneered wines made from grapes traditionally associated with the Rhone Valley in France, farmed his wines here from the mid-1980s until 2018. His commitment to grapes such as Syrah, Grenache and Viognier founded the category, established it as a benchmark and produced a body of work that is among the most significant in the region's history.
Now the baton has been passed to Anderson, who has held the lease since 2020. Together with De Felice, she makes wine under the label Âmevive, a quirky mash of words that she defines as “living soul.” Âmevive was quickly recognized by the wine industry for its work and can be found on retail shelves and wine lists nationwide.
Farming to create a system that restores, rebuilds and nourishes its environment is not just about have animals on the property, Anderson says. It means building a symbiotic relationship with them.
Between the vines of the Âmevive vineyard in Los Olivos, cover crops such as narrow-leaf spurge, food for the monarch butterfly, grow.
“I think the working relationship between humans and animals can be very strong. The energy that comes from such a bond would certainly be transferred to the vineyard,” says Anderson.
Each species grazes the vineyard with its own focus, does without a diesel-guzzling tractor, eliminates unwanted pests and stores manure as a natural fertilizer.
“I love having different species,” Anderson says. “You have a diversity of microbiomes. The more microbial diversity you have, the more nutrient diversity you have for your plant. So when you nourish your soil and improve the health of your soil, you're increasing the nutrient density, the life potential of everything growing above the soil.
“And if you support this with composting and compost tea sprays and use only holistic products, you create a closed, self-sustaining system.”
Each compost heap is a true miracle and is fed almost exclusively with material from the property. Composting, in turn, makes these ingredients bioavailable and nutrient-rich for the soil.
“We take all our vines out of the cutting season and chop them, and that is a great source of carbon. We bring the pomace with [stems, seeds and grape skins] from the winery back to the vineyard for composting. That's a big nitrogen and microbial component.”
All chicken manure from the chicken coop also contains a high proportion of nitrogen. It is a kind of feedback loop that returns droppings, pomace and tree clippings to their origin.
At Âmevive, vine cuttings are chopped up and put on the compost heap. In the picture, next to the compost heap, a thermometer measures the temperature. Below, catch crops grow between the rows of vines. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
“We want a live system!”
Cover crops are another great part of Anderson's program. Planting plants between vineyard rows helps prevent erosion, preserve topsoil, provide nitrogen, sequester water and carbon, and attract beneficial insects.
“I plant a combination of different things every year. “I haven't planted the same species for the last four years, so I think I've planted 45 different species,” Anderson says. “Lots of different types of clover, different types of peas, lots of different types of perennial grasses and some annual grasses. “Lots of different types of flowers that are native to the Santa Ynez watershed.”
Given her commitment to the “understory” of her vineyard, Anderson is a staunch advocate of no-till farming. By leaving her soil largely undisturbed, her cover crops and the biome beneath them can thrive, developing a veritable “communication highway” between the various root systems, she says.
Beyond the vine rows, Anderson and De Felice have added diverse and vibrant “pollinator rows” and a new hedgerow. These provide habitat and food sources for insects and creatures that might not otherwise thrive in a traditional monoculture system. Encouraging a variety of species improves natural pest control and provides a food source for wildlife, which is encouraged to live alongside the vines.
“We want a live system!” Anderson counts. “Plus, it just makes me happy to see flowers everywhere.”
Chickens at Âmevive provide fresh eggs. “I think the working relationship between humans and animals can be very strong. “The energy that comes from such a bond would certainly be transferred to the vineyard,” says Anderson. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Anderson's infectiously cheerful spirit is on full display as she strolls through the vineyard. She beams with pride at each bud or bulb emerging in her new hedge, at the tuft of wool her grazing sheep left hanging from a gnarled vine, at the clumps of Spanish lotus and lupine native to this watershed, at the bright marigold that may have properties that help fight pests and pathogens.
Unusual wines
There's no denying the dynamism of Amevive wines. They are completely transparent gateways that express grape and place in a lively and energetic way. With a balance that's often hard to achieve in California wines, they're light on their feet without lacking in complexity. The Syrah is a stunning example of the varietal and a fitting tribute to the land that sparked Anderson's passion for the grape. Earlier in her career, she spent several harvests in the hills of the northern Rhône Valley in France, producing Syrah for one of the appellation's most prestigious producers.
But the most intrinsic expression of Ibarra-Young is her “périphérie.” She and De Felice realized that two rows of vines on the western edge of the property from the original 1971 planting were inexplicably performing very differently from the rest of the vineyard. They decided to isolate those grapes, two red and one white (Syrah, Mourvèdre and Marsanne), and ferment them together to create an unusual wine that ticks many seemingly contradictory boxes. It is powerfully filled with exotic red and black fruit, but bright, It goes well with a cold drink, but also goes well with hearty food and, despite its exuberance, has an alcohol content of less than 13%.
Anderson and De Felice make wine under the label Âmevive, a quirky mashup of words meaning “living soul.” Recognized by the wine industry for its work, Âmevive has been popping up on retail shelves and wine lists nationwide.
The vineyard also features some Spanish grapes planted by Lindquist, including “suitcase” Tempranillo from the famed Ribera del Duero region. Anderson also buys fruit from a handful of other vineyards in the region to make wine from varietals she doesn't have at Ibarra-Young. Those bottlings include a Gamay and her first sparkling wine made from the Savoie grape Mondeuse. This year, Ibarra-Young is replacing some of the Tempranillo grapes with white “Rhône” grapes and adding a new 8-acre vineyard, also in Los Olivos, that will provide her with more Syrah, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Anderson says her wines “should make you feel alive.” They should make you happy. Because I enjoy every damn second of my job. Everything from walking the vineyards, moving my sheep, harvesting at 2am, managing fermentations for 16 hours straight, making blending decisions, bottling, painting the labels with my mum, photographing the process, to doing “a bit of IT work on the website, to pouring at dinner.”
Anderson follows this to-do list by reflexively whispering, almost to herself, “I am so lucky.”
Anderson and De Felice are planning a new 8-hectare vineyard, also in Los Olivos, which will provide them with more Syrah as well as Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon.
David Rosoff is a wine expert and author who has overseen the wine programs at several restaurants throughout Los Angeles.
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