Next Wave Awards Winemaker of the Year: Alice Anderson
If you try to picture the romanticized image of winemaking in California, you might see rows of sun-drenched vineyards with ripe, juicy grapes hanging from each stem. The vines would be surrounded by a biodiverse environment of wildflowers and tall grass, with families of ducks and chickens bustling by as sheep graze their way down each alley. Though California’s intense sunshine fills the space with heat and light, swift, salty breezes serve as a reminder that the ocean is never too far away.
For winemaker Alice Anderson, this is a snapshot of her daily life tending to Santa Barbara’s historic Ibarra-Young vineyard to make wine for her label, Âmevive. But in reality this picturesque ideal of winemaking is hardly easy to come by — it takes tremendous dedication and strenuous work. But with Anderson’s deep commitment to organic agriculture and sustainable practices, it’s the only way she’d have it.
Credit: Ruby Wallau
Anderson’s winemaking career is rooted in her interest in farming. She attended Cal Poly for agriculture, but after her first class in dairy science didn’t speak to her, she wasn’t sure which direction she was interested in pursuing. It wasn’t until her mom, Eileen — who had long worked as a label designer for big wine brands like Gallo and Mondavi — suggested she look into the wine industry that she altered her course. “She set me up with a day of shadowing one of her clients,” Anderson says. “After experiencing the dynamic of working at a winery, I changed my major and never looked back.”
With a degree in viticulture and oenology, Anderson set off to New Zealand for an internship at Rippon, a biodynamic estate in Central Otago. “It was my first introduction to biodynamic farming and working with an estate model,” she says. “Working and being at a place where growing the grapes is so intertwined with the wine and talking about them as one entity, I fell in love with the whole process, with the energy of growing something.”
Anderson’s French roommate in New Zealand convinced her to move to France to dive further into wine culture, so she applied for an internship in the Rhône Valley with Famille Pierre Gaillard, where she later became the caviste. Eventually Anderson was pulled back to California and landed in Santa Barbara, working at Tyler Winery and other local projects.
The vision for Âmevive first came into view when Anderson saw a Facebook ad on a page for women winemakers. The post had an attached image of a Polaroid from the 1970s, depicting Charlotte Young riding her mule across her vineyard — one of the first vineyards planted in the Santa Ynez Valley — saying it was available for rent.
“I found Ibarra-Young in 2019 and everything really started there,” Anderson says. “It’s the soul of Âmevive.”
The vineyard was first established in 1971 with three acres of Syrah and Mourvèdre; Marsanne came into the fold in 1973, followed by Spanish varieties Tempranillo and Graciano in the ’90s. Each vine is own-rooted and the site has been farmed organically since 1993. The only stipulation listed when Anderson and her partner, Topher de Felice, agreed to lease the land was that they had to keep it organic. “I thought ‘OK easy,’” Anderson recalls, “that’s what we were excited about.”
Credit: Ruby Wallau
Anderson immediately implemented her regenerative and biodynamic practices to the land, taking the vineyard to an entirely new level of sustainability. She wanted to reinvigorate the land’s soils and create the best possible environment for making wine. This meant giving space to other species beyond just grapes. She added pollinator rows and hedgerows and introduced sheep, ducklings, and chickens, working no-till and instead relying on the animals to graze the land. Anderson and de Felice run the 10 acre site on their own — they farm 20 acres total across the region — which Anderson admits is challenging work, but ultimately worth the effort.
“By putting in the extra work, not only does the land feel more energized, but because you are adding more life to a place, life starts to work with you — everything is in balance instead of fighting against you,” she says. “Farming is hard; you need a lot of grit. But if you lay the groundwork early, then there’s less insect and disease pressure and you don’t have to spray.”
When it comes to the winemaking itself, Anderson believes in letting the vineyard site express itself through the grapes, working with minimal intervention. “I worked in cellars with many reputable wineries for a long time, and now the winemaking is the easiest part for me,” she says. “We’ve done the hard work by growing the grapes. The goal for the wines is to not mess up the hard work that went into the vineyard.”
Credit: Ruby Wallau
Anderson’s dedication to regenerative agriculture is apparent from the first sip — or even at first glance of the bottle, if you spend a moment to take in the beautiful watercolors (painted by her mother) that portray scenes from the vineyard, like hummingbirds, bees, wildflowers, and owls. The wines are vibrant, high-toned, and stunningly balanced. They land light on the palate, with bright acidity and lower ABVs than expected for something from the sunny Santa Ynez Valley, but still offer ample character, with fruit, savory notes, and texture all in harmony. Offerings range from a peppery, herbaceous Syrah to a vibrant, salty Albariño and a crowd-favorite blend of Roussanne, Marsanne, and Viognier, aptly named ‘Sundrop.’
Her passion for this approach to winemaking, one that prioritizes the health of the vineyards and soils, has inspired others across the industry. She speaks at events and conferences to share advice on organic agriculture and frequently shares her farming adventures on Instagram, with videos of her weeding rows or tending to her sheep, to give access to consumers on what goes into making her joyful, lively wines.
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