Behind the Glass
The People
The People
Family-owned and
expert-guided
Every bottle of Grimm's Bluff wine is the product of a remarkable team. A family with a vision, a world-class winemaker, a biodynamic pioneer, and the people who tend the land every single day. This is who we are.
Rick & Aurora
Grimm
Aurora grew up in Islington, London, one of seven daughters born to Italian immigrants, where food and family winemaking were woven into her childhood. Rick grew up in West Virginia and spent his career in the oil business before moving to London in 1983, where the two met the following year.
Together they built a successful petroleum blending company focused on environmentally friendly biofuels — an early expression of the values that would later define Grimm's Bluff. In 2007, they sold their business and moved to Santa Barbara with their three children: Henri, Gabriella, and Sam. In 2010, they purchased 246 acres on Kentucky Road in the Santa Ynez Valley, and have spent the past 16 years building it into what it is today.
Ernst
Storm
Raised in South Africa and trained at Elsenburg Agricultural School, Ernst mastered his craft across Stellenbosch, Walker Bay, and ultimately Santa Barbara County, where he recognized striking similarities between its Mediterranean climate and the Western Cape. That global perspective shapes every wine he makes at Grimm's Bluff.
His philosophy centers on purity, elegance, and vineyard-driven expression. At Grimm's Bluff, he merges Old World tradition with New World innovation, producing wines that are thoughtful, balanced, and deeply rooted in the land.
Philippe
Coderey
A 25th-generation vine grower and farmer, Philippe has spent his life tending vineyards in Provence, Corsica, Switzerland, Pennsylvania, and California. His biodynamic training began in 1987 at Camphill Village Kimberton Hills, and he has since consulted for some of the world's most respected estates, including M.Chapoutier, Tablas Creek, Bonny Doon, and Grgich Hills.
Philippe joined Grimm's Bluff before the original planting in 2011, implementing biodynamic practices from the very beginning. His guidance on soil health, water conservation, and French viticulture techniques has been instrumental in shaping the character of the estate.
Garrett
Gamache
Garrett has a special connection to Grimm's Bluff, he was part of the original team who planted it in 2012. Now returned full circle with his own vineyard management company, Valley Vine Growers, he guides the daily cultivation of the estate's 16.6 acres of vine with the same care and commitment as the beginning.
Holding a Ph.D. in Hydrogeology from Texas A&M, Garrett brings a rare scientific lens to viticulture. Understanding natural systems and applying innovation alongside time-honored techniques from vineyards around the world. Together with Philippe Coderey, he ensures every row at Grimm's Bluff is farmed to the highest organic standard.
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Samantha
Grimm
Samantha brings a rare combination of scientific rigor and wine industry expertise to her role. Holding a degree in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Arizona and certifications in Winemaking from UC Davis and Wine Business Administration from Sonoma State, she has led operations at Lavender Oak Vineyard, Happy Canyon Winery, Section Wines, and Lieff Wines.
Her approach to management is rooted in creating a proactive, inspired team culture. Detail-oriented and deeply passionate about small business, she brings fresh energy to everything she does at Grimm's Bluff.
Henri
Grimm
Henri has been on the property since day one, moving with his parents from Monaco to Santa Barbara in 2007 and spending his high school summers helping build the ranch — clearing land, hauling materials, putting in the bones of what would become the estate. After high school he co-founded Tech Doctors, an IT service in Santa Barbara County, before stepping back to return to Grimm's Bluff full time.
His role here is broad by design: systems and IT administration, marketing, social media, photography, bookkeeping, and graphic design. And when something on the ranch needs building or fixing, he tends to be the one with the tools. Alongside his wife Samantha, who serves as General Manager, Henri rounds out the management team that runs Grimm's Bluff day to day.
James
Downing
James is the ranch manager at Grimm's Bluff, where he's spent the last eight years keeping the property in healthy working order. His days move with the season — some on a tractor, some pruning or mowing, some knee-deep in mud fixing irrigation lines, some working cattle or making the place ready for guests. He oversees the operations and assists wherever the work calls him, which is just about everywhere.
The diversity is what he loves most about the job. It keeps him learning, putting to use what he's picked up over 32 years from a long line of mentors, and it keeps him outside, on a piece of land he knows by heart.