Larry Schaffer is the owner and winemaker at Tercero Wines in Los Olivos, Santa Barbara, CA. He did not begin his career in wine and did not come from a wine-focused family. He started college at UC Davis, then transferred to UC Berkeley to study business before working in the music and publishing industries. He shifted paths about 25 years ago—working at wineries in Temecula while completing science coursework, then returning to UC Davis to earn an MS in Viticulture and Enology in 2005.
He spent nearly a decade at Fess Parker Winery before focusing full-time on Tercero wines. There, he produces small-lot, handcrafted wines with a focus on Rhône varieties. He also works with Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir, and serves as President of the Rhône Rangers.
His approach emphasizes minimal intervention and site expression: reds are foot-stomped, whole-cluster fermented, and aged in neutral French oak for extended periods, while whites are fermented and aged in stainless steel or neutral oak. Media Inquiries: tercerowines@gmail.com | https://www.tercerowines.com/
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
My wines are all borne out of curiosity, and the only goal I have with each wine that I make is that it has to be ‘distinctive’ from every other wine that I make. That’s a simple statement that just does not hold with many wineries I experience these days. Over the past two decades, I’ve learned to ‘let go’ and guide but not control the process. I’ve learned not to care about trends and to just make wines that are ‘distinctive’ and ‘true to typicity’.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
If there were no constraints on my business, I wouldn’t do things much differently than I am now, other than explore and ‘pique my curiosity’ more by producing more small lot wines with varieties that I am not currently producing – and that I am currently producing but from different sites.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
I don’t like the concept of having to choose just one . . . but since I have to ‘play the game’, let’s go with our 2023 Counoise. This is a rare Rhône variety that is not commonly seen as a standalone bottling. There was only about 100 tons produced in 2023 – not much at all. It’s reminiscent of my brand and winemaking because a) I tend to champion underdog varieties and b) it’s the type of wine that I would not have produced in my early years as a winemaker because it’s so light and delicate. I refer to this as an ‘unplugged’ or ‘acoustic’ red – in the face of ‘big and bold’, this is my 27-year-old playing their ukulele in a corner without amplification. Stay tuned, this wine review is coming soon!
Bonus Question: What are your wholehearted convictions related to the wine business? Not about your wines!
This one is easy for me – but somewhat controversial for a reason that I still don’t understand. I truly will ‘fight for your right’ to drink what you want, when you want to, how you want to, etc. Our industry has always and continues to shout ‘drink what you want’, but we actually, don’t let you, at least here in the US.
If I go on social media and mention that I am drinking a Meiomi Pinot, I will be bombarded with comments about how ‘bad’ the wine is or how ‘sweet’ the wine is or ‘there are better wines for the same money’ or that ‘it’s not really Pinot Noir’ . . . and many will be from so-called somms and wine educators. Again, the statement ‘Drink What You Want To Drink’ is an absolute for me. Period.