“From a rugged, windblown hilltop on the western rim appellation in the now fabled Santa Ynez Valley, Forbidden Fruit Orchards is Sandra Newman’s stunning 100-acre farm. In 2007 she planted 5 acres of Pinot Noir and 1 acre of Chardonnay. A scant 12 miles from the icy Pacific, her Cebada Vineyard enjoys cool nights and luxuriates in warm days; a perfect mesoclimate for the artisanal Burgundian-style wines she vinifies. Sandra, who carries a Bachelor and MSc in Plant Science, is a meticulous viticulturalist, and firmly believes in the winemaker’s adage that what happens in the vineyard is 90% of what ends up in the bottle. Her Pinot Noir and Chardonnay showcases a wine of tremendous finesse, with silky notes from the sandy loam soil, hints of sea air, and intense fruit complexity. These are small batch wines crafted with care and passion for my favorite grape variety in all the world.