Wine · Santa Cruz, California
Stirm
Old-vine California wines with a special focus on Riesling.
- Founded
- 2013
- Founded by
- Ryan Stirm
- Based in
- Santa Cruz, California
Making it since
2013
Their story
Stirm Wine Co. is the work of Ryan Stirm, who studied winemaking and viticulture at Cal Poly and spent about four years as an assistant at Tyler Winery in Santa Barbara County. While still working there, he made his first wine in 2013: four barrels of Santa Barbara Riesling.
He has since settled in the Santa Cruz area, where he farms a few acres himself and works closely with growers who tend old vines of Riesling, Zinfandel, Cabernet Pfeffer, and Rosa del Perú. His goal is to make some of the best white wine in California.
How it's made
Stirm prefers dry farming or careful irrigation and cane pruning to keep vines healthy. He makes some Riesling with skin contact and no added sulfur, and holds back a small share of every wine to see how it ages.
Why we carry them
If you think you don't like Riesling, Stirm is a good bottle to change your mind. These are dry, lively wines from a winemaker who pays close attention to old California vineyards.
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