Solminer

Sol-miner as in mining the "Sun" which in turn nourishes the soul. The name inspires us to discover and unearth the treasures in the soils of the California Central Coast. Our decisions have always been personal (not commercial) and involve what we call "conscious farming". As we learn about our little piece of earth and our place in it, the picture begins to widen. We have a feeling of connectedness as each trip around the sun gives us the chance to experience the magical process of exchange from the dirt, plants, fruit, wine, humans, sky, moon, sun and stars. We found our vineyard and farmhouse in 2012 and named it “deLanda” a combination of our first and last names. It reflects our personal desire to produce natural wines using varietals related to our  Austrian heritage. Certified organic in 2014 and Biodynamic® in 2018 deLanda is evolving as we evolve as farmers. Ultimately it shines with individuality and biodiversity as we incorporate chickens, donkeys, sheep, bees, fruit trees, native plants, biodynamic compost, preparations and herb teas all to support the microorganisms in the dirt and health of the vineyard.
Today we are known for both our Austrian varieties and also our willingness to experiment and create wines outside of the traditional box. Some of our most popular wines are our skin fermented white wines, like our Austrian inspired Field Blend. The Field Blend is a blend of all of the white varieties we grow: Grüner Veltliner, Muscat and Riesling, which are fermented on their skins for about two weeks creating an incredibly floral and tropical amber colored wine. Another favorite is always our carbonic macerated Syrah, which is served chilled. It's juicy, easy drinking and packed with aromas of red cherries. In 2020, we started experimenting with making cider from the 13+ heirloom apple varieties we have planted around our vineyard. We are super excited to see how our cider and winemaking evolves and what the everchanging future holds for us.