Sulphur Mountain sits 3,000 feet above Ventura County, looming directly above the Ojai Valley Inn. Not quite as tall as the Topa Topas to the north, where exposed shale glows white during the day and reflects the sunset for the famous “Pink Moment,” but tall enough to offer a magical and awe-inspiring view of the Pacific Ocean, the Channel Islands and the growing world of women working in wine.
When Olga Chernov first saw the property near the top of Sulphur Mountain, she fell in love, and she knew she’d found what she was looking for: a place for her two boys to grow up wild in nature, and feel connected to the land. She didn’t know what else she wanted to do with the 160 acres; she did know she found the place she wanted to call home.
As a fan of wine, especially from grapes grown at high altitudes, she decided to plant a vineyard. Her commitment to place and quality meant growing her fruit organically.
But then something magical happened: Chernov and her husband were at a wine club pickup party in Sonoma when Erich Bradley learned she had vines growing in Ventura County. He committed to making wine with her grapes at his facility in Sonoma, and famed biodynamic viticulturist Phil Coturri came on board to advise.
Alexis Wade, owner of Buddy’s Wine Bar in Midtown Ventura.
Something magical, in fact, is happening all over Ventura County, where women are creating natural wines from grapes grown organically, farmed sustainably and made using minimal or low intervention processes. The five women profiled here — Olga Chernov, Gretel Compton, Natalie Albertson, Alexis Wade and Sheila Donohue — are all committed, in one way or another, to naturally made wine.
Olga Chernov: Ojai Mountain Estate
Regenerative farming focuses on rebuilding the soil, and biodynamics recreate an ecosystem. To this end, before Chernov planted any vines, she grew a cover crop for three years to build up soil which was largely non-existent before. She keeps chickens, sheep, goats and bees, and sells eggs as Cedarfield Farms (www.instagram.com/cedarfieldfarms). At Ojai Mountain, she has succeeded in giving her children the connection with nature she sought.
Olga and Mikhail Chernov purchased their land 10 years ago. Six acres of vineyards went in on steep hillsides in 2018 using a traditional trellis method; more vines have been added which will be head trained with plans to expand further. They are in the process of obtaining organic and biodynamic certifications.
Chernov already has a few vintages under her belt. Currently Ojai Mountain offers an estate white blend, an estate red blend and syrah. Tastings are held on site by arrangement, and wines are also available at the Ojai Valley Inn.
Gretel Compton: Clos des Amis
Like Chernov, Gretel Compton knows about the ups and downs of growing grapes and making wine no matter the weather. Compton started helping Bruce Freeman with his Clos des Amis project almost 20 years ago. She quickly fell in love with the artistry of producing wine (and Freeman, too, it turns out). Both are professional artists: Freeman taught at Ventura College and Compton worked as a graphic artist for 30 years. She also teaches life drawing at Studio Channel Islands.
In the vineyard and at the winery, Compton has done it all: pruning vines, planting cuttings, picking grapes, processing grapes, blending cuvees and designing labels with her original artwork spotlighting local flora, fauna and trails. She is especially passionate about her Albariño planted on an outcrop of limestone.
Acknowledging how much work it is to grow organically, Compton says, “We just try to keep it sustainable and fun.” They follow the French idea of a reasonable approach for their 600 cases with minimal intervention. Find Compton and her wines at the Saturday Farmers Market in Ventura and the Thursday Market in Thousand Oaks or make an appointment to visit the South Mountain winery.
805-795-7743, info@closdesamis.com, closdesamis.com
Gretel Compton of Clos des Amis at the Ventura Farmers Market.
Natalie Albertson: Wildflower/Native Bloom Winery
While Natalie Albertson farmed a patch of pinot noir near Rincon Point for a few vintages, she mostly purchases her grapes from Central Coast growers who are certified or practicing organic or biodynamic. She’s passionate about making natural wines including pét-nats (short for pétillant naturel, a naturally sparkling wine), orange wines, chillable reds — wines similar to those she tasted while living in Sicily, where it was easy to visit wine regions in France, Portugal, Spain and more.
“We took our kids almost every time,” said Albertson. “It’s fun with kids because it makes you slow down.”
When she and her family returned to the U.S., she completed the wine certificate program at University of California, Davis with her first vintage in 2020. The distinct line drawings on the labels are by Beth Chaney.
Due to a copyright issue, Albertson just rebranded from Wildflower Winery to Native Bloom, which reflects her use of native yeast, and being both a Native Californian and a Native American. She’s bottling wine in April with the new labels.
4517 Market Street, Unit 7, Ventura, www.wildflowerwineryventura.com
Alexis Wade: Buddy’s Wine Bar
One of the places in Ventura County where you can buy a glass of natural wine is at Buddy’s Wine Bar in Midtown Ventura. After working as a pastry chef and then in the film industry in Los Angeles, Alexis Wade said, “I wanted to return to food and wine, and I knew I could afford to do it here!”
During COVID, Wade and a buddy decided to do a wine bar. By the time it opened two years ago, it was just Wade, but the name stuck, and she liked the idea that people who come to Buddy’s would become buddies. To that end, Buddy’s offers game boards, a long bar where you get to know who is at your elbow, and lots of special events and activities including Drag Queen Bingo, Drink and Draw, monthly DJs and even a prom in April. On Thursdays, the wine bar features three flights of wine along a theme.
“The focus is really on the winemaker,” said Wade. Often she and her staff will offer by the glass or flight wines from the same producer as well as a range of wines from organic orange wines to more traditional red wines — all at an affordable price.
Buddy’s also has an interesting beer list in addition to wine- and beer-based cocktails. “So no matter what kind of a drinker you are, you’ll find something,” said Wade.
1786 E. Main Street, Ventura, www.buddyswinebar.com
Sheila Donohue: Verovino
When her New York City career in finance took her to Bologna, Italy for an extended period, Sheila Donohue embraced the change and took Italian life to heart — good food, good wine, good friends…and love, too. She married an Italian baker, pursued training as a sommelier, passed the rigorous Italian Wine Ambassador course, and began her Ventura-based import company Verovino to showcase small production, organic, natural wines as well as olive oil.
Seven years ago, Donohue formed her company to introduce wines and gourmet foods to the U.S. market. She began selling and distributing her wines from a warehouse in Ventura, but missed interacting with people. In November 2023, she purchased a property across the street from Bell Arts Factory. Her large Craftsman sits on Ventura Avenue; in the back is an old Quonset hut she’s turning into a tasting room and special events space that will build upon the fabric of what she sees in the neighborhood.
“The vision as I’ve been getting to know the neighborhood is to create experiences to taste wine, olive oils and other foods and have fun doing it [that] ties in well with the cultural aspects of the community.”
Meeting city requirements has been a much more challenging process than she expected while running her import business. So far she is undaunted about bringing the building up to code. Once she does, Donohue’s tasting room will offer an unparalleled vision into the world of mostly European natural wine and organic olive oil. She’s excited about all the windows to the world of natural wine that will open for those who find Verovino.