Roark Wine Co. was founded in 2009 by Ryan Roark. RWC focuses on making small-batch wines that showcase variety, vintage, and place. To best represent each harvest, we make our wine as unadulterated as possible: in neutral vessels, with all native fermentation, and no additions apart from a minimal amount of sulfur. Ryan started his journey with a fascination for farming; he studied plant pathology and microbiology at Texas A&M where he was able to take part in an agricultural exchange program that placed him with a small family-owned winery located in the Loire Valley. There he worked the land and learned the skills that he would take with him throughout France, New Zealand, and California. What began as a 100 case Chenin Blanc project has evolved into a small grape growing and winemaking operation. Ryan and his small team farm a handful of vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County while also sourcing grapes from trusted growers to produce about 1,500 cases of wine per year.