Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post wines are made by Buellton Hitching Post owner/chef Frank Ostini and his good friend, former fisherman Gray Hartley.
Frank and Gray first made wine at home in 1979. They found their first Pinot Noir in 1981. The project moved to a winery in 1984 to make the first wines under the Hitching Post label. From 1991 to 2000,
Frank and Gray have made their wines at the Au Bon Climat/Qupe Winery on the Bien Nacido Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley. In 2001, Hitching Post Wines moved to Central Coast Wine Services in Santa Maria. Yearly production has grown to 4700 cases.
Their passioned focus has been to work with the California Central Coast's best vineyards produce many Pinot Noirs, a couple Syrahs and a Cabernet Franc blend. With a cool marine-influence climate and unusually long growing season, many of these grapes make wines that drink well when young and had have shown the ability to improve and age gracefully for many years.
Frank & Gray work with some of the best growers in Santa Barbara County, from the quality vineyards of Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Rita Hills and Los Alamos. The grapes are picked in the early morning and destemed into 1.5 ton open-top fermentation vats. Cold maceration is allowed for several days, then a cultured yeast is added to promote a long and cool fermentation.
Then comes the manual punch downs from one to three times/day depending on the stage of fermentation. Pressing occurs after 14-21 days directly into barrel (no settling of solids). The wine rests in barrel until racking just before bottling. Most wines are aged in French Oak barrels for 18 months and are bottled unfiltered.
Frank and Gray believe that great wines are made in the vineyard. Their winemaking philosophy is that they are caretakers who guide the wine into the bottle. As the wine matures it is simply left to gently age in the barrel. This minimalist approach allows Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post wines to reflect the character of the vineyard and the vintage, preserving the essence of the grape for you to enjoy when you open the bottle.
A great example of these wines is the Hartley-Ostini Hitching Post HIGHLINER. “Highliner” is one of the best fishermen in the fleet, and this name honors the great men of the Alaskan Salmon Fishery alongside whom Gray Hartley worked for 28 years..A special wine, it is meant to be the “best of their fleet” of Pinot Noirs.
