Tensley Wines

Tensley Wines is a California wine producer located in Santa Ynez Valley with a focus on producing single-vineyard Syrah from around Santa Barbara County. The family-owned and -operated winery was established in 1998 by Joey Tensley as a small Syrah project, producing just 100 cases. The wines quickly received high scores and praise from top critics in the US, and production was expanded to around 5000 cases of wine annually. Joey Tensley has since launched the Tenshen and Los Padres labels, also from Rhône varieties.

The company's portfolio of vineyard-specific Syrah is one of the largest in Santa Barbara County. Each year, Tensley makes a range of different Syrah wines that are vinified and bottled separately to highlight unique sites. Typically, less than 250 cases are produced of each. Tensley also produces a small amount of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Grenache.

In line with Tensley's philosophy to highlight vineyards rather than winemaking techniques, Joey Tensley's wife, Jennifer, produces single-vineyard Rosé, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines from Santa Barbara County under the label Lea Wines.