Our Story

Proprietors & History
Winemaker
Acclaim

Our Founders:
Proprietors Ken & Julie Warwick and Nigel Lythgoe were childhood friends who grew up in Liverpool, England then went on to produce the American primetime hit TV show, American Idol. Ken and Nigel also dreamed of owning a vineyard, and as luck would have it, they discovered Paso Robles while traveling between audition cities for the show. They purchased VSJ in 2005 after falling in love with the terroir and the idea of winemaking. In 2006, they began the process of transforming and replanting the vineyard, which was originally planted in the 1980s and replanted about a decade later. Almost 20 years later, Villa San Juliette has emerged as a producer of top- rated wines and a premier wine destination on the Central Coast.

Winemaker Dan Smith

An Oregon native, Dan grew up influenced by the Pinot Noir vineyards of the Willamette Valley. He went on to study Wine & Viticulture at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo before embarking on a journey to fine tune his craft in wine regions worldwide. In 2013, Dan joined the winemaking team at Villa San Juliette and took the lead as head winemaker in 2015.

The dynamic winemaking style at VSJ achieves balance and complexity while highlighting the natural character of the fruit. The wines are made in small lots with precision and care, aged in French barrels, and blended throughout the aging process to fully integrate the flavors that result in cohesive and elegant wines.

Acclaim

Wine Enthusiast

2013 Alicante Bouschet, 91  ο  2013 Chorum Red, 93  ο  2013 Romantique, 91  ο  2013 Grenache, 92 
2014 Grenache, 91  ο  2014 Chorum Red, 92  ο  2014 Sauvignon Blanc, 90 
2015 Cabernet Franc, 90  ο  2015 Petit Verdot, 90 

2017 Rosé, 90 
ο  2017 Grenache, 90  ο  2017 Alicante Bouschet, 91  Editors’ Choice  ο  2017 Petite Sirah, 92  ο  2017 Petit Verdot, 91  ο 
2017 Chorum Red, 92

2018 Cabernet Franc, 91  ο  2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, 91  ο  2018 Grenache, 91  ο  2018 Malbec, 93  ο  2018 Rosé, 90  ο  2018 Sauvignon Blanc, 93  ο  2018 Syrah, 90

2019 Grenache, 90  ο  2019 Petite Sirah, 92  ο  2019 Syrah, 90 

2020 Rosé, 91  ο  2020 Sauvignon Blanc, 91  ο  2020 Syrah, 90 

2021 Alicante Bouschet, 91 Editors’ Choice  ο  2021 Grenache, 92  ο  2021 Petite Sirah, 91

2022 Pinot Gris, 90  ο  2022 Rosé, 90 

2018-2023 Central Coast Wine Competition

2014 Alicante Bouschet Reserve, GOLD
2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, DOUBLE GOLD & Best of Class
2015 Grenache Reserve, DOUBLE GOLD & Best of Class
2015 Syrah Reserve, GOLD
2017 Alicante Bouschet Reserve, GOLD
2017 Chorum Red, GOLD
2017 Petit Verdot Reserve, GOLD & Best of Class
2017 Syrah Reserve, GOLD
2018 Cabernet Franc Reserve, GOLD
2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, GOLD
2018 Grenache Reserve, DOUBLE GOLD 
2018 Malbec Reserve, DOUBLE GOLD
& Best of Class
2018 Petite Sirah Reserve, GOLD
2019 Alicante Bouschet Reserve, GOLD
2019 Cabernet Franc Reserve, DOUBLE GOLD
2019 Petite Sirah Reserve, DOUBLE GOLD
2020 Cabernet Franc Reserve, GOLD
2020 Grenache Reserve, DOUBLE GOLD
2020 Pinot Gris Reserve, DOUBLE GOLD & Best of Class
2020 Petite Sirah Reserve, GOLD
2020 Sauvignon Blanc, GOLD
2020 Syrah Reserve, GOLD
2021 Grenache Reserve, GOLD
2021 Syrah Reserve, GOLD
2022 Pinot Gris Reserve, GOLD
2022 Rosé Reserve, DOUBLE GOLD & Best of Glass & Best Pink

Vinous

2012 Petit Verdot Reserve, 90 points
2013 Romantique, 91 points
2017 Syrah Reserve, 90 points
2017 Petite Sirah Reserve, 90 points
2016 Cabernet Franc, 91 points
2017 Romantique, 92 points
2018 Malbec Reserve, 90 points
2018 Grenache Reserve, 90 points
2018 Petite Sirah Reserve, 90 points
2020 Cabernet Franc Reserve, 91 points
2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, 91 points
2020 Grenache Reserve, 90 points
2020 Petite Sirah Reserve, 90 points
2022
Rosé Reserve, 90 points

 

Taste these showstoppers in the tasting room or purchase from the online store

Tasting Room Details
Go TO Online STore
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