About Native 9 Vineyards
Native9 is the personal label of James Ontiveros, a ninth-generation Californian whose family has farmed the Santa Maria Valley since the era of the Mexican land grants. The name marks that ninth generation, and the wines come from the family's Rancho Ontiveros estate in the cool, windswept Santa Maria Valley of Santa Barbara County, part of what was once the Ontiveros family's much larger holdings.
The flagship is Pinot Noir from the small, organically farmed Rancho Ontiveros Vineyard, which James planted by hand in 1997 while studying at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and which is now regarded as one of California's fine Pinot Noir sites. Made in small lots in an Old-World-leaning style with winemaking help from Paul Wilkins and later Justin Willett, the wines have earned strong critical scores, and the family also farms Chardonnay from the related Rancho Vinedo parcel.
Ranchos de Ontiveros, the home of Native9, is a working farm and ranch rather than a walk-in destination, offering private, curated tasting and ranch-tour experiences by appointment. Because access is limited and allocation-driven, it is best to arrange a visit directly and join the mailing list for limited releases.