Palmina is more than a winery and enoteca. It is a philosophy and it is a passion. It is a strongly held belief that wine is an extension of the plate, a component of a meal and a means to bring people together. Formed by winemaker Steve Clifton in 1995, Palmina is named in honor of Steve’s great friend Paula, who taught him to love cooking, wine and the Italian lifestyle and who was a spark in Steve’s life. After Paula succumbed to breast cancer, Steve found that her given name on her Italian birth certificate was Palmina, and the winery was thus fittingly named.
Serendipity intervened in 2000 when Steve needed to find someone who spoke Italian when hosting some visitors from Italy and was advised that the wine manager at local restaurant bouchon was fluent. He was introduced to Chrystal Seals, who not only provided the needed translation but shared his passion for wine and food and all things Italian. Chrystal soon became involved in all aspects of Palmina. They were married in Friuli, Italy in the Spring of 2004. Today, Palmina produces a full range of wines crafted from Italian varietals grown in Santa Barbara County, California. They are not trying to emulate the Italian versions of those grapes, but rather interpret the styles to the growing conditions and vineyard sites of the very unique characteristics of Santa Barbara County. The wines are Italian by tradition and modern by design, and all are designed to be an “extension of the plate”.
Colin MacPhail - General Manager, Larkmead VineyardsColin joined Larkmead Vineyards in April 2005 and by coincidence hails from the same birthplace as Andy Smith our winemaker (Edinburgh in Scotland). He studied Hotel and Restaurant Management and worked in the UK hospitality industry before embarking on a career as a radio producer at the BBC.Colin and his family arrived in Napa Valley in 1998 and he worked in various aspects of the wine business from tasting rooms and travel tourism to retail before taking a post at Rudd Winery. He spent the next 5 years as project manager and distiller while setting up 'Distillery 209' in San Francisco. His broad range of experience and skills have proved to be very useful as Larkmead Vineyards spreads its wings in this new and exciting era.