Ron and Nancy Piazza are successful restaurateurs from Los Angeles who have been in the wine business for decades, but mostly in the background. As lessees at Mt. Carmel Vineyard, they grow grapes that were used by many Santa Barbara wineries such as Longoria, Au Bon Climat, and Brewer-Clifton that brought fame to the vineyard, but those grapes are now primarily used only by Piazza Family Wines and Mail Road Wines, a winery they co-own, that produces high end Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that is sold exclusively to a mailing list. After a years-long search for an estate that they could purchase to both reside at during their many trips from LA as well as produce wine from, they bought the former Harrison-Clarke vineyard in Ballard Canyon in 2017. The newly christened Bella Vista Vineyard is neighbors with Jonata, Stolpman and Purisima Mountain Vineyard and shares in a rare instance of California limestone soil as well as a focus on Rhône grapes that are more adapted to the warm climate of Ballard Canyon. The wines are made by Gretchen Voelcker, who has experienced a meteoric rise in her short career making wines for Martian Ranch, Roark and Rideau as well as her own Luna Hart brand. The grapes are farmed organically and the wines are made naturally. This Grenache uses 50% whole clusters to bring out savory and spicy notes and spends 11 months in 20% new oak barrels so that the oak flavors enhance but don’t obscure the flavors of bright red berries, flowers, spices and dusty minerality. Enjoy with burgers, pork or even spicy pasta.