Lyons Vineyard
Get the Dirt from owner Sarah Lyons
“Our goal is to understand our vineyard at a deep level and let its character come through authentically in the glass. We are truly lucky to be in a place where the wines show their best from the soils, the winds, the elevation, the natural acidity, the long growing season.”
What was your first vintage year? 2022
How many cases do you make per vintage? We make around 150 - 200
Do you have a Tasting Room? Not yet - currently selling online through our website lyonsvineyard.com
Who is your winemaker? Ryan Carr is our winemaker and mento. He has been teaching us.
What wine/grape made you want to become a winemaker/start your own winery?
Skye grew up around wine. His father was always a wine lover and home winemaker. And at one point his dad held a role as a vineyard manager for Ravenswood, so teenage Skye spent summers working vine rows with his dad and helping out on the bottling line.
My (Sarah’s) story started across the world, during my junior year in college when I studied abroad in Spain. I had a number of wine experiences there, and now I realize how much I loved the way wine brought people together and was such a part of making daily life enjoyable. After moving to L.A. and meeting Skye, the two of us quickly became that couple who planned weekends around tastings and classes. I started down the WSET education path, and after many years earned my diploma, partly because I loved learning and partly because every answer I found sparked more questions and more passion for wine.
Along the way we had always wanted to do something in wine. And especially had wanted to do something to partner with Skye’s dad…start a family project together. But unfortunately he passed away from lung cancer in 2014 and so the dream together with him was not able to be realized. However, we held onto our passion, and continued to pursue our dream. The name Lyons Vineyard is a tribute to Skye’s dad, Stephen Lyons. And those early experiences of ours really shaped the heart and point of view of Lyons Vineyard: to make thoughtful, place-driven wines that spark connection, encourage learning, and bring people together, just as wine did for us.
What varietals do you work with? Which varietal/wine is your favorite to make?
We focus on Rhone varietals, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvédre and Viognier. When we purchased our property, there were already two acres planted: one of Grenache and one of Viognier. Our site in the Los Olivos District AVA is naturally suited to Rhône grapes, with warm sunny days, significant diurnal swings, and steady afternoon winds that keep the fruit cool and maintain excellent natural acidity. So we expanded by planting additional Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.
We’re especially in love with Grenache. In a cooler, wind-influenced climate like ours, it can be incredibly elegant — layered, perfumed, energetic — and it naturally maintains the balance and freshness we aim for in all our wines. Exploring its different clones and bottling them separately is a focus of ours to show people just how different and interesting Grenache can be.
What vineyards do you source from?
We produce exclusively from our estate, because intentionality and a true sense of place are at the heart of what we do. Our goal is to understand our vineyard at a deep level and let its character come through authentically in the glass. We are truly lucky to be in a place where the wines show their best from the soils, the winds, the elevation, the natural acidity, the long growing season.
What type of oak treatment do you use?
We currently use neutral French oak barriques and typically age our wines for about 18 months. Neutral barrels allow the wines to evolve gracefully without picking up overt oak flavors, letting the purity of our site (the wind, the soils, the natural acidity) really shine through. Our goal is balance, freshness, and authenticity, and neutral oak gives us the transparency we want.
What do you love about your winemaking region?
The Los Olivos District is a rare and beautiful contradiction: warm sunshine meets constant afternoon winds and dramatic temperature drops after sunset. That combination gives us the ripeness Rhône varietals need, but with the bright acidity and structure that make them feel alive in the glass. And our little AVA sits on ancient riverbench soils, which add a signature clarity and lift to the wines.
We also love the sense of community here in Santa Barbara wine country. It’s a place where small vineyards, thoughtful farming, and hands-on winemaking still define the landscape. It’s a region that rewards patience, precision, and curiosity.
What’s the story behind your winery name / label?
Lyons Vineyard is named in honor of Skye’s father, Stephen Lyons, who was a passionate wine lover, home winemaker, and longtime vineyard manager. Building this vineyard was originally a dream we hoped to pursue with him, and after he passed away, creating Lyons Vineyard became our way of carrying his legacy forward.
The name is a tribute to him, and the label reflects our sense of place.
Our label features a stylized mountain-scape inspired by the view from our vineyard, the ridge line of Grass Mountain and Zaca Peak. We also designed our labels to spark curiosity. They include more information than most: details about the wine, our site, and even five flavor profile icons to help guide people on what to expect in the glass. For newer wine drinkers, it offers a friendly starting point; for seasoned wine lovers, it’s an invitation to dive deeper. The goal is to make our wines feel welcoming, educational, and like a great choice, right from the moment someone picks up a bottle.
What's the one thing you wish someone had told you about the wine business before you started your own winery?
We always heard that making wine is the easy part, and selling it is the real challenge. So we went into this with eyes wide open. And yes, it’s absolutely true. But launching our brand (we just released our first wines this past September) has been one of the most invigorating experiences of our lives. We are having a blast!
Seeing people connect with our wines, bring them to their dinner tables, open them for celebrations, or make them part of their everyday rituals has been incredibly rewarding. It reminds us why we started this in the first place: to create wines that become part of people’s lives in a meaningful way.
What’s so great about being small? What can you do as a small winemaker that wouldn’t be possible for larger wineries?
Being small means we get to be intentional about everything. We can make clone-specific bottlings that invite exploration, experiment with small fermentations, walk the rows every day, and communicate directly with our customers in a way that is personal and genuine. Small gives the freedom to care deeply about every detail and to build real connection with the people who enjoy our wines.
How do you view the future in the wine industry for small-lot winemakers?
We believe the future is bright for small producers who lead with authenticity, transparency, and education. Consumers want wines with a story, a sense of place, and an invitation to learn something new in a way that is not intimidating and in fact a way that is empowering. And that’s where small-lot winemakers can shine.
As the industry evolves, we believe small producers who stay true to their point of view and connect directly with their audience will continue to find their community.
Do you ever get tired of drinking your own wine?
We make wines we genuinely love to drink, balanced, bright, expressive, and full of energy. But we also taste a wide range of wines from other regions and producers, because curiosity and learning are at the heart of why we love wine. Every bottle teaches us something, and every bottle is an experience for us.
If you could choose another wine region to work in, what would it be?
If we could choose another region to work in, we’d start in the Rhône, especially Cornas or Châteauneuf-du-Pape. Both offer such soulful, site-driven expressions of Syrah and Grenache, and their balance of tradition and intensity has always inspired us.
Beyond the Rhône, we’re deeply drawn to Italy and Spain. Italy holds a special place in our hearts. We love the wines of Piedmont and Tuscany, and I (Sarah) was actually born in Italy, so there’s a natural connection. Spain is equally meaningful, both for its vibrant winemaking culture and for my time living there during college.
And probably most of all, each of these regions shares something we deeply admire: a culture where wine is woven into daily life. It’s part of the table, part of the conversation, and part of celebrating both the simple and significant moments. That way of thinking (that wine is meant to be enjoyed, shared, and integrated into life) resonates with us and inspires how we approach our own wines.
For more information about Lyons Vineyard, please visit their website or follow them on Instagram.