We are a small wine brand named after an eclectic group of 1930s metropolitan refugees known as the Dunites who settled the beach dunes of San Luis Obispo county. This group proudly described themselves as a collection of free thinkers, artists, nudists, and poets. Together they shared meals, cohabited a mutual gathering place, philosophized, dissented, and generally allowed one another to live and express themselves freely outside of the cultural norms of the time.
Dunites Wine Co. draws inspiration for this project from the remote beauty of the coastal dunes and the progressive ambition of the Dunites to aspire towards a clear goal; to produce pure and elegant wines that respect the coastal influence of vineyard sites located on the uplifted seafloor and ancient sand dunes of the SLO Coast. Combining diverse vineyard sites and meticulous farming with traditional techniques in the cellar allow for these small production wines to express the distinct characteristics of their sites.
We are a husband - wife team who combine our experiences to craft these wines. Together we have worked for over a dozen wineries and vineyards around the world where the people, cultures, and wines have influenced our approach to growing and making wine. Rachel Eck holds a degree in Viticulture from Cal Poly SLO and gained experience working under iconic producers such as Stephen Ross, Paul Lato, and Te Kairanga. Rachel is a licensed Pest Control Advisor and manages our tasting room in downtown SLO. Tyler Eck followed a degree from UCSB with a Viticulture and Oenology degree from Lincoln University in New Zealand. His travels led to working for several pioneering wineries including Dry River, Peay Vineyards, Stefano Lubiana, and Domaine Francois Villard. Since 2014 Tyler has been the Associate Winemaker for Fess Parker Winery. We live in Pismo Beach, with our black lab Cassidy, where we are only a few miles drive from the vineyards we work with.