Montecito Wine Company taps Le Vigne Winery as partner

Montecito Wine Company has chosen Paso Robles-based Le Vigne Winery to make its Montecito Cabernet Sauvignon, Butterfly Beach Chardonnay and Miramar Beach Rosé. The collaboration ties a decades-old family relationship to a cause-driven wine line that will support Santa Barbara County first responders through One805.

Why it matters: - The partnership links a local wine brand to a longtime family business relationship that dates to 1973. - A percentage from every bottle sold will benefit One805, which funds mental wellness and equipment grants for Santa Barbara County fire, police and sheriff personnel. - The wines are also tied to community remembrance of the Thomas Fire and the January 2018 Montecito mudslides.

What happened: - Montecito Wine Company named Le Vigne Winery of Paso Robles as the winemaking partner for Montecito Cabernet Sauvignon, Butterfly Beach Chardonnay and Miramar Beach Rosé. - The announcement was made Aug. 26, 2026. - Patrick Braid founded Montecito Wine Company and owns Montecito Gourmet. - Walter Filippini owns Peacock Cheese Distributing Company and Le Vigne Winery.

The details: - The Braid and Filippini families first connected in 1973, when the Braid family opened Village Cheese & Wine in Montecito. - Village Cheese & Wine is now Montecito Gourmet. - The families have worked together for more than five decades through Peacock Cheese Distributing Company, the Filippini family’s specialty cheese and charcuterie business and a sister company of Le Vigne Winery. - Braid said the partnership is a natural continuation of a relationship built on family, trust and a shared passion for food and wine. - The Montecito wines were created as a tribute to the first responders who protected the community and to the 23 lives lost during the Thomas Fire and January 2018 mudslides. - During the disaster, Montecito Gourmet stayed open to feed first responders and stranded residents. - The shop worked alongside the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and California Highway Patrol. - Food donations from Vons, Trader Joe’s and Smart & Final helped make the effort possible. - Braid said that experience inspired Montecito Wine Company and the new wines are meant to remember the lives lost and honor the people who came to the community’s rescue. - Le Vigne is a second-generation, family-owned estate whose first Paso Robles grapes were planted in 1982. - The winery won four Gold Medals at the 2026 International London Wine Competition. - Le Vigne’s Acquarello Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve was named Wine of the Year U.S.A. - Le Vigne was also named Winery of the Year U.S.A. - The competition judges wines on quality, value and packaging, with active wine-industry professionals including buyers, Master Sommeliers and Masters of Wine. - Montecito Wine Company said it will share more information about the wines, vintages and availability later.

Between the lines: - The deal pairs two family-run businesses with overlapping food and wine roots, which gives the launch a built-in local identity. - The first-responder connection is central to the brand story, not just the charity tie-in, and that positions the wines as memorial products as much as commercial ones. - Le Vigne’s recent awards add credibility as Montecito Wine Company introduces the lineup.

What's next: - Montecito Wine Company plans to announce additional details on vintages and availability. - Sales of the wines will continue to send a percentage of proceeds to One805. - One805’s upcoming fundraising events include concerts on Sept. 25 and 26 in Carpinteria on Kevin Costner’s “Field of Dreams.”

The bottom line: - Montecito Wine Company is using a new winery partnership to turn a decades-long family relationship into a cause-driven wine brand with local roots and a built-in first-responder mission.

More information: Montecito Wine Company - Le Vigne Winery - Peacock Cheese Distributing Company - Montecito Gourmet - One805