Andrew Murray Vineyards | Santa Barbara County

Andrew Murray fell in love with the emerging Rhône varieties, Syrah and Viognier, in the late 1980s while traveling through the Rhône Valley. Leaving his UC Berkeley palaeontology studies behind, he pursued his new-found love of Syrah, with a winery internship in Australia. Returning to the US, he earned a bachelor’s degree in viticulture and oenology from UC Davis. He then founded his eponymous Santa Ynez winery and vineyard.

Andrew and his family were drawn to the natural beauty, climate, soils and topography of Santa Barbara County, which reminded him of the Rhône Valley. Andrew’s focus and dedication to his craft have culminated in what Robert Parker Jr. calls, “…one of the shining stars in the Santa Barbara firmament.” Despite myriad accolades, Andrew remains the same modest, approachable, contemplative man he was when he first embarked on his wine journey in Australia back in 1992. He is eternally committed to vinicultural ‘Kaizen’ - the unrelenting pursuit of continuous improvement - and his scintillating, elegant wines are proof of this.