In 1962, Evan Gainey family purchased 1,800 acres of undeveloped land stretching across the eastern end of the Santa Ynez Valley. Within a year they started a cattle operation and converted 600 acres into farmland for vegetables, fruits, flowers and hay crops. After Dan’s grandfather Evan Gainey passed away, his father took over the farming and planted 50 acres under grapevines, nurturing a dream that he had of producing Gainey family wine. In 1984, he established a winery and released his first wines – Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir. In 1996, Dan Gainey joined his father and purchased an additional plot of land in what would become the Sta. Rita Hills appellation in western Santa Ynez Valley, and planted 60 acres of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. He named the vineyard Evan’s Ranch after his great-grandfather. The Sta. Rita Hills proved ideally suited to those varieties, so in 2009, he planted another 50-acre parcel in this cool, maritime appellation and named it Rancho Esperanza.

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