Amplifying the Voice of Site & Style
Amplify Wines is the project of husband-and-wife team Cameron and Marlen Porter, Santa Barbara County natives who bonded over Prince at a house party and have spent the last decade making natural wines that marry a sense of place with a sense of style. [^205^] [^206^] Founded in 2013 with just 90 cases of Carignan and Viognier, the winery has grown to approximately 3,000 cases annually, working with 16 different grape varieties across the diverse microclimates of Santa Barbara County. [^205^] [^208^] Cameron is an advanced sommelier and former estates manager at Presqu'ile Winery; Marlen brings a background in hospitality and winery events. [^205^] Together, they are the only winery in the US owned by an indigenous Latino woman, and in 2020 they co-founded Natural Action — a nonprofit wine club devoted to creating opportunities for the BIPOC community in the wine industry. [^205^] [^217^]
From Prince & House Parties to Natural Wine Pioneers
Cameron and Marlen Porter are Santa Barbara County natives who had known each other through the wine industry for years, but it was at a house party in Los Angeles where they danced all night to Prince that everything clicked. [^205^] Cameron was working in the music industry at the time and had become increasingly interested in winemaking. "Marlen and I were already doing the long-distance thing and I became more interested in the process of winemaking, so I decided to make the move back." But if you ask Marlen, she deserves the credit for Cam's return. "I brought him back," she says laughing, "Well, me and the wine." [^205^]
While Cameron was studying for the Court of Master Sommeliers Certified Sommelier Examination, the couple tasted extensively — and fell in love with Old World techniques. [^205^] "That's when we began to fall in love with wines produced with Old World techniques," Marlen recalls. They were drawn to bottles that were balanced, complex, interesting, lively, and fun — wines driven by terroir, picked earlier, aged in no new oak. [^205^] They hadn't seen that made locally, and they had a desire to create those kinds of wines in the area that raised them. [^205^]
In 2013, they launched Amplify Wines with about 90 cases — Carignan and Viognier from two varieties. [^206^] It was a side project at first. Cameron worked full-time at Presqu'ile Winery as Estates Manager and Director of DTC from 2015 through February 2020. [^217^] Marlen stopped working full-time in 2015 after their son Miles was born, focusing on growing the brand from home. [^205^] The pandemic in 2020 forced Cameron to leave his day job and commit fully to Amplify — a scary moment that became a turning point. [^205^]
The name "Amplify" came from a song Cameron wrote as a teenager — "Amplify the Autumn" — which he composed with a friend. [^206^] They were flipping through CDs, knowing they wanted a musical name, and "Amplify" spoke to exactly what they wanted to do: amplify the soil, magnify the naturally occurring essence of the grapes, and give people something vibrant and alive. [^206^] Their son Miles is named after Miles Davis — music is not just a theme, it is the thread that holds their family and their winery together. [^206^]
"We saw a lot of parallels between wine and music. We often thought of a vineyard as a set of notes, with the winemaker as the producer or composer."
— Cameron Porter
Transverse Mountains, Transverse Thinking & 16 Varieties in 30 Miles
Santa Barbara County is unique on the West Coast of America. The mountains here are transverse — running east to west and opening up directly to the ocean — the only region on the West Coast oriented this way. [^205^] By the ocean, the climate is cool; every mile east you go, it's almost one degree warmer. [^205^] Within that 30-mile valley, you can grow a lot of different grapes — and Amplify works with about 16 different varieties in a given vintage. [^205^]
The Porters are not farmers or vignerons themselves — they source high-quality grapes from organic and/or sustainably farmed vineyards across the county. [^208^] But when it comes to harvest and winemaking, they are both all-in. Marlen explains that they work diligently together to bring their wines to the state they are both happy with, sometimes bringing numerous samples home to taste and make notes on at the kitchen counter. [^208^] Their experience, knowledge of the area, and connections all contribute to making creative, fun, and above all else, tasty natural wines.
The diverse climate and soil of Santa Barbara County allow for remarkable variation. Cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay near the coast give way to warmer-climate Rhône varieties like Grenache and Syrah further inland. [^208^] The Porters have embraced this diversity, making everything from skin-contact Grenache Blanc (amber wine) to solera-aged Merlot, flor-aged rosé, and non-traditional blends that express something new — "something that there's not necessarily a classic analog for." [^205^] [^208^]
All fruit is sourced from organic and/or sustainably farmed vineyards. [^208^] The Porters are committed to working with growers who share their values — no herbicides, minimal chemical intervention, and a focus on soil health. They have recently started working with a vineyard a couple of hours north of Santa Maria, expanding their sourcing while staying true to their California roots. [^205^]
The home base of Amplify's production facility. [^207^] Cool, fog-influenced climate ideal for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and aromatic whites. The Porters' winery and tasting room are located here, at the heart of one of California's most underrated AVAs.
Warmer inland valley perfect for Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, and Viognier. [^208^] Source of Amplify's Mediterranean-style wines — the Camp 4 Vineyard Carignan, the Garnacha Blanca, and the experimental skin-contact wines.
One of California's premier cool-climate AVAs. [^220^] Source of Amplify's Pinot Noir — light-medium bodied, cranberry and cherry notes, dried herbs. A wine that proves Santa Barbara can produce Pinot of genuine finesse.
From 2 varieties in 2013 to 16 in recent vintages. [^206^] Pinot Noir, Grenache, Carignan, Viognier, Chardonnay, Merlot, Syrah, Grenache Blanc, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and more — all handled with native yeast, neutral vessels, and minimal sulfur. [^205^]
Native Yeast, Neutral Vessels & The Happy Accident
Amplify's winemaking is defined by four principles: native yeast fermentation, neutral vessels for fermentation and aging, no additions except minimum effective sulfur dioxide, and farming that seeks to establish a healthy ecosystem. [^210^] They embrace the happy accident, letting intuition guide their hand, with their creative spirit and palates as their primary tools. [^210^] This is natural winemaking in the truest sense — not a marketing label, but a daily practice.
Cameron's blind tasting studies sparked the couple's interest in natural wines. When they started Amplify, they decided to use native yeast fermentation and neutral vessels — at the time, a fairly new idea in Santa Barbara County. [^205^] "Our industry friends were shocked to hear we were going in the direction of native wines," Marlen recalls. "We just happened to do it at the right time, when people started noticing and drinking them in California." [^205^] The wines are made in a natural process so they taste great now — they could be aged, but there is no need to deny yourself the joy of opening them young.
The Porters are resolute in their commitment to affordability. Almost all Amplify wines are priced at $25 and under — a deliberate choice. [^208^] "We want the wines to be attainable to a wide swath of winelovers," Marlen emphasises. "Most germane, we want the wines to be shared and consumed." [^208^] This accessibility is radical in an industry where natural wine often commands premium prices. For the Porters, the joy is in the sharing — not the collecting.
Graphic design is integral to the Amplify identity. Their best friend — the person who introduced them — has designed their logo and labels from the beginning. [^205^] The artwork expresses their personalities as much as the wines do: fun, creative, and unapologetically themselves. The labels are as much a part of the experience as the juice inside — a visual representation of the music, the energy, and the community that defines Amplify.
2018 "Four on the Flor" Rosé — An Homage to House Music
Half aged under flor yeast — the same way sherry is aged. [^208^] "So lively. We kicked back a bottle listening to our most-loved podcast and noshed on cheese and the like. It was perfect." [^208^] This is Amplify in a bottle: experimental, joyful, and deeply rooted in the couple's love of music and culture. The flor ageing gives the rosé a savoury, nutty complexity that elevates it far beyond the typical pale pink poolside pour. It is a wine that demands attention — not because it is loud, but because it is interesting. And at $25, it is a wine that invites you to buy two: one for now, one for later.
Natural Action & Building Bridges for BIPOC Winemakers
In 2020, Cameron and Marlen co-founded Natural Action — a nonprofit wine club devoted exclusively to creating opportunities for the BIPOC community in the wine industry. [^217^] [^219^] It began with a conversation between Cameron, Marlen, Eric Bach (Good Boy Wines), Teron Stevenson (The Friend bar in Silverlake), and Khalil Kinsey (Westside Winos / The Kinsey Collection). [^219^] They were all asking the same question: how do we involve natural wine in the current conversation of equity?
Natural Action operates as a quarterly allocation of natural wine from partner producers — Solminer, Scar of the Sea, Amplify Wines, and Good Boy Wine among them. [^219^] The wines are labelled with art from Black artists around the country, who are paid for their work — not asked for donations. [^219^] "We don't want donations from Black creatives. We need to pay Black people. We don't get a dime. None of us are getting any kind of profit from this. It's literally all the proceeds will go towards paying the wineries, paying the artists and the organizations that we choose to work with." [^219^]
The first allocation's funds went to a scholarship program for BIPOC students at Cal Poly's enology program — the biggest producer of wine students in the country. [^219^] [^225^] The goal is to build a bridge between the BIPOC community and the wine industry — a disconnect rooted in the lack of opportunities available. [^205^] "With Natural Action, we're building that bridge and creating a community of people that can be more like mentors for the next generation that want to get into the industry," Marlen says. [^205^]
Cameron is passionate about diversifying the current wine landscape. "To my knowledge, we're the only winery in the U.S. owned by an indigenous Latino woman, which is cool for people to see," he says. [^205^] Marlen's presence in the industry — as a mother, as a Mexican-Oaxacan woman, as a business leader — is itself a statement. "I think it's a great example to see all that Marlen has done in the wine industry." [^205^] The Porters are not just making wine; they are making space — for new voices, new stories, and new possibilities in an industry that has historically been associated with the white upper class. [^219^]
"The wine industry is one of great power in this country, but has always been out of reach for Black people and people of color. This is changing, albeit at a glacial pace, but moving nonetheless because we are making spaces for ourselves and demanding accessibility to an industry that historically has been associated with the white upper class."
— Simonne Mitchelson, Natural Action
The Amplify Range
Amplify Wines produces approximately 3,000 cases annually across a diverse portfolio of natural wines from Santa Barbara County. [^205^] The range spans cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Mediterranean Rhône varieties, experimental skin-contact and flor-aged wines, and non-traditional blends that express the unique transverse mountain terroir of the region. [^205^] [^208^] All wines are made with native yeast, neutral vessels, and minimal sulfur — vegan, unmanipulated, and designed to be shared. Most bottles are priced at $25 and under, a deliberate commitment to accessibility. [^208^] Prices are approximate and in USD.
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Amplify Wines
Amplify Wines is a natural and biodynamic wine producer located in Santa Barbara County, California. It is owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Cameron and Marlen Porter, who are dedicated to making wines that express the unique characteristics of their vineyard sites.
Tasting Room: Amplify Wines has a tasting room in Santa Maria, California. Tastings are available by appointment only on Monday through Thursday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance through their website.
Address: 2330 Westgate Rd, Santa Maria, CA 93455.
Retailers & Distributors
Amplify Wines can be purchased directly from their website or through various retailers specializing in natural wines.
Online and National Retailers:
Amplify Wines (Official Site): https://www.amplifywines.com/
Bitter Pops: https://bitterpops.com/
The Open Bottle: https://shop.theopenbottle.com/
MYSA Natural Wine: https://mysa.wine/
RAW WINE: https://www.rawwine.com/