Open Range
Sibling Synergy Behind the Dierberg and Star Lane Vineyards
Star Lane Winery sits on an 8,000-acre estate in the Happy Canyon AVA.
Written by Gabe Saglie | Photographs by Blake Bronstad
On aesthetics alone, Star Lane Vineyard wows. The 8,000-acre estate straddles a canyon at the easternmost edges of the Santa Ynez Valley, right up against the Los Padres National Forest, with rolling terrain that stretches as far as the eye can see. In its 200-year history, the property has drawn horse ranchers and Hollywood titans. Today, thanks to the stewardship of siblings Ellen and Michael Dierberg, it’s become known as one of the great Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in the world.
“The caves on the property are the biggest on the Central Coast and among the biggest in all of California,” says Ellen. “And the views are majestic. People who visit it are floored.”
The siblings say that when their parents, Jim and Mary Dierberg, bought the land in the mid-’90s, it was a risk, a leap of faith. It was a very thoughtful move, though, based on decades of patiently waiting for the perfect opportunity.
“The 8,000-acre estate straddles a canyon at the easternmost edges of the Santa Ynez Valley, right up against the Los Padres National Forest.”
“My parents got started in the wine business in 1970 in our home state of Missouri,” recalls Michael. Indeed, the Show Me State stands out in America’s history of viticulture, which dates back to before Prohibition, before other winegrowing discoveries were made as pioneers pushed west. “Hills were covered with vines,” Michael recalls of his Missouri youth. He’s the middle child; his sister, Ellen, is the youngest. Their older brother opted to bow out of the family’s wine business.
For the family, a decades-long search ensued, as the Dierberg patriarch traveled from France to California and back again, looking for a perfect piece of land for wine, specifically Cabernet Sauvignon.
“When we were in the kitchen one day, and he told us he’d finally found it, we said, ‘Come on, Dad, give it up!” says Ellen. “‘You’ve been talking about this for years!’”
Jim Dierberg, however, would be proven right. He bought Star Lane in 1996, 11 years before the Santa Barbara County pocket in which it sits was recognized officially as the Happy Canyon AVA and touted as a unique location for growing world-class Bordeaux grapes. “Focus and determination and patience finally paid off,” says his daughter.
“Flanking both ends of Santa Barbara’s wine region gives the Dierbergs a unique vantage point.”
Today, about 120 acres are planted to grapes like Merlot and Malbec and with a square focus on Cabernet. These grow on the top two thirds of the vineyard, where calcium-carbonate soils prevail. The lower third, replete with serpentine, allows Sauvignon Blanc to flourish. And the wines they create, with winemaker phenom Tyler Thomas at the helm, garner top-tier scores and widespread international acclaim, especially the Cabernet.
“Star Lane Cabernet Sauvignon is world class, so yes, it is in the major leagues and on the playing field,” says Tyler. “I’ve tasted our wines with potential European importers as recently as this year, who find the characteristics of our Cabernet Sauvignon offer a fresh lens on what California Cabernet is. They are compelled by its lithe qualities that don’t seem to compromise Californian fruit—or its ‘sunshine,’ as one taster noted—and power.”
Already “half of our Cab goes to Japan, and our wine is in the best restaurants there,” says Michael. He loves the work trips there. “You eat so well!”
Star Lane features a state-of-the-art gravity-flow winery, and the Dierberg family’s library of wines stretches back more than two decades.
The Dierbergs acquired Drum Canyon Vineyard in 2008, an estate in the coveted Sta. Rita Hills AVA, where cool temperatures and ancient seabed soils offer prime conditions for premium Burgundian grapes. Sixty-seven acres of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay are planted here, in the westernmost stretches of the Santa Ynez Valley. These wines also wow critics and oenophiles, and yet the push to elevate their caliber continues.
“After 18 years of growing Pinot across several different soil types present at the vineyard, we have learned where Pinot Noir is excelling and where Chardonnay deserves a look it never received,” says Tyler. “There is, therefore, opportunity for both to thrive as we discover these nuances.”
Flanking both ends of Santa Barbara’s wine region—warm Happy Canyon and cool Sta. Rita Hills—gives the Dierbergs a unique vantage point for the region’s rich and diverse winegrowing potential.
Star Lane’s subterranean caves are the largest on the Central Coast.
“The area’s reputation continues to grow,” says Michael, who also admits that the ability to grow a wide range of varietals “can make getting the message out a challenge.” He adds, “We need to get [consumers] out to the properties.”
To that end, the Dierberg Drum Canyon Vineyard is open to the public, with tastings by appointment and with a $35-per-person tasting menu that features both labels. Star Lane, however, has just opened to guests for the first time, through a more private and curated series of experiences.
“We want to bring serious people who are really interested in wine and especially in Cabernet,” says Ellen. Aimed at creating a bespoke moment for serious drinkers, the private tours include visits to the subterranean caves and guided tastings from the family’s private library.
Tyler Thomas is winemaker at both Star Lane and Dierberg Wineries. This year marks his 10th anniversary working with the Dierberg family.
And just as the bookend vineyards create equilibrium for the Dierberg enterprise, so does the sibling dynamic that has Ellen and Michael sharing duties across both brands.
“We balance each other out,” she says. “My instinct is more, ‘just do it, and do it now.’ Mike thinks things through, takes his time, analyzes things a bit closer.”
Her brother concurs. “We get along well, and we complement each other.” He’s based in Missouri, while she splits her time between Jackson Hole and Santa Barbara, “so, many times, we’re not in the same place,” says Michael. “Running the business helps build our relationship and helps bring us closer together.”
The siblings are raising kids of their own—he has two teenage boys, and she has five children, ranging in age from seven to 23. Some are already expressing interest in the wine business, especially when it comes to “learning how to be stewards of the land,” says Ellen.
This involvement across the family fits nicely into a 250-year plan that Jim Dierberg drafted early on to manage the vineyards and produce premium wines. “He’s happy that so many of us are following through with it,” adds his daughter. And it ensures that Star Lane and Drum Canyon build on their iconic status for generations to come.
