In its 141 years of existence, the Rancho El Alamo Pintado Adobe has lived many lives. It was a French countess’ social spot, an innkeeper’s guest house, and a rancher’s home.
In 1996 Iris Rideau bought the estate, and Rideau Vineyard was born. The adobe is now Rideau’s tasting room, where guests take in a combination of the past and present.
When Rideau purchased the property, she restored the adobe and preserved a lot of its originality, estate manager Steve Russell told the Sun. Designated a historical landmark in the 1970s, it is one of two adobes in the area still standing, he added.
“People are enjoying new acclaimed wine and sitting in a little bit of history,” Russell said.
Rideau Vineyard is celebrating the release of its new sparkling wine—a blanc de blancs—with an event on Aug. 16 featuring food, live music, and corn hole. The event, starting at 11 a.m., is in honor of National Relaxation Day.
“When you come to Rideau, often what you see is just people relaxing,” Russell said.
Guests lie back in Adirondack chairs on the grass with a glass of wine and a full charcuterie plate, Russell said. That’s why it’s fitting for a pink, 8-foot-tall Adirondack chair to make its debut at the event.
In addition to wine, Rideau will be selling smash burgers, pizza, charcuterie plates, and lobster rolls. Live music is set to start at 12:30 p.m.
In addition to tastings of the new blanc de blancs, Rideau is offering a 2023 vintage viognier that guests may not have tried yet, Russell said. Viognier is the major white variety that Rideau grows on about 5 acres of the estate.
“A lot of people, even people familiar with Rideau, haven’t been here since it’s been released,” Russell said. “So that’s one of the wines that we’d like to highlight for the event.”
Sparkling wine is somewhat uncommon in the region because it requires a special fermentation process to create the sparkling quality.
“While the fruit is sourced from here on the Central Coast, the wine itself is made in the Napa area because they have the facilities for making sparkling wine,” Russell explained.
Owner Martin Gauthier said the one thing Rideau was missing before now was sparkling wine.
“There’s always a reason to use bubbles,” Gauthier said. “There’s always something to celebrate.”
Aside from the new sparkling, Rideau produces all its wine on-site. The fully integrated winery grows, bottles, packs, and ships all its wines on the estate.
Rideau grows roughly half of its grapes and buys the rest from vineyards. Of the 25-acre Rideau estate, 15 acres are vineyard. In 2019, the winery bought a second property and planted vines on about 10 acres, which are starting to produce, Russell said.
Gauthier bought Rideau with his wife, Isabelle Chartrand, in 2015. The couple is originally from Montreal but fell in love with California.
“For me, it was very exciting to start something new that I really didn’t know much about,” Gauthier said.
Before owning Rideau, he worked in real estate finance but had a passion for collecting wine. Gauthier and Chartrand visited Rideau by chance 10 years ago during a trip to California and decided to buy the winery.
“We want it to be an extension of [guests’] living room of their own house, so that they can come and be as comfortable as possible,” Gauthier said. “That’s the first thing I felt when I went to Rideau, and it’s what drives me to continue with the winery.”
Gauthier lauded the atmosphere of Rideau and close relationship between Rideau’s staff and customers. Children, dogs, and outside food are welcome, he said.
“It’s low-key. We’re not pretentious at all,” Gauthier said.
Rideau only sells its wine directly to consumers on the property or through its wine club.
“Everything is done by our team,” Gauthier said. “Part of the experience we want to offer to the customers is when they open their package, everything has been done by us.”
In Gauthier’s mind, the adobe is also a big part of the guest experience. Surrounded by the shade of 200-year-old oak trees, he said the tasting room definitely creates charm.
“It’s a historical building. It’s gorgeous,” Gauthier said. “It’s different from most tasting rooms in the valley or elsewhere in California.”
Near the adobe, visitors can also take in the outdoors.
“It’s really for people to forget about what’s happening in their life and just focus on the experience, on the moment, with friends and family,” Gauthier said.
Staff Writer Madison White enjoys a viognier under a shady oak. Send your recommendations to mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 14-24, 2025.
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