The 2023 Vintage Growing Season – A Santa Barbara County Retrospective

Cast your mind back to 2023 . . . Barbenheimer took over the box office, AI was all anyone was talking about, and Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dominated cities and headlines around the world. But what was happening in the vineyards of Santa Barbara County?

Miles Cotton and Matt Brady sat down to reflect on what became SAMsARA’s latest harvest on record. The 2023 growing season mirrored the cool, slow conditions of 2021—but with even greater extremes. A cold, wet start provided much-needed soil rejuvenation but also led to a tricky fruit set and lower-than-expected yields. As the season stretched into fall with unseasonably cool temperatures, winemakers anxiously watched the vines, wondering if the fruit would ripen in time.

Then, just in the nick of time, an October heatwave arrived, pushing ripening forward and setting the stage for an ultra-late but rewarding harvest. By the time the last grapes were picked in early December, the 2023 vintage had proven itself—offering wines with vibrant, juicy flavors and incredible depth. It may have been a nerve-wracking year, but the payoff is shaping up to be something truly special.

INTERVIEW:

Miles Cotton: I remember 2023 being one of the latest harvests on record. Is that correct? How did the 2023 vintage unfold?

Matt Brady: Yeah, 2023 was by far our latest harvest ever. The growing season reminded me a lot of 2021—cool and slow. But it pushed the limits even further. I tend to get really excited about these cool vintages because they produce wines I love to drink. However, they come with their own set of challenges, like increased mildew pressure and the uncertainty of whether the fruit will fully ripen in time.

Miles Cotton: Sounds nerve-wracking. What were the defining features of 2023?

Matt Brady: The season started off cold and wet, with record rainfall, which helped flush out mineral and salt deposits from the soil, benefiting long-term vineyard health. Despite the high rainfall, the cool and gray spring led to a poor fruit set, reducing yields below expectations.

Miles Cotton: How did that affect ripening?

Matt Brady: The cold spring extended the flowering period to almost twice its normal length. That resulted in unusual ripening variability within the same vineyard—one side of the field would be ripe, while the other still needed two more weeks.

It was consistently cool throughout the summer, and by September, we started worrying that the vintage might be too cold. Thankfully, we got a heatwave—although about a month later than usual—in early October. That was just what the fruit needed to finally push along ripening.

Miles Cotton: So, when did you finish picking?

Matt Brady: Our last grapes came in on November 9th, making 2023 our latest harvest ever. Some of the late-ripening varietals like Syrah and Grenache from Ballard Canyon didn’t get picked until December 7th, which was unheard of for us. It was an incredibly long season, stretching from August through Thanksgiving.

Miles Cotton: Sounds like an intense but rewarding year.

Matt Brady: Absolutely. The wines have exceeded my expectations, showing vibrant, juicy flavors with a lot of depth. I think 2023 will be an exceptional vintage.