Lo-Fi Wines 'Honeybear Orchard' Chenin Blanc, Los Olivos District, Santa Barbara County, California 2025
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Lo-Fi Wines was founded in 2014 by lifelong friends Mike Roth and Craig Winchester. Roth — a New Jersey native who came up through Grgich Hills and Saddleback before finding his direction at biodynamic properties Demetria and Martian Ranch in Los Olivos — launched the label on leftover fruit from a single Martian harvest. The name captures the winemaking ethos perfectly: indigenous yeast, neutral vessels, little to no sulfur, no additions or manipulation of any kind — analog winemaking for a digital era. The Honeybear Orchard Chenin Blanc is Lo-Fi's single-vineyard expression from a densely planted Los Olivos site whose Chenin Blanc cuttings trace directly to the historic Jurassic Park block across the valley.
- WINEMAKER: Mike Roth, with Craig Winchester
- FARMING: Sustainably farmed. Honeybear Vineyard, Los Olivos, Santa Barbara County. Planted 2015, field-grafted 2016. 2,904 vines per acre. Budwood sourced from the 40-year-old Jurassic Park Vineyard Chenin Blanc block (planted 1982).
- VARIETY: 100% Chenin Blanc
- TERROIR: Honeybear Vineyard sits on a flat shelf overlooking the Los Olivos District in the Santa Ynez Valley. Fine sandy loam with clay subsoil promotes even ripening and good natural acidity. The Los Olivos District is warmer than the coastal Santa Rita Hills but benefits from daily Pacific airflow through the Santa Ynez River corridor. The vineyard's dense planting and genetic connection to the Jurassic Park block gives it a precocious intensity uncommon for such young vines.
- VINIFICATION: Hand harvested. Whole cluster pressed directly to tank, settled 24 hours before racking to barrel. Native yeast fermentation followed by full malolactic fermentation from naturally occurring bacteria. No additions of any kind.
- AGING: 6 months in neutral French oak barrels. Racked once prior to bottling. Minimal SO₂ at bottling (approximately 25–60 ppm depending on vintage). Unfiltered.
- TASTING NOTES: Green apple, finger lime, chamomile, and flint on the nose with a matchstick mineral lift. The palate is bright and textured with quince, citrus pith, and almond paste, supported by lively natural acidity and a clean, mineral finish.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Grilled fish, oysters, soft cheese, roasted chicken, herb-dressed salads.
Lo-Fi Wines 'Honeybear Orchard' Chenin Blanc, Los Olivos District, Santa Barbara County, California 2025
Lo-Fi Wines was founded in 2014 by lifelong friends Mike Roth and Craig Winchester. Roth — a New Jersey native who came up through Grgich Hills and Saddleback before finding his direction at biodynamic properties Demetria and Martian Ranch in Los Olivos — launched the label on leftover fruit from a single Martian harvest. The name captures the winemaking ethos perfectly: indigenous yeast, neutral vessels, little to no sulfur, no additions or manipulation of any kind — analog winemaking for a digital era. The Honeybear Orchard Chenin Blanc is Lo-Fi's single-vineyard expression from a densely planted Los Olivos site whose Chenin Blanc cuttings trace directly to the historic Jurassic Park block across the valley.
- WINEMAKER: Mike Roth, with Craig Winchester
- FARMING: Sustainably farmed. Honeybear Vineyard, Los Olivos, Santa Barbara County. Planted 2015, field-grafted 2016. 2,904 vines per acre. Budwood sourced from the 40-year-old Jurassic Park Vineyard Chenin Blanc block (planted 1982).
- VARIETY: 100% Chenin Blanc
- TERROIR: Honeybear Vineyard sits on a flat shelf overlooking the Los Olivos District in the Santa Ynez Valley. Fine sandy loam with clay subsoil promotes even ripening and good natural acidity. The Los Olivos District is warmer than the coastal Santa Rita Hills but benefits from daily Pacific airflow through the Santa Ynez River corridor. The vineyard's dense planting and genetic connection to the Jurassic Park block gives it a precocious intensity uncommon for such young vines.
- VINIFICATION: Hand harvested. Whole cluster pressed directly to tank, settled 24 hours before racking to barrel. Native yeast fermentation followed by full malolactic fermentation from naturally occurring bacteria. No additions of any kind.
- AGING: 6 months in neutral French oak barrels. Racked once prior to bottling. Minimal SO₂ at bottling (approximately 25–60 ppm depending on vintage). Unfiltered.
- TASTING NOTES: Green apple, finger lime, chamomile, and flint on the nose with a matchstick mineral lift. The palate is bright and textured with quince, citrus pith, and almond paste, supported by lively natural acidity and a clean, mineral finish.
- FOOD PAIRINGS: Grilled fish, oysters, soft cheese, roasted chicken, herb-dressed salads.