{"title":"Press Gang Cellars","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the Lompoc wine ghetto, where some of California's most ambitious small producers share industrial space, Kyle and Savanna Knapp have been making wines that quietly outpunch their scale since 2010. Press Gang Cellars produces some of the most limited and purposeful bottles in Santa Barbara County--wines built on hand-harvesting, native fermentation, and a genuine belief that less intervention means more truth.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKyle Knapp is a Lompoc native who came to winemaking without formal viticulture or enology training, instead learning by doing at some of the county's most respected estates. He began his career at Beckmen Vineyards in 2005, traveled to Australia to expand his palate and technique, and returned to Santa Barbara to serve as assistant winemaker at Stolpman Vineyards before moving to Beckmen again and eventually becoming head winemaker at Stolpman in 2016. Press Gang began as a passion project in 2006 when Kyle produced his first small-batch Grenache; it became an official label in 2010. His wife Savanna joined the project and the two have run it together ever since.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMore on how they farm and work in the cellar in our \u003ca href=\"\/blogs\/natural-wine-producers-primal-wine\/press-gang-cellars\"\u003ePress Gang Cellars producer profile\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"la-presa-grenache-blanc-press-gang-cellars-natural-wine","title":"Press Gang Cellars La Presa Grenache Blanc 2017","description":"\u003cp\u003ePress Gang Cellars La Presa Grenache Blanc is a white skin-contact wine (orange wine) made from 100% sustainably farmed Grenache Blanc from La Presa Vineyard, Los Olivos District, California. Destemmed and hand filled into a 500 L puncheon for native fermentation; aged for 10 months on its skins before pressing; pressed wine aged in barrel for additional 2 months. This wine explodes with aromatics of lychee and star fruit. Beeswax, candied lemon, and mascarpone on the palate. (source: Baire Wines)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Press Gang Cellars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40128665518279,"sku":"PRESLAPR17C","price":33.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/press-gang-la-presa-grenache-blanc-natural-wine.jpg?v=1780186113"},{"product_id":"rose-of-grenache-press-gang-cellars-natural-wine","title":"Press Gang Cellars Rosé of Grenache 2020","description":"\u003cp\u003ePress Gang Cellars Rosé of Grenache 2020 is a blend of 90% Grenache from Brave and Maiden Estate (Los Olivos District AVA) and 10% Grenache from Robert Rae Ranch (Sta. Rita Hills AVA). Brave and Maiden is a Sustainability In Practice-certified estate situated on a broad alluvial terrace in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley, with uniform soils at elevations between 400 and 1,000 feet. Robert Rae Ranch sits at 800 feet on a north-facing slope at the eastern edge of the Sta. Rita Hills, a 118-acre site that benefits from coastal fog and maritime winds off the Pacific.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKyle Knapp ferments Press Gang fruit using native yeast and keeps intervention in the cellar to a minimum. The wine is a direct-press rosé, not a saignée, which produces a lighter extraction and a pale pink color. On the nose it leads with orange peel and grapefruit blossom. On the palate it draws comparisons to Provençal rosé in its dry, fresh structure.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProduction at Press Gang is genuinely tiny. No single wine in the lineup has exceeded 56 cases. Kyle Knapp runs the label alongside his role as head winemaker at Stolpman Vineyards, sourcing exclusively from like-minded growers across Santa Barbara County. Press Gang was founded in 2010 by Kyle and Savanna Knapp and takes its name from a song by the Murder City Devils.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Press Gang Cellars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40128816382151,"sku":"PRESROSE20C","price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/press-gang-rose_-of-grenache-primal-wine-natural-wine.jpg?v=1780186111"},{"product_id":"cuvee-milo-red-blend-press-gang-cellars-natural-wine","title":"Press Gang Cellars Cuvee Milo Red Blend 2018","description":"\u003cp\u003eCuvee Milo is a Rhone-style GSM blend from Press Gang Cellars, a micro-production label run by Kyle and Savanna Knapp out of Lompoc, California. The wine draws from two distinct Santa Barbara County appellations: 47% Grenache Noir and 15% Mourvedre from La Certe Vineyard in the Los Olivos District AVA, and 38% Syrah from Robert Rea Ranch, located at the eastern edge of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Only 160 cases were produced.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Grenache and Mourvedre from La Certe come from the Los Olivos District, a broad alluvial terrace along the Santa Ynez River with gravelly fine sandy loam and clay loam soils of low to moderate fertility. Elevations within the appellation range from roughly 400 to 1,000 feet. The Syrah from Robert Rea Ranch grows at the cooler eastern boundary of Sta. Rita Hills, where sandy loam and marine-influenced soils slow ripening and preserve acidity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKyle Knapp ferments with native yeast and employs a cold soak before fermentation. He typically incorporates around 25% whole cluster and uses extended barrel aging. The result is a wine with the freshness and transparency typical of low-intervention winemaking, while still reflecting the warm-climate concentration of Santa Barbara County Rhone fruit.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAromatically, the wine shows blue and black fruit, black currant, blueberry, cocoa powder, anise, graphite, and roasted meat. It is layered and structured without being heavy, with a profile that sits comfortably between a Provencal GSM and a cool-climate California Syrah-driven blend.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Press Gang Cellars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40128875593927,"sku":"PRESMILO18C","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/press-gang-cuvee-milo-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1780186108"},{"product_id":"california-dreamin-press-gang-cellars-natural-wine","title":"Press Gang Cellars California Dreamin'","description":"\u003cp\u003ePress Gang Cellars is a small-production project run by Kyle and Savanna Knapp out of Lompoc, California. Kyle spent years working up to head winemaker at Stolpman Vineyards before launching this label in 2010. Both wines here are drawn from named vineyard sites in Santa Barbara County, made with a low-intervention approach in the cellar.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Cuvee Milo Red Blend 2018 is a GSM composed of 47% Grenache Noir and 15% Mourvedre from La Certe Vineyard in the Los Olivos District AVA, plus 38% Syrah from Robert Rae Ranch on the eastern edge of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Robert Rae Ranch sits at approximately 800 ft elevation in weathered sandstone soils from the Vaquero formation on a north-facing slope exposed to coastal fog and marine winds. The vineyard is certified organic. Only 160 cases of Cuvee Milo were produced. On the nose: black currant, blueberry, cocoa powder, anise, and graphite with a hint of roasted meat. Fresh and bright on the palate with blue and black fruit at the core.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe La Presa Grenache Blanc 2017 comes from La Presa Vineyard, a gently sloped site overlooking the Santa Ynez River near the Old Mission Santa Ynez. The vineyard has been farmed by the Caldwell-Altman family since 1972. Grenache Blanc from warm-climate Santa Barbara County typically shows green and tropical fruit with medium-to-full body and moderate acidity. Press Gang has used concrete fermentation for their La Presa whites, which preserves freshness and texture without adding oak influence.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSanta Barbara County spans several distinct sub-AVAs. The Los Olivos District is a broad alluvial terrace with warm days, cool nights, and consistent fog patterns. The Sta. Rita Hills, located about 10 miles from the Pacific, is cooler and windier, with diatomaceous earth and sandstone soils that suit varieties requiring longer hang time and high natural acidity.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Press Gang Cellars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40500761428167,"sku":"CALIFORNIA","price":61.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/press-gang-wine-curated-box-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1780185957"},{"product_id":"give-me-some-morro-press-gang-cellars-natural-wine","title":"Press Gang Cellars Gimme Some Moro 2018","description":"\u003cp\u003eGimme Some Moro is a skin-contact white wine made from Grenache Blanc grown in Santa Barbara County, California. The grapes were macerated on their skins for an extended period, producing the wine's deep golden-amber color. This is an orange wine in the traditional sense: white grapes fermented or macerated with skin contact, not a wine made from oranges.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the nose, expect ripe peach, honey, and dried apricot, characteristics typical of Grenache Blanc given extended skin contact. The palate is medium-bodied with textural grip from the tannins extracted during maceration, balanced by the variety's naturally lower acidity. Grenache Blanc tends toward higher alcohol and a plush, full texture, and the skin contact adds structure and oxidative complexity that keeps the wine from feeling heavy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePress Gang fruit is hand-picked, hand-sorted, and fermented with native yeast. Kyle Knapp applies a minimalist approach in the cellar, letting the grape and vineyard source drive the wine's character rather than intervention. Production is small-batch; exact case counts for this bottling are not publicly confirmed.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Press Gang Cellars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":40944105455815,"sku":"PRESORAN20C","price":33.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/press-gang-cellar-orange-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1780185718"},{"product_id":"trash-fire-red-blend-press-gang-cellar","title":"Press Gang Cellars Trash Fire Red Blend 2021","description":"\u003cp\u003ePress Gang Cellars Trash Fire Red Blend is a red natural made from a blend of Chardonnay and Grenache grapes farmed sustainably in Santa Barbara County, California. Whole-cluster fermentation, grapes are co-fermented, the wine is bottled unfiltered with minimal added sulfites. Medium to light body red blend, strawberry, rhubarb, sour cherry, fresh palate. Serve chilled!\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Press Gang Cellars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42603405443288,"sku":"PRESFIRE20C","price":33.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/press-gang-cellar-trash-fire-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1718500514"},{"product_id":"mon-dieu-red-blend-press-gang-cellar","title":"Press Gang Cellars Mon Dieu Red Blend 2019","description":"\u003cp\u003ePress Gang Cellars Mon Dieu Red Blend is a red natural wine made from a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre farmed sustainably in Santa Barbara County, California. This wine is made in collaboration with natural wine distributor Baire Wines. Light body, small berries on the nose, fresh palate for a very well-made \"chillable red.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Press Gang Cellars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42603807899864,"sku":"PRESDIEU19C","price":33.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/press-gang-cellars-baire-wines-mon-dieu-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1718500512"},{"product_id":"sta-rita-hills-grenache-press-gang-cellars","title":"Press Gang Cellars Sta. Rita Hills Grenache 2018","description":"\u003cp\u003ePress Gang Cellars Sta. Rita Hills Grenache is a red natural wine made from Grenache farmed sustainably at Robert Rhea Ranch, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County, California. Medium body red wine, ripe red fruit, white pepper, savory palate.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Press Gang Cellars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42604049793240,"sku":"PRESGREN18C","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/press-gang-cellar-robert-rhea-ranch-grenache-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1718500510"},{"product_id":"sta-rita-hills-syrah-press-gang-cellars","title":"Press Gang Cellars Sta. Rita Hills Syrah 2018","description":"\u003cp\u003ePress Gang Cellars Sta. Rita Hills Syrah is a red natural wine made from Syrah farmed sustainably at Robert Rhea Ranch, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County, California. Medium body red wine, cherry and plum on the nose, round palate.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Press Gang Cellars","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42604092621016,"sku":"PRESSYRA18C","price":35.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0019\/3363\/9735\/products\/press-gang-cellar-robert-rhea-ranch-syrah-natural-wine-primal-wine.jpg?v=1718500506"}],"url":"https:\/\/primalwine.com\/collections\/press-gang-cellars.oembed","provider":"Primal Wine","version":"1.0","type":"link"}