The Sunstone Story
Our story
A True Family-Run Winery
When the Rice family moved from Santa Barbara to a peaceful 52-acre Santa Ynez ranch to grow wine grapes, little did they know that they would be stewards of a vineyard estate farmed without herbicides, pesticides or synthetic fungicides. None of that is a certification. Fred and Linda Rice and their family originally chose the terraced site overlooking the Santa Ynez River for its ideal south-sloping exposure, its sandy, rocky soil, and a micro-climate that features early morning fog, warm, breezy afternoons, and cool evenings.
Our team
Meet the People Behind It
Djamila Cabugos, Esq.
CEO & Owner
Teddy Cabugos
President & Owner
Winemaker
Director of Hospitality
Milestones
A History of the Estate
The Family Arrives
The Rice family moves from Santa Barbara to a 52-acre Santa Ynez ranch to grow wine grapes, on a terraced site overlooking the Santa Ynez River.
The Vineyard Is Planted
The original vineyard goes in: Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Mourvedre and Viognier. It is farmed without herbicides, pesticides or synthetic fungicides.
The Winery Opens
A horse barn damaged by a fallen oak becomes the tasting room, built to Fred and Linda Rice’s design, with stone barrel-aging caves cut into the hillside.
The Villa Begins
Work starts on the Sunstone Villa above the winery, a house built from reclaimed French materials over the following years.
New Ownership
Teddy and Djamila Cabugos join as new ownership, committed to continuing the original vision of growing grapes without herbicides, pesticides or synthetic fungicides.
The Family Grows
The John and Janna Price family joins the ownership of Sunstone.
Our values
Family Business Values
Named after the exposed sun-dappled shale and stones of the vineyard estate, Sunstone sits in the Santa Ynez Valley. Aromas of French lavender and rosemary greet visitors as they approach the winery’s inviting courtyards, expansive picnic grounds and tasting room.
Sunstone is run on the Rice and Cabugos family values: farming without herbicides, pesticides or synthetic fungicides, recycling and reusing whenever possible, and care for the people who work here and the guests we serve.