AERILYN

AERILYN is a small-production, traditional-method sparkling wine project based in California's Sta. Rita Hills AVA, sourcing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Meunier from conscientiously farmed coastal vineyards. Wines undergo extended tirage aging of 30 to 48 months prior to release. Sales are direct-to-consumer through an allocation-based mailing list. First commercial release projected for Spring 2028.

About

Founded by Tammee Thompson. The first vintage was bottled in June 2025. The second vintage was bottled in June 2026. The 2026 harvest is complete, and the wines are in élevage ahead of tirage bottling in June 2027. The vintage continued AERILYN's relationships with John Sebastiano and Fiddlestix vineyards and included two expansion vineyards harvested for evaluation for the program, including AERILYN's first harvest of Meunier. The website soft-launched in Q1 2026. Sales are 100% direct-to-consumer via an allocation-based mailing list, with no expected wholesale or retail distribution.

Release Timeline

2024 Vintage

  • 2024 Rosé — Spring 2028
  • 2024 Cuvée — Fall 2028
  • 2024 Blanc de Blancs — Spring 2029

2025 Vintage

  • 2025 Rosé — Spring 2029
  • 2025 Cuvée — Fall 2029
  • 2025 Cuvée Solaise — Fall 2029

All wines are currently in tirage. An additional three to six months of cork aging follows disgorgement before each release.

Vineyards — Sta. Rita Hills AVA, California

Sta. Rita Hills is one of the coolest growing regions in California for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The AVA runs along a rare transverse valley that opens directly to the Pacific, drawing marine fog and cold afternoon winds deep inland. Long, gradual ripening preserves natural acidity while phenolic development continues, which is the structural foundation traditional method sparkling wine requires. Marine-influenced soils, including diatomaceous earth, shale, and clay loams, contribute mineral character and constrain vine vigor.

  • Fiddlestix Vineyard. North side of the Santa Rosa Road corridor. Soils are Santa Ynez, Botella, and Gazos clay loams with Monterey shale and chert. Farmed without herbicides, following organic principles with an organic fungicide program.
  • John Sebastiano Vineyard. Eastern edge of the appellation at 500 to 550 feet elevation. Block 5 soils are dominated by Chamise shaly loam with Linne and Botella clay loams. Farmed with practical sustainability and long-term land stewardship.
  • La Encantada Vineyard. Ridge site straddling the Santa Ynez River, approximately seven miles from the Pacific. Sandy loam over Monterey Formation soils, including diatomaceous earth and marine deposits. Planted in 2000 by Richard Sanford.

Wines (in tirage; not yet released)

2024 Vintage

  • 2024 Rosé. 100% Pinot Noir. Tirage bottled on June 6, 2025. First release projected Spring 2028.
  • 2024 Cuvée. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. Tirage bottled on June 6, 2025. First release projected Fall 2028.
  • 2024 Blanc de Blancs. 100% Chardonnay. Tirage bottled on June 6, 2025. First release projected Spring 2029.

2025 Vintage

  • 2025 Rosé. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay. Tirage bottled on June 5, 2026. First release projected Spring 2029.
  • 2025 Cuvée. 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay. Tirage bottled on June 5, 2026. First release projected Fall 2029.
  • 2025 Cuvée Solaise. 62% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir. Tirage bottled on June 5, 2026. First release projected Fall 2029.

Key pages

Founder

Tammee Thompson founded AERILYN after a career spanning corporate operations, culinary training at the French Culinary Institute (top of class, 2011), and an extended period of formal wine education. Her introduction to fine sparkling wine came in 1992 through a glass of vintage Champagne at a business dinner in New York City.

Her wine credentials include the Wine Scholar Guild Champagne Master program, the highest formal credential in Champagne education, completed with Honors in 2025; the WSET Level 3 Award in Wines, passed with Merit in 2026, with Distinction on the theory examination; WSET Level 2 with Distinction; and wine coursework through UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education.

AERILYN was developed following extensive field research, including conversations with more than 100 wine industry professionals and multiple study trips to Champagne.

Production approach

AERILYN operates as a négociant producer working with contracted vineyard sources and winemaking facilities in Santa Ynez, CA. Production volumes are intentionally small. The brand prioritizes long aging, transparency about production parameters, and a controlled direct-to-consumer allocation list.

Foundational Cellar Journal Entries

These journal entries contain the most detailed account of AERILYN's origins, vineyard relationships, and production approach.

  • Why AERILYN Exists. Tammee Thompson's path from a 1992 glass of vintage champagne at a business dinner through the French Culinary Institute and the Wine Scholar Guild Champagne Master program to founding AERILYN.
  • Three Hours Before Harvest. The story of how AERILYN's Sta. Rita Hills vineyard partnerships with John Sebastiano and La Encantada actually came together in 2024.
  • The Alchemy of Nature, Chemistry, and Time. A walkthrough of traditional method sparkling winemaking with AERILYN's specific timing: cuvée-only pressing, 30 to 48 months on tirage, six months of cork aging before release.
  • The Drive Back. Notes from the 2025 vintage blending trials, including the discipline of returning to retaste alone before committing wines to bottle.
  • Everything, At Once. Notes from June 5, 2026 bottling of the 2025 vintage, the accelerated 2025 growing season at Fiddlestix and John Sebastiano, and a visit to a potential coastal expansion site.
  • Other Plans. The 2026 harvest: the earliest start in AERILYN's history, four picks in seven days, the first Meunier, and the women shaping the vintage.
  • A First Look. The close of the 2026 harvest: five picks in twenty days, five base wines including the first Meunier, and the first taste of the 2025 wines after trial disgorgement.

Contact

curious@aerilynwineco.com