"The most important thing we've done is establish a soul to everything we do and a why behind each of our cuvées. We want to remind everyone who has a glass of this wine what it's about—it's about the people we're supporting and the quality of our farming. I can't imagine running a vineyard any other way." – Pete Stolpman

Much has been said about sustainability practices in the wine business, often focused on clean farming and eco-friendly packaging. Rarely does the term include sustainability when it comes to people—how a business seeks the best for its employees, their working conditions, and their extended communities.

After observing how many California farms operated on migrant labor, Tom Stolpman started Stolpman Vineyards in the 1990s with a promise to provide stability for his essential workers. He hired Ruben Solorzano, a Mexican immigrant, to be his vineyard manager and sponsored him for a green card, which put him and his family on a path to citizenship. In the years since, the Stolpman and Solorzano clans have grown and prospered together throughout Santa Barbara County, with the Stolpman estate in Ballard Canyon as their center of gravity. Today, Tom's son, Pete, leads the estate, and a second generation of full-time farmers learn hands-on skills from Ruben's decades of wisdom.

Pete joins the podcast this week with an important message about sustainability in practice, not as a buzzword. He opens a bottle of La Cuadrilla, Stolpman's flagship red blend that comes from a block of vineyard owned by Ruben and the vineyard crew. The estate breaks even on it, and the profits get redistributed to the workers, so they can fully enjoy the fruits of their labor.

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Skurnik Wines & Spirits

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