A Perfect Handshake — The Nose Promises & The Palate Delivers
Ampelos Cellars is the winery and brand of Peter and Rebecca Work, Danish and Alaskan transplants who fled corporate America after a close call with 9/11 to pursue their dream of growing grapes and making wine. [^142^] [^145^] In 1999, they purchased 82 acres of raw cattle-grazing land in what is now the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, planted their first vines in 2001, and released their first commercial wines in 2003. [^143^] [^150^] Their vineyard became the first in the United States to be simultaneously certified organic, biodynamic, and sustainable — achieving all three certifications by 2009. [^142^] [^148^] In 2024, the Works sold the vineyard land to Chiara Shannon and Joseph Brent (now renamed Groundstar Vineyard), but retained ownership of the Ampelos Cellars winery brand, continuing to produce ~3,500–4,000 cases annually from purchased and estate fruit. [^142^] [^162^]
From Corporate America to the Danish Cowboy
Peter Work is a native of Denmark — born and raised in Aalborg, educated at Aalborg University and Princeton as a graduate student. [^145^] He began his career at Price Waterhouse as an IT management consultant, spent time in Copenhagen and London, and was headhunted into the Walt Disney Corporation in 1992, where he led strategic IT for five years. [^145^] In 1999, he and Rebecca, along with four friends, launched Exult — a human resources startup that went public on the stock exchange in 2000. [^145^]
The couple lived in Los Angeles and loved escaping to Santa Barbara on weekends. [^145^] They began looking for a piece of land — "a little piece of land," as Peter recalls — and before they knew it, they found 82 acres of totally untouched cattle-grazing land in what is now the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. There was nothing on it except a long driveway and a well with a pump from a Danish company, Grundfos. [^145^] They had a crazy idea about maybe one day having a vineyard.
Then came September 11, 2001. Peter had a meeting scheduled at the World Trade Center that morning — a meeting that was cancelled. [^153^] The close call opened their eyes to the fact that they could no longer put their dreams on hold. [^153^] They cashed out of their corporate lives, moved north to Lompoc, and committed fully to their vineyard project. Peter likes to call himself "the Danish cowboy." [^142^]
The name "Ampelos" comes from the Greek word for vine. Peter's sister Anna married Fotis Papadopoulos, who inherited land on the island of Folegandros in the Cyclades; they built a boutique hotel there and named it Ampelos. [^145^] Peter and Rebecca adopted the name for their vineyard — a connection to their Mediterranean heritage and a nod to the ancient roots of viticulture. Their first dog, a Chocolate Lab named Bacchus, became the symbol of their transition from city life to farm life. [^145^]
"Wines should be a perfect handshake — the nose promises and the palate delivers."
— Peter & Rebecca Work
Tierra Loam, Botella Clay & The Pacific Air Conditioner
The Ampelos Vineyard sits at the eastern end of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA — a cool-climate area perfect for Pinot Noir, Grenache, Syrah, Viognier and Riesling. [^143^] The property benefits from cooling breezes originating from the Santa Rita Hills, Santa Rosa Hills, and La Purísima Mountains — a natural air conditioning system that moderates temperature and preserves acidity. [^143^] The Pacific Ocean, just 20 minutes west, brings cold water down from Alaska, creating the maritime influence that makes Pinot Noir possible at this latitude. [^145^]
The soils are comprised of tierra loam, tierra sandy loam, and botella clay loam — ancient alluvial deposits that provide both drainage and water retention. [^143^] The 82-acre property has 25 acres planted to vines, with the remainder left as native pasture and habitat. [^143^] Planting began in 2001 with 15 acres oriented east-west to take advantage of sun during the day, with four feet between vines and nine feet between rows — allowing ideal vine and cover crop management. [^143^]
In 2004, additional acres were planted with tighter spacing — seven feet between rows and three feet between vines — and inter-planted with 4% Pinot Gris in the Pinot Noir blocks to encourage co-fermentation and co-pigmentation, extracting more tannins, colour and flavour. [^143^] In 2006, the Works converted to organic and biodynamic farming. By 2008, they were certified SIP (Sustainability in Practice); by 2009, certified organic and biodynamic — the first vineyard in the US to hold all three certifications simultaneously. [^143^] [^142^]
In 2010, they implemented a 10% estate-based composting program. In 2011, they added 40 chickens for insect control and fertilising. [^143^] In 2013, Riesling was planted for rosé production. In 2019, they switched to California Sustainable Wine Alliance (CSWA) certification. [^143^] In 2021, they dropped biodynamic certification but continued biodynamic practices, preparing for regenerative organic certification. [^142^] In November 2024, the vineyard land was sold to Chiara Shannon and Joseph Brent, who renamed it Groundstar Vineyard and are pursuing Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) status. [^160^] [^168^]
The first vineyard in the United States to achieve simultaneous certification for organic, biodynamic, and sustainable farming — all by 2009. [^142^] [^148^] This "three-pronged approach" to sustainability became the foundation of the Works' identity and a model for the industry.
Sta. Rita Hills sits at a latitude south of Portugal and Spain — like Northern Africa — yet produces world-class Pinot Noir thanks to the Pacific Ocean's cold current. [^145^] The ocean acts as a natural air conditioner, bringing cold water from Alaska and creating the cool, fog-influenced climate that defines the AVA.
The vineyard soils — tierra loam, tierra sandy loam, and botella clay loam — are ancient alluvial deposits that provide both drainage and water-holding capacity. [^143^] These soils, combined with the cool climate, produce wines with pronounced minerality, bright acidity, and elegant structure.
After 25 years of organic and biodynamic farming, the vineyard passed to Chiara Shannon and Joseph Brent in 2024, who renamed it Groundstar Vineyard and are pursuing Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC) status with a goal of completion by end of 2025. [^160^] [^168^] Jordan Lonborg, former viticulturist at Tablas Creek, serves as Regenerative and Biodynamic Advisor. [^168^]
Natural Fermentation, No Manipulations & The Art of the Handshake
Peter and Rebecca approach winemaking with respect for traditional practices and openness to experimentation. [^153^] They believe that the journey is the destination, and prioritise creating quality wines sustainably. Their philosophy is simple: "Soil. Vines. Wines. — This is the order in which great wine is made." [^153^] They are resolute in their passion to produce hands-on, minimally invasive wines that both whisper and shout about the terroir. [^153^]
In the cellar, they make natural wines with no use of chemicals or other wine manipulations. [^171^] Fermentations are spontaneous, using indigenous yeasts. They do not add commercial enzymes, tannins, or other additives. The wines are vegan and vegetarian friendly. [^81^] Peter is particularly proud of his refusal to use copper in the winery: "In 12 years here I have never added copper." [^106^] He prefers to work without sulfur dioxide during fermentation, using lees contact and aerative pumpovers to manage reduction naturally. [^106^]
The Works believe in using their senses at every stage. In the vineyard, they feel clusters to check ripeness, chew grapes to assess skin tannins, and taste constantly to extrapolate what the final wine will become. [^145^] In the winery, they taste fermenting must daily, smelling and sensing what the wine will become. "That is where the art form comes into this," Peter says. "It's about having good basic components, chemical components, but it's also about having some wonderful colours, tannins, flavours, etc. to work with." [^145^]
The "handshake" philosophy — "the nose promises and the palate delivers" — guides every decision. [^159^] Wines are made in small lots with intense hands-on attention. Total production is approximately 3,500–4,000 cases annually, making Ampelos a true boutique operation. [^150^] [^171^] The Works also collaborate with other producers: estate grapes are supplied to Brewer-Clifton, Jaffurs, and Samsara for their own vineyard-designate bottlings. [^150^] They also co-produce the GoGi wines with actor Kurt Russell. [^171^]
Ampelos 2022 Ampelos Vineyard Pinot Noir — 90 Points, Wine Enthusiast
"A lighter hue and slightly hazy in the glass, this bottling hits the nose with strawberry, hibiscus, and rose petal. The palate is light in body but complex in flavour, offering pomegranate, forest floor, and a touch of clove. The tannins are gentle and the acidity bright, making for an elegant, food-friendly wine that speaks clearly of its cool-climate Sta. Rita Hills origins." [^149^] [^156^] This is the handshake in action: the nose promises strawberry and rose, the palate delivers pomegranate and forest floor. It is a wine of transparency — no manipulation, no masking, just the pure expression of organic, biodynamically farmed fruit from one of California's most distinctive terroirs.
Filos, Funky Town & Living Life to the Fullest
The Works' wine club is called "Filos" — the Greek word for friends. [^145^] It reflects their belief that wine is about connection, community, and shared experience. During COVID, they conducted 85–90 virtual tastings over Zoom, including a series of eight sessions with customers in Denmark — Peter sitting in the back of his pickup truck in the vineyard at 8:30 in the morning, drinking Pinot Noir with friends across the Atlantic. [^145^] "We want our wine club to feel they have a connection with us," Peter says. "They can come out here and visit us. We'll show them around. We'll have a glass of wine together." [^145^]
In 2022, the Works launched "Funky Town" — a sub-brand aimed at younger generations (Gen Z and millennials) who want to explore unconventional wines. [^145^] [^172^] The line includes an Albariño orange wine, a Clairette Blanche, a Carignane, and a piquette — lower-alcohol, playful wines that break from the classic Ampelos portfolio. [^141^] [^176^] The label features skylines of Copenhagen and Anchorage — Peter and Rebecca's respective hometowns — with the tagline "These wines are for those who want to live life to the fullest." [^145^] It is a celebration of two very different backgrounds coming together to create something new in California.
Peter and Rebecca's story has inspired countless others in the wine industry. Their journey from corporate executives to farmers, their close call with 9/11, their pioneering certifications, and their genuine warmth have made them mentors to a generation of wine writers, sommeliers, and aspiring vintners. [^166^] Matt Kettmann of the Santa Barbara Independent, who made wine with Peter from 2012–2019, calls him "one of my mentors when it came to understanding vineyards and winemaking." [^166^]
The future of Ampelos Cellars is rooted in the same principles that have defined it since 1999: natural winemaking, sustainable sourcing, hands-on attention, and the perfect handshake. With the vineyard now under new ownership as Groundstar, the Works will continue to source fruit from their former estate — ensuring continuity in the wines while supporting the next generation of regenerative farming. [^163^] They have purchased an acre in Los Alamos and are building a new home, remaining firmly rooted in the Santa Barbara wine community they helped build. [^166^]
"We didn't inherit this land from our parents — it is on loan from our children."
— Rebecca Work
The Ampelos Range
Ampelos Cellars produces approximately 3,500–4,000 cases annually of estate-grown and sourced wines from the Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Barbara County. [^150^] [^171^] The core range centres on Pinot Noir and Syrah, with Grenache, Viognier, and Riesling rounding out the portfolio. In 2022, the "Funky Town" sub-brand was launched — a playful, experimental line of orange, pink, white, and sparkling wines aimed at a new generation of wine drinkers. [^172^] [^145^] All wines are vegan, made with minimal intervention, and designed to express terroir with honesty and transparency. Prices are approximate and in USD.
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Ampelos Cellars
Ampelos Cellars is a certified Sustainable, Organic, and Biodynamic (SOB) winery located in the Sta. Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County, California.
Address: 312 N. 9th Street, Lompoc, CA 93436
Tasting Room: Located in the Lompoc Wine Ghetto, the tasting room is open Thursday-Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm and Monday from 11 am to 4 pm.
Retailers & Distributors
You can purchase Ampelos Cellars wine directly from their website or at a variety of online and physical retailers.
Online & National Retailers:
Ampelos Cellars (Official Site): https://www.ampeloscellars.com/
Wine.com: https://www.wine.com/list/wine/ampelos-cellars/7155-104936
Organic Wine Exchange: https://organicwineexchange.com/product/ampelos-pinot-noir-rho/