Rick & Aurora Grimm
The Owners
Aurora was one of 7 daughters raised in Islington, London by her parents who emigrated from Italy in the late 1940’s. Food, farming and family wine making were an important part of their lives. She met Rick in 1984, while working in the oil business.
Rick grew up in West Virginia, and worked in the oil business for most of his career. He moved to London in 1983. In 1993, he and Aurora launched their own petroleum products, blending and distribution company in London. Their company eventually focused on blending environmentally friendly road fuels, using biofuels as a constituent in the gasoline and diesel blends.
After spending 4 years in Monaco, they were fortunate enough to sell their successful family run London based petroleum product businesses, and in the fall of 2007, Rick and Aurora decided to take up a new life in California and moved to Santa Barbara with their 3 children, Henri, Gabriella & Sam.
In the summer of 2010, they purchased 135 acres on Kentucky Road in the Santa Ynez Valley.With their appreciation of European wines and food in mind, a year later, they bought an adjoining 108 acre parcel and decided to try their hand at farming on the mesas of the 1st parcel. While initially dedicating a “couple of acres” to wine grapes and a “couple of acres” to olives, after several consultations with Jeff Newton & Ben Merz of Coastal Vineyard Care, the project almost immediately grew to 16.6 acres of grapes & 5 Acres of Italian varietal olives.
Ernst Storm
THE WINEMAKER
Born and raised in South Africa, Ernst completed his winemaking studies at Elsenburg Agricultural School near the growing region of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape. Ernst made is way to California and eventually would call Santa Barbara home for him and his young family. His passion to work with vineyard sites of great personality and nuance connected him to Grimm’s Bluff, and he is committed to showcasing those elements in the most honest and authentic way. Ernst began Storm Wines in 2008 and also collaborates with his brother making Pinot Noir from the Hemel-en-Aard Valley of South Africa where they grew up.
Philippe Coderey
BIODYNAMIC CONSULTANT
Philippe Coderey is a 25th-generation vine grower, winemaker, and farmer who has spent his entire life farming and tending vineyards and orchards in his native Provence as well as in Corsica, Switzerland, Pennsylvania, and California.
For a brief period, he was a pesticide salesperson in Switzerland, where he accidentally poisoned himself with his product and decided to change his career path.
Philippe's experience with Biodynamic® Farming originated in 1987 at the Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, where he completed a three-year Biodynamic® training. He continued to live and work there for an additional eight years.
Philippe was extensively involved with the prestigious M.Chapoutier Domaine – where he supervised the Demeter certification of the Banyuls and Collioures appellations, as well as overseeing the Biodynamic® farming of 130 acres of vineyards in the Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Cornas, St Joseph, Condrieu, and Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellations.
He has worked and consulted with several vineyards, including:
Tablas Creek Vineyard, Bonny Doon Vineyards, Ca Del Solo Vineyard, Beeswax Vineyard, Alta Loma Vineyard, Chequera Vineyard, Bien Nacido Vineyards, and Grgich Hills Estate.
In 2011, prior to the original planting of Grimm’s Bluff, Philippe implemented Biodynamic® farming methods at the ranch and has been instrumental in helping to reduce water use while sharing his vast knowledge of French viticulture.
Phillippe, together with Garrett Gamache and the Chalky Ridge Vineyard Management team, applies organic and biodynamic® principles in the vineyard and works to preserve and honor the land.
Samantha Grimm
General Manager
We are thrilled to introduce Samantha Grimm as our General Manager. Samantha brings an impressive blend of expertise and passion for the wine industry, honed over six years in various key roles.
Her journey in the wine industry began at Lavender Oak Vineyard, where she developed foundational skills as a Cellar Hand. Samantha's academic background in Nutritional Sciences with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Arizona, combined with her certifications in Winemaking from UC Davis and Wine Business Administration from Sonoma State University, provided a solid base for her ascent in the industry.
Samantha's professional trajectory is marked by significant roles, including Tasting Room Manager at Happy Canyon Winery, Assistant Winemaker at Section Wines, and Chief Operating Officer at Lieff Wines. In these positions, she demonstrated exceptional leadership and team management skills, along with a keen understanding of winemaking, lab analysis, inventory control, event coordination, and marketing.
At Lieff Wines, she was responsible for strategic leadership, overseeing business operations, managing a diverse team, and cultivating professional relationships to drive growth and brand promotion. Samantha's approach to management is rooted in creating a proactive and inspired team culture, emphasizing problem-solving and customer satisfaction. Her dedication to small business development, along with her positive attitude and detail-oriented approach, make her an invaluable addition to the Grimm family.
We welcome Samantha to Grimm's Bluff Wines and look forward to her contributions to enhancing our wine offerings and overall customer experience.
Garret Gamache
Vineyard Manager
Our Vineyard Manager Garrett Gamache has a special connection to Grimm’s Bluff as he was a part of the original team who planted it. Now full circle with his own vineyard management company, Chalky Ridge, he has returned to work with us to realize our dream of growing the finest grapes we possibly can.
With a Ph.D. in Hydrogeology from Texas A&M and a passion for connecting and understanding natural systems and processes, he is the perfect combination of spirit and practical skill to guide the development of our CCOF-certified Organic vineyard. Garrett and his team’s philosophy of innovation with tradition has brought a productive and courageous energy utilizing our modern abilities alongside the time-honored skills developed over generations of viticulture from all around the world.