The Legacy Continues
Displays at The Valley Project tasting room include soil samples
Written by Gabe Saglie
Photography by Sara Prince
“We are slaves to making wines that go great with food, and wines that should live in your cellar!” says winemaker Magan Kunin. This mantra echoes the formula for success set by her late husband, Seth, which could have fizzled when he died suddenly in 2017, at age 50. His partner in life and business, however, decided to follow his formula—and build on it.
“We’re in the business of mentoring wine professionals, too.”
Seth “was a meticulous person,” Kunin says, “who kept a log of every single day in the winery for 10 years.” Those detailed notes provided a road map that allowed two projects to flourish. The KUNIN label, with a focus on Rhône varieties and elegant blends, is home to some of the best Syrah and Chenin Blanc wines in California, as well as the crisp, clean grenache-based Phoebe Rosé. The VALLEY PROJECT brand, aimed at terroir exploration and wine education around Santa Barbara County’s seven AVAs, delivers standout Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Franc, among others.
Across both labels, she produces about 5,000 cases of wine each year. And each tasting room—Kunin in the Presidio neighborhood and Valley Project in the Funk Zone—acts as an anchor for Santa Barbara’s wine curious. Kunin has placed her own stamp on the brands, including contracting with new vineyard sources and visiting both tasting rooms to pour and mingle with guests on a daily routine. She’s also keen on fostering new careers in the wine business. “We’ve always thought that we’re in the business of mentoring wine professionals, too,” she says. 831 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara, kuninwines.com; 116 E. Yanonali St., Santa Barbara, thevalleyprojectwines.com