Steve Beckmen.

When Steve Beckmen co-founded Beckmen Vineyards with his parents, Tom and Judith, in 1994, he embarked on a journey that would not only elevate Santa Barbara County’s reputation in the wine world but also position the vineyard as a pioneer in biodynamic farming there.

Today, Beckmen Vineyards is recognized for its commitment to the environment and producing among the best wines in California’s Central Coast region.

The Beckmen family’s path to winemaking is an intriguing one. Steve, who grew up in Los Angeles, initially pursued a career far removed from viticulture. He studied anthropology and archaeology at UC Santa Cruz, later working on archaeological digs before briefly joining his father’s music company, Roland Corporation—a renowned name in the world of keyboards and synthesizers.

Beckmen Estate Vineyard in Los Olivos,

After selling their stake in Roland in 1993, Steve and his parents set out in search of a new venture. They acquired an established winery in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley founded in 1980 that included a 16-acre vineyard primarily planted with Chardonnay. This acquisition marked the beginning of Beckmen Vineyards, a project driven by their shared passion for crafting exceptional wines.

A couple of years later, they began searching for an additional property with the goal of creating a traditional estate winery—one that would grow its own grapes and produce wine exclusively from those vines.

The soil at Beckmen Estate Vineyard.

The 16-acre vineyard was limiting in that regard, so Steve’s father discovered a site in Ballard Canyon, planted in 1997 and 1998 which they call Purisima Mountain.

“The early years were full of experimentation with different varieties, as the region was largely known for Chardonnay when I first arrived in Santa Barbara.” Steve told us. “In our first few vintages, we explored a range of varieties, sourcing fruit from different places to test their potential. Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre really stood out, so we focused on these Rhône varietals for planting at Purisima.”

The pond at Beckmen.

Steve’s commitment to biodynamic farming was inspired by both personal and professional encounters. A college friend’s success with biodynamic gardening initially piqued his curiosity, but it was working with Philippe Armenier and testing the theory on a single block of Syrah, known as Block 6, that ultimately convinced Steve of the power of this holistic farming approach.

Biodynamic farming, which views the vineyard as a self-sustaining ecosystem, is based on principles first developed by Rudolf Steiner in the 1920s. It emphasizes natural preparations, the lunar calendar, and biodiversity to create a closed-loop system that minimizes external inputs and enhances soil and plant health.

Beckmen Estate Vineyard.

“I wasn’t a farmer before I got into winemaking, but I noticed that most people were farming reactively, basing decisions purely on analytics without much thought behind them. When I met Philippe in 1998, our conversations made a lot of biodynamic concepts—which can feel far from science—really resonate with me. Then, as I started tasting wines from biodynamic producers, it clicked even more. Reading about biodynamics is one thing, but practicing it opens up a new level of understanding. You start to embrace things you might not fully grasp right away, and that’s okay as long as you’re seeing real results.”

Steve has embraced the interconnectedness of biodynamics.

To increase biodiversity, they’ve planted cover crops, added a pond, and integrated livestock into the vineyard. The pond attracts a range of wildlife, promoting ecological balance, while the cows that graze the vineyard in the off-season contribute to the farm’s manure-based preparations, a key component of biodynamic farming. This holistic approach ensures that the vineyard remains healthy and productive, without relying on artificial inputs.

As Steve puts it, “There’s tremendous value in being a steward of the land and practicing biodynamic or regenerative farming concepts—it’s a wonderful evolution. It broadens the approach so that even those who may not connect with the spiritual or interconnected aspects can still farm effectively and embrace practices that deliver results.”

The results show in the final product.

“Ultimately, we produce a product, and when we look back at our wines from the past 30 years, we can see the quality steadily improving. I believe that’s largely due to how we’ve evolved our approach to the vineyard, which in turn has influenced how we make the wine.”

Beckmen Vineyards is best known for its Rhône varietals, particularly Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvèdre, but they also produce, more traditional Bordeaux varietals like Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

As the climate continues to change and the challenges of conventional farming become more apparent, Steve’s commitment to biodynamics offers a hopeful path forward. The wines of Beckmen Vineyards are not only proof of the region’s potential but also offer a blueprint for a more sustainable, harmonious way of farming.

A harmonious path forward.

Steve admits he likes to be different and, in his search to do so that ultimately led to his choice to try biodynamic farming, he found something that works. “It wasn’t an easy shift—it took time to let go of a lot of ingrained ideas—but I think biodynamics finds a great balance with science. It’s always good to have balance in whatever you do.”

“It took me a long time to embrace that sense of something deeper—call it spiritual, call it a feeling—connecting us to everything around us: the plants, trees, stars. There’s an interconnectedness that often gets lost in our society, and that idea really resonated with me. That’s why I always say that choosing biodynamics is a personal decision; it’s not necessarily the right path for everyone.”

By embracing biodynamic farming practices, Steve is ensuring that Beckmen Vineyards will not only continue to remain sustainable in future, but also continue to produce high quality wines that resonate with both quality and purpose.

Tasting Notes

2023 Beckman Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

2023 Beckmen Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc.

We really like this Sauvignon Blanc, a statement we have not found ourselves saying as often since the craze for New Zealand SBs took hold. Beckman produces a textured Sauvignon, one that possesses the racy acidity to create the freshness typical of that varietal but also good body and texture. Mercifully, those overly pungent notes of gooseberry are nowhere to be found in this wine. Rather we experience notes of grapefruit with hints of citrus on a medium bodied frame that pleases the senses with its intensity of fruit and rounded texture. Hints of cut grass come through on the long finish.

Very Good+/Excellent (USD$30)

2022 Beckman Vineyards Grenache

While the label says Santa Ynez Valley, the grapes come from their two estate vineyards, on Purisima Mountain and in the Los Olivos AVA.

2022 Beckmen Vineyards Grenache

Both vineyards are biodynamically farmed. The colour is medium to light red. The nose is very expressive and shows notes of cherry, dried herbs and spices. On the palate we get flavours of cherry pastille, dried herbs and cracked pepper. There is a savoury element to this wine that is quite captivating. Coming in at 14.9% ABV, this is a typical Grenache number (we are generally not wine-by-numbers tasters) but we mention it because Grenache generally can have high alcohol without coming across as hot. And the Beckman certainly meets this description. The texture is seductive with medium+ body and medium acid and tannin. Ready to drink now but should gain added complexity over the next 7 to 10 years.

Excellent (USD $39 *particularly good value for this quality level)

2022 Beckman Vineyards Grenache Libre

2022 Beckmen Vineyards Grenache Libre.

All fruit for this wine from their biodynamically farmed estate vineyard on Purisima Mountain. Sharing some qualities with the previous wine but here the dials are turned way up. There is terrific intensity of flavour in this wine with morello cherry notes, dried herbs, and exotic spices. The texture is just outstanding due to the excellent balance that gives both texture from the full body and precision from the tannin and acidity. Each sing at the same volume. The result is a seductive but serious wine that leans into its savoury components. A triumph of New World Grenache!

Excellent+ (USD $75)

2022 Beckman Vineyards Own Syrah

2022 Beckmen Vineyards Own Syrah.

“Own” refers to “own rooted” meaning that the vine was planted without being grafted on to Phylloxera resistant root stock. This is a type of farming that requires real dedication, as the consequences could be ruinous of Phylloxera, the pernicious vine-eating louse does attack the vineyard. But based on this Syrah, the result is worth the risk and the effort. Medium/dark red in colour, we get flavours of black cherry and blackberry that gain complexity from the black pepper, olive brine and dried herb notes. The tannins are grippy but ripe and combined with the depth of the fruit, this is destined for a long life in a cool cellar. Very age-worthy. There is great texture to this wine, and straddles both the Old and the New World in style. The long finish leave your mouth coated with black fruit flavours that make this wine very seductive.

Excellent (USD $75) 

A wonderful estate to visit in the Santa Ynez Valley.

Beckmen Vineyards

2670 Ontiveros Road
Los Olivos, CA 93441

T: (805) 688-8664

H: Open daily 11am – 5pm