Our Story
Founded upon an enduring legacy of passion and dedication to the art of crafting exceptional wines, new leadership guides Longoria into a bright future.
The Beginning of a legacy
Legendary roots
Longoria Wines, founded in 1982, was established by Rick & Diana Longoria with the vision of producing artisanal wines from the most prestigious vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County.
a new era
building upon tradition
In 2022 Brooke and Lindsey took the reins from the Longorias and continue the legacy of being a family-run winery committed to the artistry of winemaking.
expanding the vision
Brooke and Lindsey immediately got to work with a transformational renovation of the Winery Tasting Room in Lompoc.
Shortly thereafter, they embarked on a new journey by opening an all-new tasting location on the illustrious State Street in Downtown Santa Barbara.
With a focus on creating memorable experiences, they continue to build their “Dream Team” with unique and talented individuals who share their passion food, wine, and good times!
Brooke & Lindsey
Having their personal passions centered around food, wine and sports, the opportunity to become a part of this winery’s legacy felt almost too good to be true and hence the match was made!
Today Brooke and Lindsey commit the bulk of their time to expanding production of Longoria wines. Their combined experience in hospitality, events, and passion for the region with its many wines of place and purpose has driven and prepared them to be the new stewards of Longoria.
Thank you for joining us on this exciting new chapter for Longoria Wines!
our Winemaking People
The Team
Brent Wilson
General Manager
Also a Lompoc native and brother to Winemaker Eric, Brent grew up curious about the excitement & advancement of the local wine industry that was growing up alongside him. Needing a summer job during his undergrad at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Brent was hired as a winemaking intern in 2008 at Pali Winery. The gears began to churn, and a passion was ignited!
After earning a degree in agricultural business, Brent worked various jobs in the industry, both near and far, big production and small. The intimacy and care of the small-production wineries drew him to Longoria, where he worked a harvest under Rick in 2015. These wineries are all about community and connections, dedication and craft, terroir, and region – upon understanding this, Brent knew he had found the sector of the industry he wanted to dedicate his career to.
After 16 years in winemaking, Brent embarked on a new journey as the General Manager for Longoria in 2024. As a chance to work with friends and family, continue to build a brand that helped shape his career, and broaden his skills as a professional in the industry, rejoining the team at Longoria was a no-brainer. He hopes to usher in a new era of fun, community, and great wines at Longoria while still upholding the values and traditions set forth by Rick and Diana for over 40 years.
Eric Wilson
Winemaker
Eric’s Central Coast roots run deep. A Lompoc native, he grew up surrounded by family and friends involved in the rapidly growing local wine scene. From an early age he was captivated by the curated beauty of the vineyards and the jubilant fun everyone seemed to be having!
After earning a degree in Food Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Eric quickly found his own way into the Santa Barbara County wine industry. A harvest internship at Rusack Vineyards ignited his passion for winemaking. He was immediately hooked by the blend of science, creativity, physical labor, and refined culture that embodies it.
15 years and several stops in the wine world later, Eric remains energized by the quality and diversity of the grapes the Central Coast gives him to work with. He is thrilled to take the reins of Longoria Wines from his friend and mentor Rick Longoria and lead it into an exciting new era under the Christians’ stewardship.
Matt Zandonatti
ASSISTANT WINEMAKER
Born and raised in Lompoc, CA, Matt spent most of his childhood playing sports, including football and baseball. After graduating from Lompoc High in 2014, he continued his education at Alan Hancock College while also playing sports. While pursuing his studies, he took several wine classes and started working at Pali during harvest. He instantly fell in love with the wine industry during his time there.
The intensity and passion that engulfed the winery during harvest drew him in from day one. After receiving his associate degree in viticulture and enology, he continued to work at Pali Wine Co. before joining Longoria Winery in 2022.
Matt has had the opportunity to work with many great winemakers, like our own Eric Wilson and Rick Longoria, who have made him genuinely grateful to have been born in such a beautiful and unique wine region. Matt plans to continue his wine journey and hopes to make a wine under his own label someday.