Grimm’s Bluff

Happy Canyon, California

Aurora was raised in Islington, London by her parents who emigrated from Italy in the late 1940’s. Food, farming and family wine making were an important part of their lives. She met Rick in 1984, while working in the oil business. Rick grew up in West Virginia, and worked in the oil business for most of his career. He moved to London in 1983. In 1993, he and Aurora launched their own petroleum products and in the fall of 2007 they were fortunate enough to sell their successful family run London based businesses to take up a new life in Santa Barbara, California along with their 3 children, Henri, Gabriella & Sam.

In 2010, they purchased 135 acres on Kentucky Road in the Santa Ynez Valley. With their appreciation of European wines and food in mind, a year later, they bought an adjoining 108 acre parcel and decided to try their hand at farming on the mesas of the 1st parcel. While working with Jeff Newton & Ben Merz of Coastal Vineyard Care, the project grew to 16.6 acres of grapes & 5 Acres of Italian varietal olives.