The Refugio Ranch wines story began with Kevin Gleason planting the Refugio Ranch Vineyard in 2006 in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley.  Kevin, along with his son Max, built the Refugio Ranch brand from scratch.  It was the mission of the Gleason Family to craft wines of exquisite character, that would embody the soul of this unique corner of the earth. Years later Kevin’s daughter, Callie, joined the family wine business along with her husband Matthew, the two of them leading the sales team.

Refugio Ranch encompasses two distinct terroirs.  Half of the planted acreage is nestled into the north face of the Santa Ynez Mountains.  The north-facing aspect of these slopes, coupled with heavier, clay based soils, create a cooler environment than the neighboring vineyards in the eastern Santa Ynez Valley.  These slopes are planted predominantly to red varietals.  We call this area “The Bowl.”  The other half of our planted acreage is located in the flats along the banks of the Santa Ynez River.  These vineyards are more exposed and planted in sandy, alluvial soils.  These “River Flats” are planted to a mix of red and white varietals. 

Refugio Ranch is truly a family owned and operated business.  Borrowing from Old World traditions of passing land and passion down from one generation to the next. We work on the ranch, we play on the ranch - always with the knowledge that we are merely stewards of the land in the course of its long history.