Brandon Armitage
President, Winemaker
I started with a horticulture background in my native Oregon, but decided to change directions and study viticulture in New Zealand. Through study, internship and hands-on training I learned how to raise wine from soil to the bottle. A passionate student of the art of wine, I have followed the Pinot Noir trail around the world, occasionally detouring to work with other varietals. I was fortunate to fine-tune my skills in two of the finest Pinot Noir producing regions, New Zealand’s Central Otago and Oregon’s Willamette Valley, as well as widening my scope in California and Colorado. Landing in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 2006, I started Armitage Wines in 2008, and by 2013 I took over production at Heart O’ The Mountain Estate. The winery and vineyard sit at 1500 feet above Monterey Bay, and I am dedicated to harnessing the unique terroir of this mountain paradise to nurture the wines to their delicate balance and perfection.