Foxen Vineyard

Bill Wathen and Dick Dore came to wine from different paths. Wathen began by farming vineyards for Louie Lucas, then served as vineyard manager at Chalone Vineyard under founder Dick Graff, where he absorbed French winemaking technique and developed a lasting commitment to Old World wines. Dore worked as a banker into the late 1970s, then spent a year and a half traveling the back roads of France, Italy, and Spain, returning with the love of wine that would reshape his life. Dore had inherited a connection to the historic Rancho Tinaquaic, the Mexican land grant of nearly 9,000 acres given to his great-great-grandfather, English sea captain William Benjamin Foxen, in 1837. The two met while working at Tepusquet Mesa Vineyard, struck up a friendship, and founded Foxen Vineyard in 1985. With no winery yet built, they pressed their first crush by hand on Dore's basketball court at the ranch, processing the first ton of fruit on the back of a pickup truck. The historic 1860s blacksmith shop on the property, in serious disrepair in 1985, became Dick and Bill's original tasting room in 1987 and the building affectionately known as 'The Shack' (later 'Foxen 7200') for the next two decades. Planting of the Tinaquaic Vineyard began in 1989. In 2009 a modern solar-powered winery and tasting room opened farther along Foxen Canyon Road for the Burgundy and Rhone bottlings, with the historic Shack continuing to pour the Bordeaux and Italian varieties.

• Wathen and Dore met at Tepusquet Mesa Vineyard; founded Foxen Vineyard in 1985 on Dore's family Rancho Tinaquaic
• Estate named for William Benjamin Foxen (1796-1874), Dore's great-great-grandfather and the 1837 Rancho Tinaquaic Mexican land grant recipient
• 1985 first crush processed by hand on Dore's basketball court at the ranch on the back of a pickup truck
• Tinaquaic Vineyard planted beginning 1989; modern solar-powered winery opened 2009 (the 1860s blacksmith Shack became Foxen 7200)

Foxen Vineyard occupies a distinctive place in Santa Barbara County: a family-history estate rooted in the original land-grant geography of the region, paired with a producer-style approach that draws fruit from across the county's most prestigious vineyards. While Au Bon Climat and Qupe defined the Bien Nacido-anchored cellar model and Sanford Winery defined the estate-Pinot model, Foxen helped establish the Santa Barbara County small-grower, multi-vineyard model that the next generation of producers would inherit. Bill Wathen's winemaking has been consistently lauded for restraint and clarity, and the estate's diverse portfolio (Cabernet Franc from Tinaquaic, Sea Smoke and La Encantada Pinot Noir from Sta. Rita Hills, Bien Nacido and Solomon Hills bottlings from Santa Maria Valley, Italian and Rhone varieties) reflects the breadth of Santa Barbara County's climates and varieties. The two Foxen Canyon Road tasting rooms are anchor destinations for the Santa Maria Valley wine trail.

• Family-history estate rooted in the original 1837 Foxen land grant, anchoring Foxen Canyon's identity
• Established the Santa Barbara County small-grower, multi-vineyard model alongside Au Bon Climat and Sanford
• Diverse portfolio across Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache, Sangiovese, Pinot Grigio reflects regional breadth
• Two tasting rooms on Foxen Canyon Road remain anchor destinations for the Santa Maria Valley wine trail

Bill Wathen's winemaking philosophy emphasizes single-vineyard expression over house-style imposition; each vineyard is treated as a distinct fermentation lot, with the resulting wines emphasizing site over style. Pinot Noir is typically fermented in small open-top tanks with native yeasts, with variable whole-cluster inclusion depending on vineyard and vintage. Chardonnay is whole-cluster pressed, fermented in French oak with native yeasts, and aged on the lees. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon from the Tinaquaic Vineyard are fermented in small open-top tanks and aged in French oak for extended periods. The estate-owned Tinaquaic Vineyard sits on the original 1837 Foxen family land grant in northern Santa Maria Valley, planted to Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, and a small Pinot Noir block. The grower-contract sources span Santa Barbara County's premier vineyards. At Bien Nacido Vineyard, Foxen produces the celebrated Block 8 Pinot Noir (planted for Foxen in 1996 with five clones: 113, 115, Mt. Eden, Wadenswil, and Pommard) and the Block UU Chardonnay (Clone 4 grafted onto 1973 own-rooted Riesling rootstock). Sea Smoke Vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills supplies Pinot Noir, with Foxen among a small group of selected outside producers receiving fruit. Solomon Hills, Rancho Sisquoc, La Encantada, Williamson, and Julia's Vineyard round out the program.

• Single-vineyard expression over house-style imposition; native yeast fermentation; variable whole-cluster Pinot
• Estate Tinaquaic Vineyard on the 1837 land grant: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir
• Bien Nacido Block 8 Pinot Noir (planted 1996, five clones: 113, 115, Mt. Eden, Wadenswil, Pommard) and Block UU Chardonnay
• Sea Smoke (Sta. Rita Hills, among small group of selected outside producers), Solomon Hills, Rancho Sisquoc, La Encantada

Foxen Vineyard has been a consistent presence in the Santa Barbara County wine landscape for four decades, with multiple bottlings receiving 90-plus point ratings across decades from trade press including Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and Vinous. The Foxen Tinaquaic Cabernet Franc has been particularly noted for years as one of California's most distinctive Loire-style Cab Franc bottlings, reflecting the cool northern Santa Maria Valley microclimate at the original land-grant property. The 2009 opening of the modern solar-powered winery represented a major investment milestone, allowing significant expansion of the Burgundy and Rhone bottling program while preserving the historic Shack (now Foxen 7200) as the second tasting room. Bill Wathen has been recognized as a Santa Barbara County wine industry mentor, with multiple subsequent winemakers crediting time spent at or alongside the Foxen cellar as foundational. Dick Dore's 2018 retirement after 33 years marked a generational shift, though the estate continues without major directional change.

• Multiple 90-plus point bottlings across decades from Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, and Vinous
• Tinaquaic Cabernet Franc widely cited as one of California's most distinctive Loire-style Cab Franc bottlings
• 2009 opening of the solar-powered winery enabled major expansion of the Burgundy and Rhone program
• Bill Wathen recognized as a Santa Barbara County mentor; multiple subsequent winemakers credit Foxen cellar experience

Foxen Vineyard is a partnership between Bill Wathen and the Dore family. Dick Dore retired from active operations in 2018; family interest in the estate continues, and Wathen leads winemaking and operations from the modern solar-powered winery on Foxen Canyon Road. The Tinaquaic Vineyard provides estate Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, and a small Pinot Noir block. The remaining fruit comes from approximately 10 to 12 other single-vineyard sources under long-term grower contracts spanning Santa Maria Valley, Sta. Rita Hills, and Santa Ynez Valley. The estate operates two tasting rooms on Foxen Canyon Road: Foxen 7200 (the historic 1860s blacksmith shop at 7200 Foxen Canyon Road, opened as the original tasting room in 1987, now pouring Bordeaux and Italian varieties) and the 2009 modern solar-powered winery and tasting room (pouring the Burgundy and Rhone bottlings).

• Partnership between Bill Wathen and the Dore family; Dick Dore retired 2018; Wathen continues as winemaker and managing partner
• Two Foxen Canyon Road tasting rooms: Foxen 7200 (historic 1860s Shack, since 1987) and the 2009 solar-powered winery
• Estate Tinaquaic Vineyard plus approximately 10 to 12 single-vineyard grower contracts across three AVAs
• Foxen 7200 today pours the Bordeaux and Italian varieties; the modern winery pours the Burgundy and Rhone bottlings