Angela Osborne

Angela Osborne was born and raised in New Zealand. Her initial exposure to the wine industry occurred when she worked in a wine shop in Auckland while completing a degree in film from the University of Auckland. Filmmaking and not winemaking was her primary interest at the time, but a New Zealand winemaker recognized that she had a passion for wine and arranged for her to work the 2002 harvest at Simi in the U.S. Although she also had an offer in the film industry at the time, she opted to cast her lot with winemaking.

Nick Goldschmidt was Simi’s head winemaker at the time, and a proud Kiwi, which was Angela’s “in.” He introduced her to Mick Unti to further her knowledge of wines. As fate would have it, tasting the Unti 1999 Grenache changed her world!

She relocated to California in 2006, setting her sights on the Santa Barbara area of the state. Her decision to settle there only came after searching throughout northern Spain, southern France, and southern Australia to find a locale suited to pursuing her dream of producing Grenache, a grape that loves more sun than is provided by the climate in New Zealand. She found it in the Santa Barbara Highlands. As Angela says, “I chose California because it provides the perfect climate for turning my winemaking dreams into reality. Both literally—the sun loves California and allows Grenache to ripen beautifully—and figuratively: The culture here truly embraces entrepreneurship.”

Her California winemaking career includes stints at Beckman Vineyards, Casa Barranca, Salinia, Failla, Lioco, and Demetria. Her own label, born in 2007 and entitled, “A Tribute to Grace”, honors her grandmother, who helped raise her and continues to serve as an inspiration. She employs biodynamic principles in her winemaking and currently produces some 3000 cases of Grenache each year. Each of her wines is sourced from a single vineyard to maintain authenticity.

Angela, her husband Jason, and their three sons live in Los Alamos, CA, along with their dog Archie, a coyote they adopted in Mexico. They continue to maintain a connection with New Zealand, however, working harvests there and dreaming of ultimately making a New Zealand wine.