Josef would become the first in a line of nine generations of California ranchers and farmers.

Today, James Ontiveros is the ninth generation of Alta California Ontiveros' still farming the same valley that generations of his family have called home. Our wines tell a real story about the durability of truth, the people, and the earth itself. Through the struggle of a cold windswept coastal desert, these vines reach for water and nutrients in the depleted earth. When combined with purposeful farming in the cool Mediterranean climate, Santa Maria bears fantastic raw product for winemaking. Our singular goal at Ranchos de Ontiveros is to make wine as complex as the the story of how they came to be.

Ranchos de Ontiveros wines are as complex as the history of the land from which they come.

Our Old World-inspired wines are, at their core, a testament to the terroir and unique site of our estate vineyards and, of equal importance, the mindful human effort that goes into our farming. When yields are low, wine production is low, and cost per unit is high. The conditions of the vintage will always be represented in the wine (even if they aren't favorable). The wines are always estate, with production small enough to preclude compromise.