Our Story
From Los Olivos to the White House
The Beckmen Family
After years as leaders and pioneers in the electronic music business, Tom and Judy Beckmen, joined by their youngest son Steve and more recently by their oldest son Jeff, set out to make wines as well-crafted and distinctive as the keyboards and synthesizers that built their successful careers as founders of Roland Corp, US. The Beckmens have established themselves as a leading grower and producer in Santa Barbara County, crafting wines of critical acclaim that have been served in the finest restaurants and houses in the country (including the White House) since their inception in 1994.
Beckmen wines are crafted almost exclusively from their two vineyards, the Thomas and Judith Beckmen Estate Vineyard in Los Olivos District AVA and Purisima Mountain Vineyard in Ballard Canyon AVA. With over 150 planted acres combined, the Beckmens look to continue their tradition of crafting world-class Santa Barbara wines and offering exceptional wine experiences at their beautiful winery in the Santa Ynez Valley.
Tom Beckmen is the pioneer and leader that founded Roland Corp. US, one of the biggest names in the electronic music business until today. The heart of Tom's entrepreneurial success has always been his ability to look towards the future and embrace new challenges.
Like his father, Tom, Steve also looked towards the future, pushing the winery to produce the Rhône style wines for which Beckmen and Santa Barbara County have become so well known, as well as establishing the first certified Biodynamic vineyard in the county.
After a 24-year career on Wall Street, Jeff Beckmen joined the family winery in 2016 to help with national sales. After working in a service business, Jeff is excited to be selling and marketing a product in which he and his family take great pride.
The Vineyards
On the western side of Ballard Canyon AVA lies our acclaimed 365 acre (125 acres planted), certified Biodynamic Purisima Mountain Vineyard. Comprised mostly of clay and clay loam, with varying amounts of gravel, the most unique aspect of this site is the limestone subsoil. The limestone soil limits vine vigor and produces smaller vines with lower yields and more intensely flavored fruit.
With peaks reaching 1,150 feet, Purisima Mountain boasts almost 500 feet of elevation change with multiple exposures. Purisima Mountain Vineyard is home to our white wine production including Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, and Chardonnay, as well as our Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre, and Counoise.
The Thomas and Judith Beckmen Estate Vineyard is 40 acres (25 planted) of rolling hills situated on the western border of the Los Olivos District, several miles east of Purisima Mountain. This vineyard has a slightly warmer climate and a gravely, well-drained soil which allow the Beckmens to grow different grape varieties at this site compared to Purisima Mountain.
Beckmen Vineyards consists of two separate vineyards with dramatically different soils and climates.
The Thomas and Judith Beckmen Estate is mostly planted to Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Grenache, Mourvedre, and Syrah.
Tending vines from dormancy through harvest since 1994, the Beckmen family has learned a great deal about their two distinct vineyard properties. Over time they have discovered, acre by acre, the unique soil and microclimate that best hosts each grape varietal, ensuring every block in the vineyard consistently produces the highest quality fruit possible.
We are Committed to Biodynamic Farming
Biodynamic farming is organic farming, and then some. We go beyond organic farming by treating the farm as a living organism: self-contained, self-sustaining, and following the cycles of nature. We do not use herbicides, insecticides, pesticides, or nitrogen based fertilizer.
Learn moreThe Vines
Over time, we’ve let experience be our guide in determining which grapes thrive best on our two vineyards. Since 1994, we have been in constant pursuit of the ideal palette that will portray the balance of flavor, structure, color, and complexity for which Beckmen wines are known.
We have found Rhône-style grapes such as Syrah, Grenache, Viognier, Grenache Blanc, Mourvedre, and Counoise thrive on our Purisima Mountain Vineyard. We have also found the gravely, well-drained soils of the Thomas and Judith Beckmen Estate Vineyard to be the perfect host to our Cabernet Sauvignon vines.
Harvest
At Beckmen Vineyards, we’re working year round to carefully nurture our growing vines and monitor our aging wines, but no time is as exciting and vital as harvest. Harvest usually begins in September and runs through mid-November. During these three months, we are bustling with activity around the clock. For the last 15 years, all of our fruit has been picked under the spectacular Santa Ynez Valley night sky. Harvesting through the night ensures our grapes are picked at the lowest possible temperature, when they are at the peak of their flavor, and affords our harvest crew the comfort of working out of the hot Californian sun.
All of our grapes are carefully hand-picked in small lots of less than 10 – 12 tons per day. We control the quality of fruit that is selected, only picking the ripest grapes on each vine, in every row and block. We commonly harvest the same vine two or three times throughout harvest, making passes to choose only the fruit that will make the highest quality wine. Harvest is when the artistry of wine making comes alive, when we compose the foundation of what will one day mature into exceptional wines.
Winemaking
The focus of Beckmen’s winemaking team is to draw out the distinct qualities expressed by each grape variety, and the unique character of both vineyards, as they guide the grapes from vineyard to bottle. Each wine program is given the same meticulous attention to detail that the vineyards receive year round. By making wine in small lots, we are able to capture the individuality of each particular block in both of the vineyards. We blend most of our wines from this collection of small lots, so that each wine has more depth and distinct layers of flavor.
Our winemaking is done through “smart interventionism”. We make the best decisions at every step in order to create wines that balance depth of flavor, complexity, and the elegance our vineyards naturally possess.
Our Wines
Beckmen Vineyards wine is sold in 25+ markets across the United States and can be purchased at many independent wine shops and restaurants. You can sample our wines at the Beckmen Vineyards tasting room, located on the Thomas and Judith Beckmen Estate Vineyard outside of Los Olivos, CA.
We craft wines that leave an impression. Enjoy our wine on its own to appreciate its complexity, or pair them with great food to enhance the experience and heighten your satisfaction. The best way to drink Beckmen wines is by joining our Wine Club. Four times a year you will receive new wines not yet released to the public, along with videos about each new release, plus recommendations for how long to cellar your wines, and more.