In the Sta. Rita Hills, at the heart of Santa Barbara County, Sandhi Wines offers a fresh, precise and restrained vision of California. Founded in 2010 around Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the estate produces luminous, mineral and finely balanced wines shaped by Pacific breezes, cool-climate vineyards and a clear sense of place.

Sandhi Wines — Cool-climate California from the Sta. Rita Hills

Founded in 2010, Sandhi Wines is one of the estates that helped redefine the image of fine California wine. Based in Santa Barbara County, it focuses on selected vineyards within the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, with a concise production centred on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Historically associated with Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman, Sandhi belongs to a more refined and less demonstrative vision of California. The wines favour freshness, salinity, site transparency and natural balance rather than power or excessive richness.

History: a key project in the California renewal

Sandhi was created with a clear ambition: to show that California can produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir of tension, finesse and purity. The project is part of a broader movement towards more balanced California wines, built on measured ripeness, lower alcohol levels and careful attention to individual sites.

By focusing on the Sta. Rita Hills, Sandhi found an ideal setting for this approach. The region is cool, windy and strongly influenced by the ocean, producing grapes that are ripe yet vibrant, with natural acidity and clear aromatic definition.

Terroir: Sta. Rita Hills, wind, freshness and rocky soils

The Sta. Rita Hills AVA benefits from a natural corridor that draws Pacific winds deep inland. This cool climate, combined with intense sunlight, lengthens the growing season and gives wines that are both concentrated and finely drawn. Depending on the vineyard, rocky, limestone-influenced or sandy soils bring texture, mineral energy and aromatic precision.

Viticulture and winemaking: restraint and site clarity

Sandhi works with selected vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills, chosen for their ability to produce ripe, fresh and naturally balanced fruit. In the cellar, the approach remains measured: precise élevage, gentle extraction for the reds and a search for texture without excessive oak or aromatic weight.

Style of the wines

Sandhi Chardonnays are defined by tension, salinity and bright citrus, with notes of apple, pear, white flowers, wet stone, fine hazelnut and ripe lemon. The Pinot Noirs favour delicacy, red fruit, rose, gentle spice and a supple yet precise structure, more lifted than demonstrative.

Emblematic cuvées

Cellaring and food pairings

Sandhi Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are often best enjoyed within 3 to 10 years, with longer potential for the finest vineyard cuvées. The whites pair well with noble fish, shellfish, poultry, citrus-led cuisine and fresh cheeses; the reds suit roast poultry, veal, pork, mushrooms, California cuisine and lightly spiced dishes.