Producer Profile
The Joy Fantastic
Santa Barbara, California, USA

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The Joy Fantastic

Santa Barbara, California, USA

Joyful pours from the Lompoc Wine ghetto

Peter Hunken and Amy Christine MW, husband and wife and the team behind the famous Holus Bolus wines, had long craved for their own vineyard. The dream came true in 2016 with the first harvest of their “The Joy Fantastic” plot.

Location: Santa Barbara, California, USA

Viticultural Standards:  Certified Organic

Working with us since: 2020

Website: thejoyfantastic.com

Interesting fact: If you take a look at Holus Bolus’ instagram you will see that two very special and popular cellar assistants are prominently featured: Bubbles and Joey Coco, Peter and Amy’s dogs, have become a fundamental part of the team & brand!

The Joy Fantastic Wines

Peter has been making wine in Lompoc since 2001, honing his craft as assistant winemaker at Stolpman Vineyards and co-founder of Piedrasassi. Since 2008 he has devoted all of his efforts to developing the Holus Bolus and The Joy Fantastic wines.

Amy met Peter in 2004 in Lompoc and the following year they began making wine together under the company name of Black Sheep Finds (which persists today on their back label!). In 2013 Amy achieved the title of Master of Wine, becoming one of only thirteen women in the United States to achieve this remarkable goal. She also works for Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, selling their wines in southern California.

From 2003 through 2015 they made their wines exclusively from a collection of vineyards in Santa Barbara County in which they have year-to-year contracts to purchase grapes. This is still the source of the amazing fruit that goes into their Holus Bolus range.

But they also dreamt of developing and owning a vineyard site, a place to grow their own vines and build a wine from the ground up. They searched to find a place where they could practice sensible organic viticulture with respect for the land and create a set of distinct and meaningful wines. In 2014 they made the first steps by leasing the five-acre piece of land at the western edge of Sta. Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County that would become The Joy Fantastic vineyard. What was formerly a hillside cow pasture has now been developed and planted as a certified organic plot (CCOF) of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah vines. The first harvest from The Joy Fantastic was in 2016.

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