Rick Longoria, who launched the Longoria Wines label in 1982, has sold his family’s Lompoc winery property, inventory and label to a Maryland couple eager to get a foothold in the Santa Barbara County industry.
Longoria said Monday that Brooke and Lindsey Christian of Bethesda “plan to keep the Longoria brand name, and thus want to keep me on as the winemaking consultant and founder of the brand.”
Brooke Christian, a Florida native, is the founder and CEO of the Key West Film Festival. He did not respond to an email seeking comment on the purchase.
“We’re proud of all that we’ve accomplished in the wine industry, and we’re looking forward to seeing the next chapter of Longoria Wines unfold under the enthusiastic stewardship of its new owners,” Rick and Diana Longoria wrote in a newsletter to club members and colleagues. “We also want to express our gratitude to all of the past and present members of our production and sales teams, as well as our longtime growers, who have all been instrumental to the success of our winery.”
While Rick Longoria crafted the label’s notable pinot noir, chardonnay, syrah and other grape varietals, Diana Longoria ran the business and, frequently, the tasting rooms. Longoria Wines was one of the first to open a tasting room in Los Olivos, and in 1998, established the first winery in Lompoc’s Wine Ghetto.
In the fall of 2014, crews completed seven trips across town in a tractor-trailer, carrying barrels from the Wine Ghetto site to property purchased on East Chestnut Avenue, the former clubhouse for Celite. That site has since housed the winery, offices, a tasting room and an events room.
“Diana plans to take well-deserved time off from managing the financial and retail aspects of our business for 40 years and spend more time with our grandchildren, and pursue other interests,” Rick Longoria said.
He acknowledged that while the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to his decision to sell, increased competition both for tasting room visitors and in the wholesale markets had caused him to scale back production during the past several years.
Longoria reflected on his decades making wine and how Santa Barbara County has gained fame as a region. Last fall, Wine Enthusiast honored it as “Wine Region of the Year” during its annual Wine Star Awards competition.
“It was very rewarding for me and the other first-generation winemakers to finally see the recognition of our region received by the Wine Enthusiast publication,” he said. “We all believed in the capability of our wine region, and worked with passion and persistence to see it proved.”
Looking back, he said, “I’ve seen much change, and most of it has been for the better.
“Like most regions in California, our region incorporated new and improved grape growing techniques, which provided better quality fruit. New winemaking techniques, such as cold rooms for extended skin contact, a multitude of new yeast strains custom tailored to specific varietals, the introduction of new varietals such as albarino, tempranillo, gruner veltliiner and others provided opportunities to demonstrate the suitability of our region’s microclimates for a wide range of varietals.”
— Laurie Jervis tweets at @lauriejervis and can be reached via winecountrywriter@gmail.com. The opinions expressed are her own. She would happily take the wheel of a Ferrari if given the chance.