Brewer-Clifton

Greg Brewer arrived in Santa Barbara County in 1991, taking work at Santa Barbara Winery and then at Au Bon Climat under Jim Clendenen, where his stylistic education in Burgundian winemaking was formed. Steve Clifton, a Lompoc-area winemaker who had also worked through several Santa Barbara County cellars including Beckmen and Babcock, met Brewer in the mid-1990s. They founded Brewer-Clifton in 1996 with a focused mission: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay only, Sta. Rita Hills only, with no compromise on site, vintage, or stylistic direction. The inaugural commercial release was the 1996 vintage. The partnership operated as a small artisanal estate for two decades, building national recognition through critical acclaim and gradual brand growth. Steve Clifton's primary creative focus shifted toward Palmina (his Italian-variety project founded 1995 with his wife Crystal) during the Brewer-Clifton years, while Greg Brewer became the principal winemaking voice at the label.

• Greg Brewer trained at Santa Barbara Winery and Au Bon Climat (under Jim Clendenen) before founding Brewer-Clifton 1996
• Steve Clifton worked at Beckmen and Babcock; co-founded Palmina (Italian varieties) with wife Crystal 1995
• Brewer-Clifton founded 1996 with focused mission: Pinot Noir + Chardonnay only, Sta. Rita Hills only
• Inaugural commercial release 1996 vintage; Brewer became principal winemaking voice as Clifton focused on Palmina

Brewer-Clifton helped define what 'Sta. Rita Hills' means as a stylistic category. The estate's combination of whole-cluster Pinot Noir fermentation, native yeasts, and aggressive new French oak (often 100 percent for top cuvées) produced wines that emphasized structure, spice, and floral complexity over fruit purity. This stylistic statement defined a different path than Au Bon Climat's restrained Burgundian model or Sanford's structured fruit-driven approach. The Brewer-Clifton model influenced a generation of Sta. Rita Hills winemakers and contributed to the AVA's recognition as a serious cool-climate Pinot Noir destination. The 2017 Jackson Family Wines acquisition validated the brand's market position and provided resources to expand single-vineyard programs and improve farming partnerships across the AVA.

• Defined a distinct Sta. Rita Hills stylistic identity through whole-cluster + 100% new French oak Pinot Noir program
• Influenced a generation of Sta. Rita Hills winemakers exploring whole-cluster and Burgundian-style native yeast approaches
• Contributed to Sta. Rita Hills' national recognition as a serious cool-climate Pinot Noir destination through the 2000s and 2010s
• 2017 Jackson Family Wines acquisition validated market position and provided expansion resources

The Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir program is among California's most distinctive: 100 percent whole-cluster fermentation in small open-top tanks with native ambient yeasts, no SO2 additions during fermentation, and aging in 100 percent new French oak (typically Damy and François Frères barrels) for 14 to 16 months. The wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. Chardonnay is whole-cluster pressed, fermented in 100 percent new French oak with native yeasts, undergoes partial malolactic fermentation, and is aged on lees for 10 to 12 months with periodic bâtonnage. The combination of aggressive oak, whole-cluster Pinot Noir stem influence, and Sta. Rita Hills' fundamentally bright acidity produces wines that are unmistakably 'Brewer-Clifton' in style: spicy, floral, structured, with substantial cellar potential. Greg Brewer's parallel Diatom Wines project applies a similar Chardonnay approach to a tighter portfolio.

• Pinot Noir: 100 percent whole-cluster, native yeast, no SO2 during fermentation, 100 percent new French oak (Damy + François Frères)
• Chardonnay: whole-cluster press, native yeast, 100 percent new French oak, partial malolactic, 10-12 months on lees
• Wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered; alcohols typically 13.5 to 14.5 percent
• Distinctive house style: spicy, floral, structured, with cellar potential; one of California's most identifiable stylistic statements

Greg Brewer was named Winemaker of the Year by Food and Wine Magazine in 2020, a defining career honor. Brewer-Clifton bottlings have appeared on Wine Spectator's Top 100 lists multiple times and routinely score 92 to 96 points across critic publications. The estate's single-vineyard programs from Sea Smoke, Mt. Carmel, Hapgood, and other top sites are regularly cited as among the most stylistically expressive Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir bottlings. The 2017 Jackson Family Wines acquisition was a landmark moment for the brand and for Sta. Rita Hills broadly: the AVA's establishment as a premium cool-climate destination is reflected in the major investment by Jackson Family. Greg Brewer's parallel Diatom Wines Chardonnay project, founded 2007, has earned its own recognition for site-driven cool-climate California Chardonnay.

• Greg Brewer: Winemaker of the Year, Food and Wine Magazine, 2020
• Multiple Wine Spectator Top 100 placements; consistent 92-96 point scores across major publications
• 2017 Jackson Family Wines acquisition validated brand position and Sta. Rita Hills regional standing
• Greg Brewer's parallel Diatom Wines (founded 2007, Chardonnay-only Sta. Rita Hills label) has earned independent recognition

Brewer-Clifton operated as an independent partnership between Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton from 1996 until the 2017 sale to Jackson Family Wines. Under Jackson Family ownership, the estate has continued without significant stylistic change. Greg Brewer continues as winemaker and remains the principal creative voice. Steve Clifton has stepped back from active winemaking responsibilities for Brewer-Clifton, focusing his creative attention on Palmina (the Italian-variety project) and family ventures. Annual production runs approximately 8,000 to 12,000 cases across roughly 12 bottlings, all from Sta. Rita Hills AVA fruit. The estate also produces Diatom Wines and Greg Brewer Wines (Brewer's solo Chardonnay-focused project) from the same cellar. Brewer-Clifton remains based in the Lompoc 'Wine Ghetto' industrial cellar complex.

• Independent partnership Brewer + Clifton from 1996 to 2017; Jackson Family Wines acquisition 2017
• Greg Brewer continues as winemaker; Steve Clifton focuses on Palmina and family ventures
• Annual production approximately 8,000-12,000 cases across roughly 12 Pinot Noir + Chardonnay bottlings, all Sta. Rita Hills
• Brewer-Clifton + Diatom Wines + Greg Brewer Wines operate from the Lompoc 'Wine Ghetto' industrial cellar complex

Brewer-Clifton draws fruit exclusively from Sta. Rita Hills AVA vineyards under long-term grower contracts. The single-vineyard Pinot Noir program includes Sea Smoke Vineyard (one of the AVA's most prestigious cool-climate sites), Mt. Carmel Vineyard (planted 1990, near Lompoc), Hapgood Vineyard, Machado Vineyard, 3D Vineyard, Acin Vineyard, La Encantada, and additional sites. Chardonnay programs include single-vineyard bottlings from Diatom-affiliated parcels and selected Sta. Rita Hills sites. The estate also produces a multi-vineyard Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as the entry-level expressions. Brewer's vineyard selection emphasizes the AVA's coolest sites (Lompoc-Solomon Hills axis) where heat-degree-days are lowest and the whole-cluster + new oak program can show its most expressive form without losing fruit balance.

• Exclusively Sta. Rita Hills AVA fruit; long-term grower contracts across approximately 10-12 single-vineyard sources
• Single-vineyard Pinot Noir: Sea Smoke, Mt. Carmel, Hapgood, Machado, 3D, Acin, La Encantada, and additional sites
• Single-vineyard Chardonnay: Diatom-affiliated parcels and selected Sta. Rita Hills sites
• Cellar selection emphasizes the AVA's coolest sites (Lompoc-Solomon Hills axis) where heat-degree-days are lowest