<img width="1024" height="768" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1" class="attachment-rss-image-size size-rss-image-size wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?w=2560&ssl=1 2560w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=1024%2C768&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C576&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&ssl=1 2048w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1 800w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&ssl=1 200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C1500&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C585&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?w=2340&ssl=1 2340w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&w=370 370w" sizes="(max-width: 34.9rem) calc(100vw – 2rem), (max-width: 53rem) calc(8 * (100vw / 12)), (min-width: 53rem) calc(6 * (100vw / 12)), 100vw" data-attachment-id="54076" data-permalink="https://www.santamariasun.com/food/bien-nacido-celebrates-20-years-of-its-estate-label-marking-its-evolution-from-grape-supplier-to-wine-maker/attachment/eats-lead-1-table-9-18/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-1-table-9-18-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1920&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1920" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.78","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 14 Pro","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1757691020","copyright":"","focal_length":"6.86","iso":"80","shutter_speed":"0.00012199585214103","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="eats-lead-1-table-9-18" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

LEISURELY LUNCH: Guests who book a tour of Bien Nacido vineyards have the opportunity to enjoy a meal at the picnic tables overlooking the property.

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Nicholas Miller’s family has lived in California since right after statehood. For five generations they’ve farmed and grown grapes along the Central Coast. 

In 1973, Miller’s father and uncle planted 300 acres of pinot noir and chardonnay grapes in Santa Maria, founding Bien Nacido Vineyard, according to the website. 

Celebrate on the estate
Bien Nacido’s Cheers to 20 Years event will be held at The Gatehouse tasting room on Sept. 20 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The band About Time will be performing starting at noon. The Gatehouse is located at 3503 Rancho Tepusquet Road in Santa Maria. Buy tickets online or call (805) 318-6503 for more information.

For decades, the family focused mainly on the business-to-business side of the industry, supplying grapes to other wineries. That changed in 2005 when Miller made his family’s first vintage.

“It felt like we were kind of late to the game starting to make our own wine,” Miller told the Sun. “But here we are, two decades later. It’s hard to say that we are new to the game anymore.” 

<img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="768" height="1024" data-attachment-id="54077" data-permalink="https://www.santamariasun.com/food/bien-nacido-celebrates-20-years-of-its-estate-label-marking-its-evolution-from-grape-supplier-to-wine-maker/attachment/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?fit=1919%2C2560&ssl=1" data-orig-size="1919,2560" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.78","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 14 Pro","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1757689494","copyright":"","focal_length":"6.86","iso":"200","shutter_speed":"0.0083333333333333","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

ONE AND A HALF LITERS: As part of Bien Nacido’s celebration of 20 years of winemaking, the winery will offer library wines and pours from large bottles that aren’t typically served.

” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?fit=225%2C300&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?fit=768%2C1024&ssl=1″ src=”https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1″ alt=”” class=”wp-image-54077″ srcset=”https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=225%2C300&ssl=1 225w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&ssl=1 1152w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&ssl=1 900w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C800&ssl=1 600w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=450%2C600&ssl=1 450w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C400&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=150%2C200&ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=2000%2C2667&ssl=1 2000w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=780%2C1040&ssl=1 780w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C533&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-scaled.jpg?w=1919&ssl=1 1919w, https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-2-bottles-9-18-768×1024.jpg?w=370&ssl=1 370w” sizes=”(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px” />

ONE AND A HALF LITERS: As part of Bien Nacido’s celebration of 20 years of winemaking, the winery will offer library wines and pours from large bottles that aren’t typically served. Credit: Photo by Madison White

Now, Miller is the executive vice president of Miller Family Wines, which includes the Bien Nacido label. 

Bien Nacido is celebrating the 20-year anniversary of that estate wine label with an event on Sept. 20 at The Gatehouse tasting room from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with live music and wine tasting. The weekend also coincides with Grenache Day, which is set to be a featured variety at the celebration.

The Gatehouse opened a couple of years ago in Santa Maria, surrounded by vineyards and rolling hills. Dozens of blocks of vines are scattered across the property, next to fields of gladiolas planted by contract farmers who also use the land, helping regenerate the soil. 

At the event, the winery will pour from library wines and large-format bottles that are normally not available. The library wines are from early vintages and very little remains, Miller said. 

“It’s a time, hopefully, to capture this great weather we’ve been having, to be able to come out and be in the vineyard and see the magic of Bien Nacido,” Miller said.

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FLYING FOES: Wire netting prevents birds from eating the fruit in Bien Nacido’s vineyard, where some grapes have already been harvested for the season.

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FLYING FOES: Wire netting prevents birds from eating the fruit in Bien Nacido’s vineyard, where some grapes have already been harvested for the season. Credit: Photo by Madison White

The Bien Nacido label has always been about small production, dating back to when Miller started as the winemaker. During those early years, the estate wines were not sold commercially. The first vintages were only given to friends and family, Miller said, before opening sales to the public. 

“We really want to be a small producer, really focused on quality, and I think that has been well received by our customers,” Miller said.

Over the past 20 years, two winemakers followed Miller, and he feels that the estate wines have gotten better every year.

“It really feels like we are, at this point, established, not just as a vineyard, … but I think it really made a name for ourselves as a winery as well,” Miller said.

<img data-recalc-dims="1" decoding="async" width="780" height="585" data-attachment-id="54079" data-permalink="https://www.santamariasun.com/food/bien-nacido-celebrates-20-years-of-its-estate-label-marking-its-evolution-from-grape-supplier-to-wine-maker/attachment/eats-lead-4-donkeys-9-18/" data-orig-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.santamariasun.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/eats-lead-4-donkeys-9-18-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1920&ssl=1" data-orig-size="2560,1920" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"1.78","credit":"","camera":"iPhone 14 Pro","caption":"","created_timestamp":"1757692448","copyright":"","focal_length":"6.86","iso":"80","shutter_speed":"0.00036603221083455","title":"","orientation":"1"}" data-image-title="eats-lead-4-donkeys-9-18" data-image-description="" data-image-caption="

HAND-FED: Donkeys Cinnamon and Nutmeg roam the Bien Nacido property and love to eat sliced apples. Cattle also live on the grounds.

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HAND-FED: Donkeys Cinnamon and Nutmeg roam the Bien Nacido property and love to eat sliced apples. Cattle also live on the grounds. Credit: Photo by Madison White

One reason the wines are so dynamic is site specificity, Miller said, referring to the Bien Nacido property’s relatively small geographic area that produces diverse growing conditions. Miller Family Wines also owns the Solomon Hills Estate, west of Bien Nacido. The soil quality is poor, and grapes struggle to ripen at Solomon Hills, he said. On the other hand, Bien Nacido’s gentle southern-facing slopes are “how you would design a vineyard” for Burgundian varieties, like pinot noir and chardonnay.

“Here you have two different vineyards in Santa Maria that are same ownership, same farming, same winemaking, same varietals, but create such very different expressions because of that site specificity,” Miller said.

He likes that The Gatehouse enables visitors to see the sites for themselves where Bien Nacido’s grapes are grown.

“We can look out and see kind of where each of those wines come from and really planting that flag of that sense of place,” Miller said. “That’s where it’s always been important to our family.”

Reach Staff Writer Madison White at [email protected].

The post Bien Nacido celebrates 20 years of its estate label, marking its evolution from grape supplier to wine maker appeared first on Santa Maria Sun.