Piazza Family Wines is a boutique, family-owned winery dedicated to crafting small-production, site-driven wines from two distinctive estate vineyards in Santa Barbara County. With a commitment to organic farming and minimal intervention winemaking, we produce wines that reflect the singular beauty of place, vintage, and varietal.
Our journey began in the 1980s, when owners Ron and Nancy Piazza hand-planted the now-iconic Mt. Carmel Vineyard on a dramatic hillside in what would become the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Today, Mt. Carmel stands as one of the oldest and most revered vineyards in the appellation. Its steep, exposed slopes and diatomaceous earth soils—composed of ancient marine fossils—yield wines of exceptional minerality, structure, and age-worthiness. The vineyard’s extreme growing conditions and coastal influence result in low yields and fruit of remarkable intensity, particularly for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
In Ballard Canyon, the Piazzas purchased Bella Vista Vineyard, our second estate site and home to our winery. Planted in 2001 to Rhône varietals and expanded in 2020 to include select Italian varieties, Bella Vista is situated at 1,100 feet elevation and rooted entirely in limestone soils—a rare and prized feature that contributes vibrant acidity, texture, and tension to the wines. This vineyard is CCOF-certified organic, and its farming is centered on promoting biodiversity, soil health, and long-term vineyard vitality.
At Piazza Family Wines, we take a minimal intervention approach in both the vineyard and the cellar. Our organic farming practices are rooted in a deep respect for the land, and we carry that philosophy through to the winery—using native fermentations when possible, avoiding additives or excessive manipulation, and allowing each wine to develop naturally. The result is a portfolio of wines that are elegant, expressive, and grounded in a European sensibility—with lower alcohols, lifted aromatics, gorgeous texture, and a strong sense of place.
We produce a thoughtful range of Rhône, Burgundian, and Italian varietals, each crafted with the intent to honor its origin and showcase its individuality. Every bottling tells a story of the land it came from and the people who tend it.
We welcome guests for intimate, by-appointment tastings at our private Ballard Canyon estate. These experiences offer a rare and personal opportunity to explore our wines in the very vineyards where they are grown—a peaceful, elevated setting in the heart of Santa Barbara wine country.