Joie de Vivre

Under the rustic spell of the Santa Ynez Valley

Written by Anna Ferguson-Sparks | Photography by Sara Prince

Seeking a lavish wine country retreat? SUNSTONE VILLA offers a taste of France in the Santa Ynez Valley to Sunstone Winery’s Club members and other private parties. The 8,500-square-foot residence—conceived, designed, and outfitted by the winery’s founders, Fred and Linda Rice—opened in 2012 after a decade of construction. Built with limestone salvaged from chateaus in Aix-en-Provence, Normandy, and the Loire Valley, the villa also features wood beams, rafters, and roof tiles reclaimed from a 19th-century French lavender factory. Now a private residence for Sunstone’s current owners, Teddy and Djamila Cabugos, the villa includes five master suites, eight fireplaces, a billiards room, an underground wine cellar, and multiple terraces and patios with sweeping mountain and vineyard views. Continuing enhancements to the property’s landscaping, furnishings, and fixtures elevate the luxe factor for wine club members; attendees of special celebrations, corporate events, and galas; and myriad photography and filming projects for which the villa often “stars” as a Provençal estate. 125 N. Refugio Rd., Santa Ynez, 805-688-9463, sunstonewinery.com