Ryan Cochrane Wines

San Francisco-based winemaker Ryan Cochrane sources 100% of his fruit from Santa Barbara County. He makes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in extremely small quantities, with an annual production that hovers around 500 cases. His goal is to produce foodfriendly, structured wines that reflect the sites from which they originated.

He got his start as an intern with Roger Nicolas at RN Estate in Paso Robles during the 2009 harvest. In 2010, he became the assistant winemaker and made his first barrel of Pinot Noir that year. He moved his operation to San Francisco in 2014 and has steadily increased his production. Ryan does everything himself, from making the wine to designing his own wine label. He still manages to keep his day job at an advertising agency in San Francsico.

Vineyard The soils of Solomon Hills Vineyards are composed primarily of ocean floor sandy loams. It is the western most vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley appellation. With the Pacific coastline only five miles away, a constant maritime influence results in wines of crisp acidity, bright fruit and an inherent balance.The Solomon Hills Vineyards takes its name from Salomon Pico, a celebrated bandit who in the 1850’s traveled frequently along the stretch of El Camino Real that is known today as Santa Maria Valley. Pico’s life was so colorful that it is believed by many to have inspired the legend of Zorro.