Alice Anderson
Amevive Wine
Alice Anderson is a winemaker and grape grower in Santa Barbara County, California, focusing on production in Santa Ynez, Los Olivos District, Santa Ynez, and the Alisos Canyon. The region’s beautiful landscape is characterized by steep mountains that quickly drop into the Pacific Ocean and valleys that are dry with striking Golden Hills, valley oaks, and rocky outcroppings. Alice’s vineyards are nestled in this scenic environment, offering a unique setting for growing grapes.
RCPP
California
Alice’s journey into winemaking began with a background in agriculture and viticulture at Cal Poly. Her mother’s work as a wine label designer solidified her passion for winemaking. She values the blend of creativity and hands-on work in the wine industry, which led her to start her own wine brand, Amevive Wine. Despite the challenges of the competitive wine industry, Alice finds deep satisfaction in the authenticity of her work, particularly in the farming aspects and the creative process of label making and hosting wine-related events.
We want to give a home for the weasels, for the birds, for the owls, for the snakes, and we want them to coexist along with our vines.
Over the years, Alice has focused on sustainable farming practices, transitioning her vineyards to no-till farming and integrating animals like sheep, ducks, and chickens to enhance the vineyard ecosystem. She manages two primary vineyards, Ibarra-Young and a more recent lease in the Los Olivos District, both farmed organically. The integration of animals not only fertilizes the vineyards but also fosters a deeper connection with the land, as she regularly tends to the animals and the vines. Additionally, Alice has implemented hedgerows and pollinator strips to support biodiversity and improve the overall health of her vineyards through funding from the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The birds, insects, and small rodents that live in the habitat benefit the biome of the entire vineyard, and inspire the art on Alice’s wine labels.
Fires can ruin a harvest in a couple day. If smoke settles in your vineyard, especially with red grapes, you can get what’s called smoke taint, and basically your wine tastes like campfire.
Alice’s approach to winemaking is heavily influenced by her time in France, where she learned the importance of growing what you make. This philosophy drives her to maintain a close connection between the vineyard and the finished wine, ensuring that her wines reflect the energy and care put into the growing process.
Wine is something that people really care about. If you’re into it, you can go down rabbit holes of the people behind the wine, and all of that is really, really easy information to access. So if you’re into wine, I would say educate yourself with the ethics of the company that you’re purchasing your wine from
My mom is amazing. She painted all of my wine labels. My mom paints the fronts and I paint the backs. All the labels are based on the native flora and fauna that we see in the vineyard.
