After countless bottles shared together and many trips to France, Eric Railsback and Justin Willett founded Lieu Dit, to embrace the Santa Barbara terroir for growing varieties indigenous to France's Loire Valley. Naturally, the star of the show has to be Sauvignon Blanc, and this bottling is still produced from just two vineyards - McGinley Vineyard and Happy Canyon Vineyard, in the Santa Ynez Valley AVA within the larger Santa Barbara region. The vineyards have sandy loam soils with some river cobblestones and serpentine, not unlike the Silex soils of Sancerre, and sit between 300 and 800 meters, ensuring cool nights to preserve acidity.

Farming is always sustainable and essentially uncertified organic. The wine is fermented in both stainless steel and some neutral barrels, and is aged in the same before bottling with only the minimal amount of sulfites. Expect a crisp wine with character, lots of zesty citrus and juicy green apple, tempered by a subtle stony finesse that makes this one of the closest things to Sancerre you will find in California. 

Grape: 100% Sauvignon Blanc 

Viticulture: Practicing Organic 

Soils: Sandy loam with some Serpentine

Pairing: Oysters, Arugula and pear salad with fried Goat cheese