Music runs through everything at Amplify Wines, from the cuvee names to the philosophy. Cameron and Marlen Porter set out to "amplify the voice of site," turning up the volume on Santa Barbara County terroir.
Backstory
Cameron and Marlen Porter are husband-and-wife winemakers and Santa Barbara County natives who founded Amplify, making natural wine since 2013. Cameron is an Advanced Sommelier and worked as Estates Manager and Director of direct-to-consumer at Presqu'ile Winery from 2015 to 2020; the couple's passion for Old World technique grew out of his sommelier studies. Amplify remains a small family business, with their work splitting time between the vineyards and a tasting room in Santa Maria.
The Region
Amplify draws fruit from across Santa Barbara County on California's Central Coast, an area whose transverse, east-west valleys pull cool Pacific air far inland. The Porters work with organically or sustainably farmed vineyards in the Santa Maria Valley, the Santa Ynez Valley, and the Sta. Rita Hills.
Vineyards & Farming
They source roughly 16 varieties across these appellations. The cool Santa Maria Valley supplies Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and aromatic whites; the warmer Santa Ynez Valley provides Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Viognier, and Grenache Blanc; and the maritime Sta. Rita Hills contributes Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with Merlot, Semillon, and Sauvignon Blanc among the additional grapes. All fruit comes from organic or sustainable farming.
Winemaking
The wines are made naturally, with native-yeast fermentation, neutral vessels for fermentation and aging, and no additions beyond a minimal effective dose of sulfur. The Porters embrace experimentation, letting intuition and palate lead rather than recipe, and treat each site as a voice to be amplified.
The Wines
Releases nod to music throughout: the Mixtape red blend, the flor-aged Four on the Flor rose, the Subliminal blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, an experimental solera-aged Merlot, and the limited Lightworks bottlings. The result is a playful but serious range that reads Santa Barbara County through a natural-wine lens.
