Opticaprism

After growing up in Stockton, California, Steve’s experience as an undergraduate at UCSB gave him an introduction to the magic of Santa Barbara County. Wine tasting in the Santa Ynez Valley sparked his interest and love for wine. His summer job in agriculture combined with his grandfather’s work in grapevine breeding helped solidify his career path.

A rainbow is formed when sunlight passes through water droplets and disperses into the 7 colours it is made up of. In fact, rainbow-like substances can be formed even when light passes through a prism. Due to the shape of a prism, dispersion of light can take place when it passes through it. To understand this, let’s understand how refraction occurs when light passes through a glass prism.

Polyprism

Did you know that scientists today are very close to successfully inventing an invisibility cloak? If you think this is magic, you are wrong. The aim of these scientists is to make a fabric that will hide objects completely, at least in visible light. This is based on a fundamental scientific principle: the principle of refraction. According to this, light travels from one medium to another and changes its direction.

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Our mission is to work with exceptional vineyard sites and quality-focused growers in Santa Barbara County, crafting wines of precision that convey their origin and varietal character.

This is how a ray of white light scatters into 7 colours when it passes through a prism. The different colours of light waves experience a different degree of deviation; thus, white light splits into its components when subjected to refraction.

Prism

Opticalprism

Winemaker Steve Fennell Tries Small and Solo After years of spearheading other brands, Steve Fennell is now making his own wines, including pinot noir from Peake Ranch in the Sta. Rita Hills.

“For the past 30 years, I have had the pleasure of working with some of the finest vineyards in premium wine regions. Since 2006, Santa Barbara County has been both home and source of inspiration. I find joy in working with world class vineyards, and crafting wines by interpreting site, variety and vintage” – Steve Fennell

Peake Ranch in the Sta. Rita Hills is a perfect match. Hand harvesting fruit in the cool of night at optimal ripeness, followed by gentle handling in the cellar, and aging in carefully selected barrels that respect the purity of the fruit are operating principals in line with the mission.

After graduating from UCSB in earth sciences, he did graduate studies in enology and viticulture at UC Davis to help propel his journey into wine. He worked in Napa (Trefethen Vineyards, Voss Vineyards) and Australia (Yalumba) before returning to Santa Barbara County in early 2006 to make wine for and manage Sanford Winery in the Sta. Rita Hills. In 2019, he took the plunge and started his own wine project in honor of his family.