This idyllic setting captivated John Zahoudanis when searching for vineyard property in 2005. He had grown up on a farm near Mount Olympus in Greece, where his family cultivated olives, citrus, and a small plot of grapes used to make wine for themselves. John and wife Sandra purchased the estate and named it after their daughter Demetria, and the Greek goddess of harvest Demeter.
Today Demetria is still very much a family operation. John and Sandra’s son, Alexis, has lived and worked on the estate full-time since 2009. He works closely with winemaker Ryan Roark, who also oversees the vineyard – one of the first in Santa Barbara County to be farmed biodynamically – with forty-six acres planted to Rhone varietals, five white and five red. Demetria also makes Burgundy-style wines, sourcing organic Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes from trusted vineyards in cooler California appellations.
