Caella Wines was formed by Adam Camardella and family during the height of the pandemic. Our first vintage was our 2019 Pinot Noir from the Sta. Rita Hills in Lompoc, California. In 2021 Caella Wines went public. Caella's primary  focus is on wines of Santa Barbara County, but on occasion we acquire fruit from vineyards outside of Santa Barbara. We especially love the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. We stayed busy buying up grapes by the ton with the hope that one day our wines would bring people back together for special occasions and making memories. 

Our goal at Caella Wines is to bring you the finest product from California vineyards that showcase the terroir and highlights the individual region we have selected our grapes from. Enjoy with a good meal, friends and family, or just for a little journey back to simpler times. Our Family owned and operated winery enjoys taking grapes on their journey from the vine to wines.

DJ BILSKY, MANAGING WINEMAKER, CALIFORNIA — DJ was born and raised in New Jersey and pursued architecture, studio art, and environmental studies in college.  His background includes working in fine dining and wine retail, which essentially developed his palate and understanding of wines.  Yet he was still searching for what could satisfy his passions — producing, creating, and evolving. In 2018, DJ worked his first harvest as a winery intern which led him to a full time position, moving his life out to Santa Barbara County. His path in wine ultimately led him to Provignage, where he took the role as Winemaker for Sandhi is now Managing Winemaker at Provignage. He could not be happier to be working with such great vineyards and fantastic wines. 

CLAIRE WILSON, BRAND MANAGER & WINEMAKER — Growing up on a small Zinfandel vineyard in the heart of the Napa Valley, Claire was surrounded by people who appreciated the value of building community through sharing great meals and wine. Her mother, whose skills include cooking and farming, instilled the importance of hard work and hospitality from a young age. After studying Hospitality at Cal Poly SLO, Claire worked as an adventure travel guide for Backroads, yet her passions always led her back to food and wine. She then decided to solely pursue winemaking and participated in harvests in Australia, South Africa, and various parts of California. She landed her dream job as a Winemaking Apprentice at Provignage in 2019 and has continued to grow from there. Working closely with Sashi Moorman, Claire is now Winemaker and Brand Manager for Domaine de la Côte and Piedrasassi.

Ernst Storm grew up in South Africa and completed his winemaking studies at the Elsenburg Agricultural School outside the town of Stellenbosch in the Western Cape. After completing his final year, he worked as winemaker at a winery called Amani in the Stellenbosch region under the guidance of Rod Easthope, a New Zealand winemaker. He also spent two harvests in the cooler Walker Bay region with his brother Hannes and consulted on a few smaller projects.

Ernst wanted to experience a California harvest and took a job in the Sierra Foothills at Renwood Winery in 2003. He spent two years working in this warmer climate—learning a lot about managing higher pH wines and riper flavors. Having come from a cool climate region, he longed to make more balanced wines from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. In 2005 Ernst explored Santa Barbara County and fell in love with it. The Mediterranean climate shares many similarities with that of the Western Cape. Diverse soils and microclimates within the county make it a region with endless possibilities. Ernst worked at Firestone Vineyards for three years, which proved to be a great learning experience. Storm Wines was started with 6 barrels in 2006. In 2016 Ernst was approached by Drew Duncan to make the wines for Donnachadh Estate form their Organic vineyard. 

Ernst continues to make wines in a classic style that captures both vintage and site.

Brandon Sparks-Gillis — Brandon is a founder and co-owner/vigneron of Dragonette Cellars in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County, CA. He was born and raised near Seattle, WA and studied Geology at Whitman College in Walla Walla, WA, where he graduated with honors. After a life-changing summer spent in the Apennine Mountains of the Marche region of Italy, Brandon decided to pursue food and wine professionally. Working for years as an artisan baker, he learned about the wonders of naturally occurring fermentation and the flavor benefits of pure, organic ingredients. He began his wine career working at wineries across the American West, then spent 3 years working in fine wine retail in Los Angeles, where he fortuitously met John Dragonette. He founded Dragonette Cellars in 2005 alongside brothers John and Steve Dragonette.

About Dragonette — Brothers John and Steve Dragonette and close friend Brandon Sparks-Gillis founded Dragonette Cellars in 2005 after having worked together at a renowned wine shop in Los Angeles. Their shared passion for great wine brought them to wild, windy and remote northern Santa Barbara County where they spent the next several years seeking out extraordinary, cool-climate vineyards and dedicating themselves to careful, patient, minimalist winemaking. 

As vignerons, they have committed themselves, above all else, to the mindful farming of precise blocks in exceptional vineyards for low yields and high quality and to the shepherding of these grapes into wines of purity, complexity and balance. Given the remarkable climatic and soil diversity in Santa Barbara County, Dragonette Cellars produces small lots of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Syrah of interest and distinction.

Norm Yost, our 2025 Vintner of the Year— Yost is also celebrating the 25th anniversary of his brand Flying Goat Cellars, specializing in Pinot Noir and sparkling wine. He is the “OG” (Old GOAT) of bubbles in Santa Barbara County, renowned for pioneering the first sparkling wine program with his Goat Bubbles Rosé in 2005. His family of méthode champenoise sparklers now includes Crémant, Rosé, Brut Cuvée, Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs (2 expressions) and Pinot Meunier. Wine Enthusiast named his 2019 Goat Bubbles Ampelos Vineyard the “Best Blanc de Noirs.” His 2021 Goat Bubbles Pinot Meunier recently won CA State Fair Double Gold & Best of Show.

Yost graduated from the University of California, Davis with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies in 1981. During his 45+ vintages in the wine industry, he has worked for diverse wineries in Napa Valley, Russian River in Sonoma County, Margaret River in Western Australia and Oregon’s Willamette Valley. He refined his cool weather winemaking techniques in Santa Barbara County, where he has spent over half of his career. As the proprietor of his own business, Norm enjoys the freedom to focus on his passion for making award-winning vineyard designated Pinot Noir and méthode champenoise sparkling wine.

Yost is currently a board member of Allan Hancock College Viticulture and Oenology Program. He is a former board director and president of both World of Pinot Noir and Sta. Rita Hills Wine Alliance, a former board director of Santa Barbara Vintners, as well as a former winemaking instructor at Allan Hancock College. He's an active member of both Lompoc Valley Beekeepers Association and Village Dirt Bags (mountain biking club).

Jeff LeBard — As Winemaker for Gainey Estate Vineyard for the past 18 years, Jeff LeBard brings a consistency of vision, style and quality to our wines. Jeff is a passionate student of his craft, always seeking new information in the pursuit of honing his efforts and believes in incremental innovation. He is particularly fascinated by the juxtaposition of art and science, and how both disciplines can be mastered to create significant terroir driven wines. “My goal is to find a place where beauty, elegance and nuance exist while retaining scientific boundaries to ensure that the art lives on inside the bottle,” he says. Whether it’s mountain biking, camping, working in the vineyards or disappearing into the backcountry, Jeff’s at home in nature. 

Kyle Arrowood is a second generation winemaker, born into a vibrant garage based passion project led by his parents along with a community of wine-loving family and friends. His father, Steve Arrowood, started Montemar wines in 2013 after a terminal cancer diagnosis led him to fully pursue his dream as a vintner. Kyle took over after his father as Montemar's winemaker in 2019, aiming to follow Steve's legacy. 5 years later, Kyle and his wife, Layne, continue to produce world class wines with all the knowledge Steve passed along throughout the years. While he's resumed with his dad's beloved red wine protocol, he plays around with white varietals, experimenting with things like zingy stainless steel Chardonnay, amber Grenache Blanc, and sparkling pét-nats!

Mike Anderson, General Manager and Viticulturist — Mike spent most of his life in vineyards, and viticulture is both a profession and an avocation. He grew up working in his family’s grape nursery leading to an early interest in viticulture.  After finishing his education at UC Davis, Mike served as a researcher, author, and educator at his alma mater for 30+ years.  He was also manager of the University’s legendary Oakville Station.  During this time, John Wagner enrolled in Mike’s viticulture class, eventually leading to a friendship and Mike’s post-retirement job at Peake Ranch in 2017.

Larry Schaffer is owner and winemaker of tercero wines. He's been making wine in the Santa Ynez Valley for 20 years, having started by working on the winemaking team at Fess Parker Winery from 2005-2011. Though Larry concentrates on rhone varieties grown here in Santa Barbara County - he is currently President of the Rhone Rangers - his passion for Pinot cannot be denied. He crafts his pinots in the same manner he crafts all of his reds - old world techniques like 100% stem inclusion, no racking, aging entirely in 4-15 year old French oak barrels.