Partners in Vine
Meet three of the Central Coast’s winemaking couples
Âmevive wines use fruit from some of the oldest vines planted and still in production in Santa Barbara County.
Written by Matt Kettmann
Photography by Frankie Hildebrand, Nate Stutz, Bradley Miersma
The prospect of working alongside one’s spouse isn’t every couple’s dream. But there’s something different about those who work in wine, where life partners are often business partners as well. Whether it’s because of the teamwork required to run an enterprise, the romance of following the earth’s seasons, or the collaboration in pursuit of an artisanal craft, winemaking success can certainly be achieved with your loved one. Few people embody this combination of passion for both the work and each other than these three Central Coast couples.
Alice Anderson met Topher De Felice while skiing in Colorado, where she was waiting for her visa to renew in order to return to winemaking in France. He was a carpenter between projects, so he followed her to Europe, where their relationship grew serious. They returned to Santa Barbara County to launch ÂMEVIVE in 2019 and now farm 19 acres across the Los Olivos District, making about a dozen wines each year.
“We’ve always shared a love for the outdoors, working with our hands, and creating something tangible,” Anderson says. “Working together means we don’t really get to leave work at work. But even in the stress, it helps to remember you’re navigating all of it with someone you love.” The couple tends to split duties and focus on their own projects. “We each have our own strengths and perspectives, and we lean into them,” she adds. “It gets easier every year.” amevivewine.com
A key to happiness for San Luis Obispo County–based winemakers Mikey and Gina Giugni is that they each have their own brand. He makes about 20 wines and ciders under SCAR OF THE SEA, which was founded in 2012, while she produces a dozen wines as LADY OF THE SUNSHINE, which started five years later.
“It helps maintain balance,” says Gina, who met Mikey in 2014, when she was still a Cal Poly student. “We collaborate and support each other across both businesses, but we also run both brands as one business behind the scenes. This setup allows us to streamline operations while reflecting our personal identities into the wines we make.”
Having someone to trust for direct feedback is critical. “We’re honest sounding boards for each other and openly discuss all aspects of our wines,” Gina says. “That kind of trust and transparency helps us grow—both together and as individual winemakers.” scaroftheseawines.com; ladyofthesunshinewines.com
Climbing initially brought Natalie Siddique and Ryan Pace together in 2014. He was already deep in the wine industry, and it didn’t take long for her to get bitten by the bug. In 2016 they launched OUTWARD, which now produces more than a dozen different wines from their warehouse winery in Grover Beach.
Ryan Pace and Natalie Siddique in their Grover Beach cellar;
“The highs are high, but the lows can be very low,” Siddique says. “Entrepreneurship is an endless puzzle, so it requires consistent adjusting between us to make it all work.” The roots of their relationship provide endless inspiration. “Over the years, wine has been and continues to be our way of exploring the world together, mixing climbing trips with wine-region visits and education across many parts of the globe,” she says. “Working with your significant other is definitely not for everyone. But we feel tremendously fortunate that we have such an intertwined partnership in all aspects of our life together: wine, climbing, and love.” outwardwines.com
