🍾Chapter 1: Dragonette | Dragonette Makes Michelin-Level Wine in a Garage | Wine Bros Uncorked

Описание: In this episode of Wine Bros Uncorked, we head to Buellton, California to meet John Dragonette and Brandon Sparks-Gillis of Dragonette Cellars — a winery known for producing some of Santa Barbara County’s most site-driven, Michelin-level wines… from a space that looks more like an automotive garage than a traditional winery.

Under the roll-up door, John and Brandon share how Dragonette began in a literal garage over 20 years ago, why Santa Barbara County became their home, and how the region’s unique geography allows them to work with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, and Bordeaux varieties — all within a short drive of each other.

But these guys aren’t brunch-and-scone winemakers.

During harvest, their days start in the dirt — so instead of coffee, they invited us into the vineyard. At Fiddlestix Vineyard, we walk the rows together, checking fruit, tasting berries, and breaking down what actually goes into deciding when to pick — from lignification and seed color to flavor, intuition, and experience.

As the conversation unfolds, a bigger picture emerges:
Why Santa Barbara County is full of small, urban wineries
Why Dragonette chooses not to own an estate vineyard
Why scaling up often means sacrificing what matters most
And why you’re unlikely to find wines like this at the grocery store

This episode isn’t about scores or tasting notes.
It’s about place, restraint, collaboration, and showing up every day — in the vineyard.

🍷 Wine Bros Uncorked follows two brothers chasing the stories behind great wine — not trends or trophies, but winemakers worth knowing and regions worth protecting.

🎬 WHAT’S INSIDE THIS EPISODE
• Inside Dragonette’s urban winery in Buellton
• How Dragonette began in a garage over 20 years ago
• Why Santa Barbara County produces such diverse wines
• Urban wineries & the “garage wine” phenomenon
• Vineyard walks during harvest at Fiddlestix
• How winemakers decide when to pick fruit
• Science vs instinct in winemaking
• Why Dragonette doesn’t own an estate vineyard
• Small producers, winery ordinances & why scale matters
• Community, collaboration & Santa Barbara wine culture

🔖 CHAPTERS
00:00 Bitten by the Wine Bug
00:49 On the Road to Buellton
01:28 Welcome to the “Garage Winery”
01:59 Dragonette’s Origin Story
02:28 Why Santa Barbara County
03:12 The Geography That Makes It Possible
04:01 Urban Wineries & Finding Space
05:07 Harvest Is Here — Let’s Go to the Vineyard
05:58 How Winemakers Decide When to Pick
07:03 Science vs Taste in the Vineyard
08:55 Whole Cluster, Stems & Style Decisions
10:05 Blending, Black Label & Collaboration
11:05 Why Dragonette Stays Small
12:32 Vineyard Soils & Ancient Oceans
13:25 Why Santa Barbara Has So Few Big Brands
14:41 The Winery Ordinance Explained
15:07 Harvest Morning Invitation
15:47 What Makes Santa Barbara Different

🍇 PLAYLIST LINKS

🍇 Watch the Dragonette Chapters:
👉🏽   • Dragonette Cellars [Series 2: Los Olivos] ...  

🍇 Watch the Los Olivos Series:
👉🏽    • Los Olivos [Series 2] • A Wine Docuseries ...  

🍇 Watch the Sonoma Series:
👉🏽    • Sonoma [Series 1] • A Wine Docuseries • Wi...  

📺 ABOUT THE SHOW
Wine Bros Uncorked follows two brothers — one a wine expert, the other a wine-obsessed former teacher — as they travel through wine country meeting the people behind the bottles and uncovering the heart of artisanal winemaking.

🏷️ HASHTAGS
#winebrosuncorked #dragonettecellars #santabarbarawine #urbanwineries
#winemakerstory #harvestseason #vineyardlife #pinotnoir #chardonnay
#syrah #artisanalwine #smallproducer #wineeducation #californiawine