AERILYN

AERILYN is a small-production, traditional-method sparkling wine project based in California's Sta. Rita Hills AVA, sourcing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir 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 website soft-launched in Q1 2026. Sales are 100% direct-to-consumer via an allocation-based mailing list, with no 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 Extra Brut Rosé — Spring 2029
  • 2025 Extra Brut Cuvée — Fall 2029
  • 2025 Cuvée Solaise — Fall 2029

All wines are currently in tirage. An additional three - 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 from La Encantada Vineyard. First release projected Spring 2028.
  • 2024 Cuvée. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay from Sta. Rita Hills vineyards. First release projected Fall 2028.
  • 2024 Blanc de Blancs. 100% Chardonnay from John Sebastiano Vineyard. First release projected Spring 2029.

2025 Vintage

  • 2025 Extra Brut Rosé. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay from Fiddlestix and John Sebastiano vineyards. First release projected Spring 2029.
  • 2025 Extra Brut Cuvée. 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay, sourced entirely from Fiddlestix Vineyard. First release projected Fall 2029.
  • 2025 Cuvée Solaise. 62% Chardonnay, 38% Pinot Noir from Fiddlestix and John Sebastiano vineyards. 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; WSET Level 2 with Distinction, with Level 3 currently in progress; and coursework through UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education, including Introduction to Wine and Winemaking and Step-by-Step Winemaking.

AERILYN was developed following extensive field research, including conversations with more than 100 wine industry professionals and multiple study trips to Champagne, with six days of study under Essi Avellan and Peter Liem.

Production approach

AERILYN operates as a négociant producer working with contracted vineyard sources and custom-crush winemaking facilities in Santa Ynez. Production volumes are intentionally small. The brand prioritizes long aging, transparency about production parameters, and a controlled allocation queue rather than retail distribution.

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 three Sta. Rita Hills vineyard partnerships with John Sebastiano, La Encantada, and Fiddlestix 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.

Contact

curious@aerilynwineco.com