Noah Rowles
Owner, Farmer, Winemaker
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Noah is personally responsible for Dovecote’s strategic farming, viticulture, and winemaking with the goal of ensuring sustainable production of meaningful wines from site-driven fruit. Following a number of years of mentorship under some of California’s most respected winemakers, he has been independently crafting Dovecote’s wine since 2018.
As a self-taught viticulturalist he combines a long-standing passion and curiosity for the land that makes Santa Barbara County terroir so unique with a restless spirit and an unquenchable thirst for new ways to coax elegant expressions from Dovecote’s vines.
Prior to Dovecote, Noah was founder and CEO of a global software company for nearly 20 years. In 2014 he happily traded his frenetic corporate schedule for a peaceful and grounded (if not equally busy) lifestyle on the ranch where his son Griffin and daughter Elliott (along with countless cats, dogs, horses, cows, chickens and other sidekicks) could grow up among the oaks and vines.
A compulsive inventor and multiple patent-holder, software architect, naturalist, outdoorsman, animal lover, artist, traveler, wine collector, and very lucky father, Noah is humbled and grateful for the opportunity to direct his creative juices toward all things Dovecote.
Jason Grupp
Harvest Manager
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Jason is in charge of day-to-day management, staffing, and general ranch and vineyard operations at Dovecote. He excels at balancing the ever changing logistical needs of the ranch with a finely tuned approach to farming necessary to grow extraordinary wines.
He is a native Californian who has lived with his family in the Santa Ynez Valley for 20 years. Prior to Dovecote, Jason spent over 14 years at the historic 10,000 acre Alisal Guest Ranch in Solvang California.
Jason is a master fly fisherman, outdoorsman, and has been an Orvis-endorsed guide and casting instructor since 2005. In addition to his responsibilities at the ranch, Jason loves to teach the artforms of baseball and fly fishing, especially to children.
The Cervantes Family
Guardians of SOil & Vine
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Juventino “Tino” Cervantes is a true artist in the vineyard, with kind eyes, an infectious smile, and a quiet but meticulous sense of intuition and nuance. His warm family originates from a group of historic mariachi troubadours who have lived for centuries in Jalisco Mexico near the famed town of Tequila. After immigrating to California as a youth he spent several years in Los Angeles as a master furniture maker, however, he eventually sought refuge from city life and began to look for a more peaceful environment to apply his skills and raise a family. In 1989 he met a young Jeff Newton, co-founder of Coastal Vineyard Care, an ambitious farming company focused on the burgeoning premium wines grown on carefully selected vineyard sites in Santa Barbara County.
Jeff and David Thompson were deep in the process of selecting a vineyard site within the nearly 800 acre Thompson Ranch and needed someone with a keen eye and intimate feel for the land to help bring the project to fruition. In 1986 only 119 acres of Syrah existed in all of California, and Thompson was to be only the third vineyard in Santa Barbara County to be planted with Syrah after Zaca Mesa and Bien Nacido had proven themselves in the 70’s and 80’s. Jeff introduced David to Tino, and through their combined efforts the Thompson Vineyard became a reality in 1990.
If there were one person today most physically, emotionally, and spiritually connected with Dovecote Ranch and its Thompson Vineyard, it would indubitably be Tino Cervantes. He has spent over three decades amongst its vines, from the first cuttings that were pushed into the soil to the gnarled and weatherbeaten trunks of today. Under the sun and rain, within the fog and wind, Tino and his family attentively walk its hundreds of rows daily, physically touching every plant countless times year after year before personally hand-picking its fruit under a harvest moon.
Tino and his wife Elva have lived and worked full time on Dovecote Ranch since the beginning. They have literally raised their children within the vines. This second Cervantes generation now also lives and works alongside their parents with numerous young grandchildren growing up and beginning to assist us in the unique countryside we together call home.
Today three generations of the Cervantes family both live and work at Dovecote Ranch. In a recent conversation, Tino’s eldest son Roberto was asked how his family members are all able to work so intuitively with the vines.
Roberto paused briefly and responded with a smile, “This is what we do.”
Cameron Porter
General Manager, Assistant Winemaker
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A Santa Maria Valley native, Advanced Sommelier Cameron Porter comes to us with a diverse background in hospitality and winemaking, having spent almost two decades working as a sommelier, managing the hospitality programs of some of the top wineries in Santa Barbara County, and running his own boutique winery. He’s also a longtime enthusiast of Alisos Canyon and Thompson Vineyard, having both worked with the fruit under other producers, and written an article highlighting the region’s uniqueness back in 2012. “I believe strongly in the potential of Alisos broadly and Thompson Vineyard specifically, and under Noah’s stewardship, we’re heading to new heights. This drive to deliver great wines is matched by a desire to deliver an unparalleled hospitality experience – warm, educational, and memorable. Wine is meant to spark conversation and move us emotionally, and we aim to create an environment that fosters these moments every day at Dovecote.”
Jon Flores
Assistant Estate Manager, Cellarmaster
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Jon grew up in Newbury Park, CA and moved to Santa Barbara County in 2013. He’s been working in the wine industry for more than ten years and has experience working in the vineyard, cellar and tasting room. Jon has held winemaking positions at multiple wineries and in 2023 completed his degree in Viticulture & Enology at Allan Hancock College. “I’m passionate about the story that wine tells and the lifestyle it has given me. My favorite varieties are Viognier and Cabernet Franc, and my favorite Dovecote Estate wine is Mantle. I look forward to hosting and getting to know you at your next visit!”
