Meet Our Refugio Ranch Family

The Refugio Ranch Story

Since being founded by the Gleason family, Refugio Ranch Vineyards has emerged as the source for some of the most distinctive and compelling wines from Santa Barbara County’s majestic Santa Ynez Valley. Here, classic red and white Rhône varieties, along with Sauvignon Blanc and Petite Sirah grow across a mosaic of vineyard blocks, yielding wines that reflect both the complexity of the land and the vision of the family who have been its stewards for more than two decades.

But beyond the wines, Refugio Ranch is something very personal. It is a family-built endeavor shaped over time, defined as much by instinct and perseverance as by intention. It is a place where a maverick sensibility meets an intimate connection with the land; where the relationship between people and place is not only evident, but essential. 

Today, this connection extends across generations, with Kevin and Niki Gleason working alongside their children, Max Gleason and Callie Gleason Bieszard, and son-in-law Matthew Bieszard, each playing an active role in the estate’s evolution. Together, their work at Refugio Ranch has also grown into what is now Gleason Family Vineyards, the family’s umbrella for both Refugio Ranch and its sister winery, Bordeaux variety-focused Roblar Winery & Vineyards.

In 2004, Kevin and Niki Gleason acquired the 415-acre cattle ranch that would become Refugio Ranch, drawn by its beauty, but also by an immediate sense of its potential. What they encountered was a landscape of remarkable scale and presence, where the Santa Ynez River cuts across the valley floor and the surrounding hills rise sharply toward the mountains. It was more than just beautiful. Shaped by time, history, and a deep sense of place, it felt consequential.

What followed was not only an act of vision, but of risk. The property had no infrastructure and no established vineyard. Everything, from roads to irrigation to the vineyard itself, needed to be built from the ground up. In those early years, Kevin and Niki lived on the property in a small, renovated barn, living with the realities of the land as it took shape around them. Much of the property was imagined before it was built, shaped through long walks and quiet moments spent considering what it might become. At times, the scale of that undertaking was daunting, but it was precisely this sense of limitless possibility that defined the early years of Refugio Ranch.

From the outset, the decision to plant vineyards at Refugio Ranch was shaped by a distinctly independent mindset. Rather than acquiring an established estate, the goal was to create something entirely new, and to shape excellence over time. In 2006, the Gleasons planted the vineyard, embracing the site’s natural affinity for Rhône varieties. Syrah forms the foundation, supported by Grenache and Petite Sirah, alongside white varieties including Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Roussanne, with each grape chosen for its ability to reflect both the structure and energy of the landscape.

Rather than a single contiguous vineyard, Refugio Ranch is composed of a series of distinct blocks spread across the property, each defined by its own elevation, aspect, and soil composition. Some parcels lie along the river flats, rooted in ancient alluvial soils, while others are carved into steep, north-facing hillsides reaching toward the foothills of the Santa Ynez Mountains. The result is not one vineyard, but many expressions of the same land, each requiring a tailored approach in both farming and winemaking.

Over time, that initial vision has deepened through experience. The vineyard has continued to evolve, shaped by observation, adaptation, and a growing understanding of how best to express the site. What defines Refugio Ranch today is not a fixed formula, but a responsiveness to the land and an ongoing process of refinement that remains central to its identity.

This same spirit carries into the winery. Since joining the winery in 2020, rising star winemaker Max Marshak has played a central role in refining and elevating the wines of Refugio Ranch. After seven years at Jonata, working alongside acclaimed winemaker Matt Dees, Max brought with him a disciplined, site-focused approach that has helped bring even greater clarity and precision to the wines. Working closely with the Gleason family, his efforts reflect a shared commitment to realizing the vineyard’s full potential. With seamless alignment between vineyard and winery, the wines have taken on an increasing sense of focus and identity—marked by clarity, balance, and an energy that reflects the site with growing fidelity.

At its core, Refugio Ranch remains deeply personal. It is the Gleason family’s home and a place where holidays, weddings, and everyday life have unfolded alongside the vineyard’s evolution. For those seeking to experience Refugio Ranch firsthand, the wines can be discovered at the family’s welcoming tasting room in Los Olivos, housed in a historic 1911 building that reflects the region’s early heritage. More immersive, private tastings are offered at the estate itself, providing a direct connection to the vineyard and the landscape that defines it.

Even as Gleason Family Vineyards has expanded to include Roblar Winery & Vineyards, Refugio Ranch remains its foundation. It is the place where everything began and where the family’s connection to the land runs deepest. It is here that the family’s identity as winegrowers and vintners first took shape, and where it continues to evolve with each new generation.

As Kevin reflects, “While Roblar Winery is the beating heart of Gleason Family Vineyards, Refugio Ranch is its soul. Not only has it been at the center of our family life for more than two decades, it’s where our family’s wine journey began, and where we hope it will continue for generations to come.”