Breaking News: Justin Willett Acquires Iconic Fiddlestix Vineyard
BY ANTONIO GALLONI |
Justin Willett’s acquisition of the iconic Fiddlestix Vineyard is sure to make waves for many reasons. For over a decade Willett's superb wines at Tyler have placed him in the upper echelon of Santa Barbara producers. With this investment Willett sends a strong message that the future of Tyler is very much as an estate winery in the Sta. Rita Hills and makes him one of the biggest advocates of the appellation. At Fiddlestix, Willett leads a team with partners Erik Mallea and Todd Gray of Willett-Mallea Farming and entrepreneur/wine lover William Borgers.
“We see ourselves as stewards of this land,” Justin Willett told me recently. “When Kathy Joseph planted the ranch there were just three other vineyards in the vicinity: Sanford & Benedict, Lafond and El Jabali. Obviously, things are very different today. Our goal is to provide exceptional fruit, not just for me at Tyler but for a number of similarly minded winemakers,” he added. Plans include a conversion from sustainable to fully organic farming and a rebalancing of the vineyard to include more Chardonnay as blocks on the eastern side of the ranch will be redeveloped in the coming years.
Justin Willett’s acquisition of the iconic Fiddlestix Vineyard is sure to make waves for many reasons. For over a decade Willett's superb wines at Tyler have placed him in the upper echelon of Santa Barbara producers. With this investment Willett sends a strong message that the future of Tyler is very much as an estate winery in the Sta. Rita Hills and makes him one of the biggest advocates of the appellation. At Fiddlestix, Willett leads a team with partners Erik Mallea and Todd Gray of Willett-Mallea Farming and entrepreneur/wine lover William Borgers.
