Our Story

ABOUT OJAI ALISAL

Ojai is a magical place. Our vineyard is nestled in the rolling hills of the Upper Ojai valley guarded by the Topa Topa Mountains. Millions of years ago this land was a shallow sea and we often find fossil shells scattered about the land. The name Ojai means “moon” or “nest” in the native Chumash Indian language.

Over the last thousand years the Chumash harvested acorns and walnuts from the trees that surround the vineyard. Today the land is also dotted with California Sycamores or “Alisal” in Spanish, giving the name to our wines, Ojai Alisal.

IN THE VINEYARD

We’re John Tedesco and Lisa Cole Tedesco, the new owners of Ojai Alisal Vineyard. Our new passion and adventure is Ojai Alisal Vineyard. We hope to carry on the Ojai Alisal winemaking tradition from the founders, Bruce and Daniel, who did an amazing job with the development of the 3.5 acre vineyard.

Ojai Alisal’s gently rolling south-facing hills are graced by warm days, cool nights, and a strong afternoon breeze. In 2009 with the help of expert consultant Bob Tobias, two acres were planted with blocks of Viognier, Grenache, Syrah, and Malbec varietals. Over time, we have added Grenache Blanc and Mourvèdre.

WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY

Our handcrafted wines, made by our winemakers Steve Lemley and Nate Hasper, come only from grapes grown by us in our vineyard. We have made our wines with a great Southern Rhone winemaking style in mind. We use oak sparingly to add complexity and enhance aging.

Ultimately our wines are an elegant reflection of the grapes, the land and the weather for that particular year. Ojai Alisal wines are meant to be enjoyed with a great meal, shared with family and friends.

OJAI AND WINE

Ojai’s wine history dates back to the 1880’s when Italian immigrants planted the first commercial vineyards which were located close to town in area known as the East End. By the early twentieth century the Upper Ojai Valley was home to three separate wineries. Over time citrus and walnuts became dominant and the wineries faded away.

Now a new generation of farmers and winemakers are returning the hills of Upper Ojai to their historical roots.