In 1969, brothers Steve and (the late) Bob Miller acquired two adjacent parcels in Santa Maria Valley, both part of the original historic Ontiveros land grant and reunited them as Rancho Tepusquet. The Millers named their new property, Bien Nacido or “well born.” They were a fourth generation farming family and, looking around at what their neighbors were doing, thought planting a vineyard would work better than row crops.

Today, Bien Nacido Vineyards is one of the most storied vineyards in the state and has grown to 900 acres, with 300 acres of Chardonnay, 250 acres of Pinot Noir, as well as Syrah, Pinot Blanc and Merlot. In the last decade, they have experimented with planting a wide number of other varietals, including Roussanne, Viognier, Petite Verdot, Pinot Gris, Nebiollo, Barbara, Tocai Fruilano and Refosco. At this point, nearly all the available land, including many of the hillsides, has been planted.

Located on the receiving end of the only east-west transverse mountain range in California, Bien Nacido Vineyard is a maritime-influenced desert. The morning fog cover and the cool afternoon breezes from the nearby Pacific Ocean make this a Region 1 climate. The rainfall averages 12 - 14 inches a year. The terrain is sand, chalk and marine loam that provides good drainage. The whole package means a nearly perfect environment for cool, slow ripening of grapes, with the added advantage of longer hangtime on the vines.

Nicholas Miller, the second of Steve Miller’s two sons, is the fifth generation to become involved in family farming. A graduate of Bowdin College, he worked in the business world before returning, in 2004, to join the family business. He will be enthusiastically leading Bien Nacido Vineyard into the 21st century.

I spoke about the history of Bien Nacido Vineyard and the Miller’s philosophy of “custom farming.”