Sarah Lyons is the co-founder and winegrower at Lyons Vineyard in the Los Olivos District AVA in Santa Barbara Wine Country. She and her husband, Skye, began with two acres under vine in 2017. They soon started working with vineyard manager Ryan Carr, who helped them plant another four acres, bringing the vineyard to about six acres under vine today.
Sarah came to wine as a curious drinker during her time studying abroad in Spain. After moving to Los Angeles, she began taking classes and tasting as much as she could, eventually earning the WSET Level 4 Diploma in 2018. For several years, Sarah and Skye sold fruit from their vineyard to other winemakers in Santa Barbara County before holding some back and launching their own label in September 2025.
After leaving a long career in media and technology, Sarah now works full time on Lyons Vineyard, working together with Skye on the business and brand while staying closely involved in decisions in the vineyard and cellar. They hope to build their own small production facility on the vineyard property in the near future. Media Inquiries: sarah@lyonsvineyard.com | https://www.lyonsvineyard.com/
What’s the ONE THING most unique, authentic, & memorable about your brand?
We often call Lyons Vineyard a family vineyard, but we didn’t inherit it. We’re the first generation to start it. But our passion and drive to create it came from Skye’s late father, Stephen Lyons. Skye’s late father, Stephen Lyons, was a viticulturist for Ravenswood in Sonoma in the 1990s. Stephen was a major inspiration not just in our appreciation for wine, but also our interest in farming. He always had a green thumb and gardened extensively. Some of Skye’s earliest memories were gardening with him. He always set aside a corner of the yard for Skye to grow his own things and he coveted the Yellow Garden spiders when they showed up in the tomatoes to defend against Hornworm caterpillars. Skye had an appreciation of regenerative farming practices at an early age.
As far back as 2002, the three of us were talking about starting a vineyard together. We wanted to build a family property that could continue through the generations. Stephen died from lung cancer in 2014, before we had the chance. When Skye and I found our property in 2017, we named it Lyons Vineyard in his honor.
Today, we bottle our two Grenache clones separately and pour them side by side. (And with the 2025 vintage, we’ll be bottling our two Syrah clones separately.) They come from the same vineyard and vintage and are made the same way, so people can taste for themselves how different they are. That idea goes straight back to Stephen’s scavenger hunts. He sparked that curiosity in us, and now one of our favorite parts of Lyons Vineyard is sparking it in other people.
Describe how and what you’d do with your winemaking career or winery business if you were not constrained.
We’re already working to convert our existing barn into a small production facility and eventually welcoming people for private tastings at the vineyard. So without financial constraints, we’d finish that project! And I’d probably hire someone to help me with email marketing and social media. Honestly, the biggest luxury would be removing the constant financial stress and worry about getting a brand new wine brand off the ground during the biggest downturn for wine in decades. Many people have told us (and we don’t need to be reminded) that our timing for our launch this last September 2025 was a terrible window to bring a new wine brand to market.
What is the One Wine most emblematic of your brand and/or winemaking style? Tell us its story.
Grenache is our favorite variety and best expresses Lyons Vineyard’s emerging site character. From the same vineyard and identical winemaking, we bottle two distinct versions to highlight how much variation can exist within one place. Rather than blend them, we keep them separate to invite exploration—a philosophy inspired by Skye’s father, Stephen, who encouraged curiosity and deeper understanding of what’s behind each wine.
This Grenache reflects the style we aim for: fresh, balanced, layered, and food-friendly, with complexity that rewards attention but remains immediately enjoyable. As the young vines mature, the wines are gaining depth and definition with each vintage. Read my review of the 2023 Grenache here.
Bonus Question: What are your wholehearted convinction related to the wine industry?
Much of the wine industry has lost touch—talking past consumers, pricing them out, or simply not listening. The answer isn’t to chase trends or oversimplify wine. It’s about connection.
Wineries need to meet people where they are: know their audience, offer guidance, and create a sense of belonging. There’s a large group of curious drinkers who want to learn, but they need an accessible, judgment-free way in.
That’s been clear with our wine club. Many members are new to wine, yet they stay because they feel included. When we share simple, useful insights, people engage, gain confidence, and want to explore more. Wine doesn’t need to be dumbed down—it needs to be opened up.