Vöcal

About the Winery

About the Winery

Nationally acclaimed sommelier and educator Ted Glennon and renowned winemaker Ian Brand produce single vineyard wines covering what they see as the true geological and climatic region around the Monterey Bay and Coastal Mountains. Single Vineyard wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains and the greater Monterey Bay. 

All cooled by the deep submarine canyon in the heart of the Monterey Bay, Vöcal’s sites emerge from the locally distinguished cooling wind and fog. From parcels with more sun, like the Santa Cruz Mountains blanketed in redwoods to the fertile limestone and granite quarries in the Cienega Valley and the sandy slopes in the Salinas Valley of the Santa Lucia Highlands, this region has produced some of the most iconic wineries in California: Ridge, Mount Eden, Chalone, Pisoni, Calera…

“Vöcal is about the natural tension in the vineyard between grape and ground, the sun and rain, and the hand of man. Each contribution is important. We believe in a thoughtful dialogue in place of dogma when it comes to making the wine. Vocal explores the entire region via the lens of single vineyards of singular expression… We carry on this tradition, embracing the sun, wind and soils that give brilliant structure to the wines; this is the voice behind Vöcal.” –  Ted Glennon 

About the Winemaker

Ian is a winemaker fascinated by the unique geology and climate of the region. Proven in his title of Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the San Francisco Chronicle, Ian has quickly fallen to admire Monterey fruit since his first Santa Cruz vineyard job in 2004. Ian sees Monterey as an opportunity to utilize a model climate and small family wineries to produce some of California’s best wines at reasonable prices. Ted is a nationally acclaimed sommelier who is passionate about the stories and flavors the Santa Cruz Mountains have to share. His experience in the wine industry is dynamic, moving his way through restaurants from Dishwasher to Beverage Director before taking the plunge into the winemaking world. Ted, an Advanced Sommelier, is also the Educational Director for the Santa Cruz Mountain Wine Growers and Wine Director of Pebble Beach Food and Wine Festival.