It was one of those warm August afternoons when you just want to be outside under the shade of an oak tree, sipping delicious wine and listening to music. Luckily, that was exactly what I had in store for our guests. And I had invited two amazing women to come and share their passions and stories with us.

Alison Thomson is a woman who makes things happen. She is well known as the co-winemaker of a beloved local label, Two Wolves , but today I asked her to introduce us to her own label, L.A. Lepiane, which she established in 2013.  As guests sipped her delicious wines, I shared some of the ranch's deeply-rooted history in Santa Barbara County and talked about the job of raising cattle. 

where we gathered around to listen to Meghan Lehman, an extraordinary singer and song writer whose songs filled the barn as the warm afternoon light glowed through the slats of the wooden walls. 

When the sun finally began to sink behind the far hills, our guests made their way back to the house and took their seats under the old Mission grape arbor for a feast full of wine, music, and good food. 

In these wild times we live in, there is something indescribably wonderful—and something important—about taking the time to sit down at a country table with friends, old and new, to share a meal. The cattle grazed across the stream, hummingbirds fed on the colorful zinnias, and a light wind rustled through the tall sycamore tree that my great uncle planted a very, very long time ago. It was a moment when all felt right with the world.

Please be sure to check out Gatherings for upcoming events. We hope to host you on the ranch soon!

Elizabeth Poett

Photos by Blakeney Sanford