How it All Began
Headed toward a career in medicine, Kathy’s undergrad background in microbiology and biochemistry took a sharp left turn after a summer working at Simi Winery. Kathy then repurposed her science background into a foundation for a graduate degree in Viticulture and Enology at UC Davis. She began her winemaking odyssey at Long Vineyards and Joseph Phelps, then honed her skills with five vintages at Robert Pecota before establishing Fiddlehead Cellars in 1989. Kathy is enamored and enchanted with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir wines, which are the only varietals produced by the winery.

Believing that intriguing wines are all about “place”, Kathy crafts three styles of Sauvignon Blanc from the eastern part of Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley. Her "Fiddlestix" estate vineyard in Santa Rita Hills provides the fruit for two of her Pinot Noir cuvée’s, and a third Pinot Noir release hails from Oregon’s Willamette Valley. As the Founder, Proprietor and Winemaker for Fiddlehead, Kathy is a hands-on leader of the winemaking team at Fiddlehead.

The Story of the Name
Fiddlehead Cellars is appropriately named after the botanical term “fiddlehead”…the coiled tip of a fern, which emerges into that very elegant leaf. There are many parallels between the Fiddlehead fern and our Fiddlehead Cellars. The Fiddlehead fern emerges once a year, just like our new vintage wine releases. Like our wines, the fern has a natural beauty and uniqueness rarely found in today’s commercial world. And like our grapes, the Fiddlehead fern has a delicacy that is only harvested at one perfect moment each year. Great chefs around the world consider the Fiddlehead a prized delicacy offered in their cooking creations. Both are prized for their delicate flavor and captivating texture. The fiddlehead shape is also associated with the neck of those “fiddle instruments”, providing great musical pleasure. And the word itself is melodic, entertaining and fun – can you really say it without a smile coming to your face? And do you think it’s coincidence that the FiddleChix have curly hair?