Sweetzer Cellars 

The story of Sweetzer Cellars began in true garagiste fashion in an apartment on Sweetzer Avenue in West Hollywood California. Michael Fogelman and Lisa Liberati got the itch to make wine and didn't let lack of space slow them down. Lisa explains how they had to make use of every available inch of their home - "We crushed in the carport, fermented in the dining room, and pressed in the kitchen." Meticulous cleaning and preparation were needed to ensure neither the wine nor the apartment itself became soiled during the process, and Lisa hilariously described the scene as something resembling a Dexter kill room.

In 2013 after a few years of producing small home batches Michael and Lisa decided to go fully legit. They moved the operation out of their kitchen and into an actual winemaking space in the Lompoc wine ghetto. By sourcing fruit from some of the best vineyards in Santa Barbara County Sweetzer Cellars was quickly able put together an all-star line up of wine. World class sites like La Encantada, Rita's Crown, and Presqu'ile all appear on Sweetzer's labels as single vineyard offerings. The energy the Sweetzer team has poured into these wines shows, as they are impeccably balanced with great typicity and genuine expression of Santa Barbara terroir. Their bottle prices remain quite modest especially considering all of the prestigious fruit they bring in. Sweetzer Cellars is quickly garnering a reputation as a producer of the highest quality and should absolutely be on everyone's radar moving forward.