Ojai, a small haven known for its artists and wellness lifestyle gurus, is a paradise for weekenders looking for relaxation with beautiful views. As a wine region, Ojai has lived in the shadow of neighboring Santa Barbara County, where many Angelinos go for wine tourism. However, Ojai is also a budding wine region with surprises in store for those seeking new wine experiences.
With its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and abundance of mountainous terrain, Ojai is an ideal environment for growing high-quality wine grapes. Vineyard management in the mountains of Ojai offers both opportunities and challenges. Visitors can also encounter hurdles when visiting the wineries, which range from rustic charm (see my story on Clos des Amis) to Napa-style elegance.
Ojai Mountain Estate is a lavish new winery atop Sulphur Mountain in Upper Ojai. It’s one of the highest-altitude wineries in all of California and one to watch. OME produces elegant hand-crafted wines that provide a sense of the magical place called Ojai. The winery falls under the “Ventura County” AVA, as there are currently no sub-AVAs within Ventura.
A Sacred Place for Thousands of Years
Ojai has been a tourist destination since the 1920s. The town was believed to provide positive energy due to the vortex in the valley beneath the Topatopa mountain range. Today, Ojai offers art galleries, restaurants, retail shops, and spas. Hiking, biking, horseback riding, and hang-gliding are popular activities.
This positive energy vortex was known well before Western travelers arrived. Ojai’s Indigenous people, the Chumash, considered it a spiritual sanctuary. This hunter-gatherer tribe populated the area as far back as 7,000 BC. The name Ojai derives from the Chumash word ‘Awha’y’ (AH-HA-EE), which means ‘moon,’ and refers to a village of the same name that once thrived in the upper Ojai valley.
On Top of the World at Ojai Mountain Estate
Ojai Mountain Estate sits atop Sulphur Mountain in Upper Ojai at nearly 3,000 feet. It’s a classic vineyard estate with a large Italianate villa and 300 acres. The winery made its official debut in Fall 2024.
Visit to this winery are by appointment only, and it is well worth a visit. The going is a bit tough, however. The road to the winery is 5 miles of uphill hairpin turns, so it’s not for the light-hearted. The road does, however, offer spectacular views of the valley below.
Owners Olga and Mikhail Chernov purchased the property in 2015 as a weekend house precisely because of its breathtaking views. Mikhail is a finance professor at UCLA, and Olga has a financial services company. The couple and their two children enjoy their weekends in Ojai, where Olga runs the wine business as a side job.
Olga, during a recent vineyard tour, stated that her biggest desire is to teach her two boys the wonder of the land. They lend a hand on the estate when they are there on weekends, doing such tasks as collecting eggs and feeding the goats. This desire to pass on the respect for the earth’s bounty is evident in all aspects of the winery, from vine to bottle.
An A-List Team
Initially, the Chernovs had no plans to grow grapes or make wine, but for Olga, the winery was an itch she just had to scratch. The idea originated from conversations with Erich Bradley, owner/winemaker at Repris Wines in Sonoma, where the Chernovs were wine club members.
Olga’s winery dream team now includes renowned Ojai vineyard manager Martin Ramírez, Bradley as winemaker, and legendary biodynamics pioneer Phil Coturri.
Since Day 1, Ojai Mountain Estate has been 100% biodynamic, and the winery is currently seeking certification, which can be a long and arduous process. The thriving property not only grows grapes but also has goats, chickens, and honeybees. Raptors soar overhead, searching for prey.
Sonoma-based Bradley became Ojai Mountain Estate’s winemaker in 2020. He has a low-intervention approach and likes the land to come through in the wines. The estate grapes grow on a primitive and wild landscape, and as Olga says, “The mountains make the wines, not us.”
Bradley was a founding Winemaker of Sojourn Cellars in Sonoma and is vice president of the board of directors for Sonoma Valley Vintners & Growers Association.
Ramírez, the owner of The Vineyards of Ojai vineyard management firm, has farmed most of the vineyards in Ojai. He uses biodynamic and organic farming practices. Coturri, known as the “wizard of sustainable winemaking,” brought his biodynamic skills into the vineyard. Today, just 6 acres grow vines, but on a tour of the property with Olga, she pointed out several prime hillside sites that she and her team feel would be perfect for new plantings of Mourvèdre and Syrah. Their vineyard acreage will expand over the next few years. Existing vines include Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc for reds, and Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, and Roussanne for whites.
Logistical Challenges
Working the vines at high elevation presents challenges, requiring precise farming methods. The land can be unforgiving, with intense offshore winds shooting through the mountain passes. There is very little water at this elevation. There are also significant shifts in weather from vintage to vintage. For instance, 2021 was an easy vintage with “no curveballs,” per Bradley. Similar conditions prevailed in 2022, but 2023 and 2024 presented fog in the spring, in which three-quarters of the vine buds died. Unpredictability is the status quo of any vineyard, even more so at such heights.
Once picked, Ojai Mountain Estate grapes are shipped to Sonoma for processing at Bradley’s Repris winery. The grapes are handpicked at night to avoid sun damage and then loaded onto refrigerated trucks for this 7-hour journey. Owner Olga says they hope to build a state-of-the-art winery on the property in the near future. OME produces about 500 cases per year; the first vintage was 2020.
Ojai Mountain Estate Wines
A February 2025 media presentation featured eight OME wines, including three vintages of the Estate White, three vintages of the Red Blend, and two vintages of Syrah from different clones.
In Bradley’s first vintage in 2020, the white wine grapes developed an orange/brown tinge due to long-distance shipping. “You learn from your mistakes,” says Bradley. A tasting of this wine showed that in spite of what many would consider a flaw, the wine is highly drinkable, with a slight oxidative note that only adds to its allure.
All three vintages of the white are predominantly Grenache Blanc, with Picpoul and Roussanne blended in. Picpoul, one of the highest acid wines on the planet, provides zippy vitality, while Roussanne adds depth and roundness to the palette. These wines are alive and kicking, thirst-quenching, and ready to drink now (all three vintages) or can be aged for several years.
The 2020 and 2021 vintages of the Red Blend included the Bordeaux grapes Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet France, along with Rhone varieties Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. The 2022 moved away from the Bordeaux grapes and included Tempranillo with the Rhone varieties. All were powerful and graceful with years of aging potential.
The star in Ojai Mountain Estate’s lineup is Syrah, a lovely work in progress. Bradley says they are moving to 100% Estrella clone Syrah grapes, which will only add more layers of flavor to the already elegant Syrah produced.
The white and red wines are aged in neutral French oak; no new oak is used. This allows the beautiful high-altitude fruits in the grapes to shine through.
If You Go
Plan ahead!
Ojai Mountain Estate can be visited if you book in advance. The winery offers a variety of guided vineyard experiences.
Contact the winery directly at https://ojaimountainestate.com/visit.
Another Ojai wine country winery, Clos des Amis, is profiled in my article In Ojai California Wine Country, Thinking Small Produces Big Flavors
Until next time,
Cheers!