In 2000 Ross Jay Rankin and Lyn Dee Rankin, along with friends and family, embarked on a new adventure. The plan was to hand make small lots of memorable Syrah, Merlot, and Chardonnay. Over the next three years the wines were perfected before becoming a commercial operation for the 2004 harvest.
Their fruit is sourced from their neighbors in Santa Ynez and the nearby Santa Rita Hills. Their flagship Paradise Mountain Syrah comes from the farthest eastern vineyard in Santa Barbara country and sits right in the middle of a very small microclimate with very large rainfalls (75 inches in 2004). The Mountain has cool nights often with night cloud cover and can raise in temperature to over 100 degrees during the harvest season.
After their early success Imagine Wines now produce an array of varietals including Syrah, Viognier, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Zinfandel.
Each wine is made in fermentation bins, hand punched down three times per day, and aged in specially selected French (80%), Hungarian (10%), and American (10%) oak barrels for a minimum of one year. After bottling, all of the reds are kept for approximately one more year before being released to ensure the aromas, bouquet, and flavors are fully integrated.
