The fine wine import, marketing and sales company Quintessential will now exclusively represent Lucas & Lewellen Estate Vineyards.
Founded in 1996 in Santa Barbara County by viticulturist Louis Lucas and retired Superior Court Judge Royce Lewellen, this family-owned winery grows 24 varietals across 380 acres of estate vineyards situated among three of Santa Barbara County’s separate and distinct climate zones: Santa Maria Valley (The Goodchild Vineyard), Santa Ynez Valley (Valley View Vineyard) and Los Alamos Valley (Los Alamos Vineyard).
For the past 12 years, Megan McGrath Gates has been making the wines for Lucas & Lewellen. A ninth-generation Californian, Megan graduated Cum Laude from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo with a BS in soil science and securing her Certificate in Winemaking from the University of California at Davis. She considers her style of winemaking to be neither Old World nor New World, but believes in “balanced wines with all the components married together so that layers of complexity are allowed to unfold.”
“We welcome Lucas & Lewellen to our roster of family owned-and-operated fine wine producers, allowing Quintessential to bring to the trade an array of stellar wines that are benchmark examples of their particular region.” says Dennis Kreps, who co-owns Quintessential with his father, Stephen D. Kreps. “We believe Lucas & Lewellen aligning with us is a sign of their confidence that we have the expertise to help grow their business in California and around the country, applying an effective mix of marketing and sales programs and techniques that have proven successful with other wineries we represent.”
Quintessential will bring to market Lucas & Lewellen’s Icon wine, Goodchild “High 9” Pinot Noir, and their varietal Estate Pinot Noir (considered the winery’s flagship grape), as well as the Estate Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rosé of Pinot Noir and Hidden Asset (Red Blend), at price points between $17 and $35 per 750-ml. bottle.
