In Ojai, California wine country, Clos des Amis South Mountain Winery thinks small but gets outsize results.
Ojai, a haven known for its artists and wellness lifestyle gurus, is a paradise for weekenders looking for relaxation with beautiful views. As a wine region, Ojai has lived in the shadow of neighboring Santa Barbara County, where many Angelinos go for wine tourism. However, Ojai is also a budding wine region in Ventura County that surprises those seeking new wine experiences.
With its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and abundance of mountainous terrain, Ojai is an ideal environment for growing high-quality wine grapes. Vineyard management in the mountains of Ojai offers both opportunities and challenges. Visitors can also encounter hurdles when visiting the wineries, which range from rustic charm to Napa-style elegance.
One of the standout small-production wineries near Ojai is Clos des Amis South Mountain Winery, whose lovely acreage and facility I recently visited.
Clos des Amis South Mountain Winery
Bruce Freeman and Gretel Meys Compton make hand-crafted wines of various varieties at Clos des Amis. Their tiny winery is located amidst avocado orchards on South Mountain in Santa Paula, seven miles south of downtown Ojai.
Graphic designers by trade, the couple loves art, their community, the land, and wine. Their winery, Clos des Amis, is an artisanal operation housed in a 1,000-square-foot adobe brick building with 14-inch-thick walls. This ancient construction style provides natural insulation for cellaring the wines and added defense against wildfires, which occur in the area.
The winery is entirely solar-powered. A well on the property, fed by the Santa Clara River, provides water. The winery produces 500 cases annually from just six acres of grapes.
The “estate” vines comprise two acres surrounding the adobe building, with an elevation of up to 900 feet. Clos des Amis also sources grapes from a one-acre property in Camarillo, a small Zinfandel vineyard in Upper Ojai, and a small coastal vineyard, where they get their Chardonnay grapes.
Freeman says their small size makes them easily sustainable, as the scale means low environmental impact.
Clos des Amis translates to “Circle of Friends”
“Clos des Amis” loosely translates to “Circle of Friends.” For vineyard labor, Bruce and Gretel needn’t look further. Bruce, Gretel, and the volunteers do everything in the winery and the vineyard.
The couple is actively involved in their local community and is committed to keeping development down in this tight-knit enclave. As members of SOAR (Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources), they believe it is up to local voters to decide whether developers can rezone agricultural land or open space for their projects.
Heat, Rain, and Fires
“It’s not easy growing or making wine,” says Freeman. He opines that the person drinking wine knows very little, if anything, about what it takes to make the liquid in the glass. There have been challenges in the last few years, particularly with the weather. Extreme heat, two wet winters, and wildfires that singed the vineyard have all made conditions difficult.
Getting their wines to market has also been challenging for Clos des Amis.
Pre-Covid, their wines were served in several restaurants and sold at local retail stores. That ended when many restaurants were shuttered during the pandemic and never reopened. Bruce and Gretel now sell their wines at several farmers’ markets in the area, including downtown Ventura, Thousand Oaks, and Santa Clarita.
The Vineyards and the Wines at Clos des Amis
The estate vines sit at 900 feet elevation. The soil is clay, loam, and alluvial, with sandy soil at the bottom of the slopes.
The vines are 99 percent organically farmed. Bruce and Gretel have “a reasonable approach” to farming. They weed whack and mow between the vine rows and use mulch for adequate moisture and weed control, spraying with sulfur only as needed. They use drip irrigation, but primarily dry farm the vineyards.
Their approach to planting is to test a variety on a small patch before deciding to expand. An example is Albariño. Gretel loves this Spanish white grape that produces crisp, fruity, mineral-driven wines. She feels the grape is suited to Clos des Amis’ Mediterranean climate and their slopes of diatomaceous soils with lots of limestone. The pair planted several rows of this grape a few years ago and produced just one barrel in 2024. Gretel said the wine sold out at the local farmers’ markets and was pleased that people liked it.
As of December 2024, Clos des Amis South Mountain Winery’s grapes include Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Riesling (a few rows), Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Malbec, Carignan, and Sangiovese. They produce rosé, red, white, port, and sometimes sparkling wines. They currently have Pinot Noir planted. However, they are pulling it out because the climate is too hot for the grapes to ripen correctly.
Bruce is a “hands-off winemaker,” says Gretel, and he does not like oak interfering with the wines. They age their white wines in stainless steel and the reds in neutral oak.
French Algerian Roots
Because Freeman’s mother had a French Algerian background, he traveled extensively through France. At a young age, he saw his cousins drinking wine daily. He eventually explored all the French wine regions, fueling his desire to make wine.
Bruce especially loves the wines of the Rhone Valley for their expansive variety. He also admires the crystal-clear Alsatian whites and says they have impacted how he makes his white wines.
Meeting a Mentor
In the U.S., Bruce met Adam Tolmach of The Ojai Vineyard, one of the pioneering wineries in Ojai, California’s wine country. The Ojai Vineyard has a bustling tasting room in downtown Ojai, serving its award-winning wines.
Tolmach, whom Freeman refers to as “the master,” planted Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc on land purchased by his grandfather in Ojai Valley in 1933. He began producing wine from that fruit in 1983.
His Bien Nacido Syrah in French oak barrels especially appealed to Freeman, who worked full-time for Tolmach. In 2011, Freeman registered and bonded his own winery. He then took on the roles of winemaker, vineyard manager, records keeper, and accountant.
Visits to Clos des Amis are by appointment only. In addition to the above-mentioned local farmers’ markets, you can purchase their wines at VeroVino.com.
Vero’s founder and CEO, Sheila Donohue, says, “I started my wine import business, which is not far from Ojai, after being inspired by old-world artisan winegrowers. I have since discovered great potential for wine production here in Ventura County, from the soils to the topography to the climate.
“We need more passionate, terroir-driven winegrowers like Clos des Amis to continue pushing the envelope and getting Ventura County, including Ojai, on the California wine map.”
Read More: Ojai Wine Country: A Central California Destination Waiting to Be Discovered
If You Go
Clos des Amis is in Santa Paula, California, about a 90-minute drive from West Los Angeles. The nearest airport is Santa Barbara.
To arrange a visit to Clos des Amis, contact the winery at info@closdesamis.com, or call at 805-795-7743.
While in the Ojai wine region, another must-see winery is Ojai Mountain Estate. This new winery made its official debut in the fall of 2024. The vineyards sit at 2,800 feet atop Sulphur Mountain in Upper Ojai, offering magnificent views and exceptionally elegant wines. Read more about this winery at Ojai Wine Country: A Central California Destination Waiting to Be Discovered – Food, Wine & Travel.
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Terry Nozick is a Los Angeles-based food, wine, and travel writer whose blog is Truth ‘n Wine.
