Fiddlestix in Sta. Rita Hills


SIP Certified under Fiddlehead Cellars Ownership Vintages 2013-2021
Click HERE to read more about SIP Certification
Our winery is called Fiddlehead, so why not have a little fun and call the vineyard we planted in 1998 Fiddlestix?!  We bought the dirt in 1996 and passed the torch to new buyers after the 2021 Harvest.

Fiddlestix is the quintessential Pinot noir dream vineyard, located at the western end of the transverse-oriented Santa Ynez Valley, AVA. In 1996, Kathy took a leap of faith and purchased what was a 133 acre “flower farm” (Sta. Rita Hills AVA granted in 2001). We can‘t help but be proud of her intuitive investment.

Located in a narrow slot of the cool climate Santa Rita Hills AVA (located mostly within the SYV AVA), at mile marker 7.28 on Santa Rosa Road, Fiddlestix is where perfect Pinot noir elements of soil and Region I climate pull together.
Picture
click the picture to view our fiddlestix vineyard photo gallery
On the north side of this tight east-west running valley, fog hangs over the vines until mid-morning, the temperature barely rises above 75, and the coastal breeze blows through the Santa Rita Hills, ensuring cool grapes throughout a lengthy day of sunshine. The soil is well-drained Gazos and Botella clay loam, loaded with chirt and Monterey shale. Under our rein, there are 96 planted acres, with an ideal spacing of 1556 vines per acre. With the intent to maximize variety, the vineyard is designed to 32 mini-blocks, representing unique combinations of our six clones, three rootstocks, and various elevation, exposures, and soil combinations. 

In the vineyard we customized our farming in response to each vintage’s demands.  We conscientiously and meticulously farmed to produce grapes of distinction, and yields were carefully controlled to produce unsurpassed Pinot noir quality. Fiddlestix was nurtured by hand many times over again; including thinning, leaf pulllling, and crop thinning to ensure ideal cluster exposure to the suns ripening rays, leaving only goodness on the vines.  

From Fiddlestix we crafted three distinct bottlings of Fiddlestix Pinot Noir. Cuvees Lollapalooza, Seven Twenty Eight and Doyle. You will also find some of this precious fruit in wines of other highly respected, discriminating and dedicated winemakers.
Map of Fiddlestix 1998-2021 
We proudly sold our grapes to the following passionate winemakers:
Ancien   |   Anglim   |   Bonaccorsi   |   Cold Heaven   |   Dragonette   |   Hitching Post
Pali   |   Prodigal   |   RN Estate   |   Rusack   |   Vogelzang  

Prior buyers include:
Arcadian   |   Ampelos   |   Gainey   |   Jonata   |   Paul Lato   |   Summerland   |   Tyler   |   Westerly
FIDDLEHEAD CELLARS HAS MOVED TO THE FARM! (Effective July 1, 2025)
Weekday Contact: (805) 735-7728
Email: [email protected]
Please Note:
  • Lompoc Tastings (weekday & weekend) are available by advance appointment only.
  • Lompoc Wine purchases and pick-ups are also by appointment only.
  • Call or email to request private tasting appointments at our new Lompoc location or to coordinate purchases and pick-ups.

​Out of respect for our staff’s time and the cost to prepare for your tasting, we require that you notify us of any changes or cancellations at least 24 hours in advance. Failure to cancel in advance and “no-shows” will result in a charge to your credit card on file for the full amount of the tastings. Thank you for your understanding!

Please note, the buyer is responsible for all charges associated with all returned shipments,
​including those not delivered due to intoxication. Also, wines being held on our
​courtesy "Will Call" shelf are considered a completed sale and cannot be refunded for any reason.
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