We've loved seeing Outward Wines grow across several vintages, and the arrival of their '24s marks several delicious new entries (yes, Sangiovese!). As they continue to map out some of the Central Coast's most interesting sites, we're unpacking the work.

Natalie Siddique and Ryan Pace embody the current class of new California: young people making terroir-first wines that feel real. They're making mostly single site, single varietal wines, with the core in Santa Barbara but continuing to push further into one of the most exciting places in wine, the San Luis Obispo Coast. Quenching, charismatic bottles packed with flavor and nuance.

Authentic California wine that happens to be mega drinkable – just as it should be.

2024 Montaña de Oro White Blend, $36
A blend of white grapes from the iconic Central Coast sites that they primarily bottle as single varietals (below): 60% Shell Creek Chenin Blanc, 30% Presqu'ile Sauvignon Blanc, and 10% Rancho Arroyo Grande Chardonnay. All directly pressed, fermented and aged in neutral oak for 6 months. The wine paints a sun-soaked picture of the Central Coast (it should "smell, taste, and feel golden" as they put it) – quince and hazelnut with a squeeze of Meyer lemon.

2024 Presqu'ile Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, $40
Presqu’ile Vineyard is one of California's iconic cool-climate coastal sites: planted into ancient sand dunes in the blustery Santa Maria Valley, where a wind gap funnels in chilling fog and wind from the Pacific. Long hang time means complex fruit; and their Sauvignon Blanc is directly pressed, fermented in neutral oak and topped up for aging sur lie until the spring. The result is a layered, coastal wine; zesty but almost exotic in its aromatics, thread with nervy acidity.

2024 Shell Creek Vineyard Chenin Blanc, $37
Shell Creek is one of Paso Robles' historic vineyards: cattle-ranch adjacent and planted in 1972, it was one of the first in San Luis Obispo county and is farmed organically by the (now, 6th generation) Sinton family. The name is a nod to its limestone-driven terroir, packed with marine fossils. Half of the fruit from 2024 saw 24 hours of skin contact, all fermented in neutral oak, topped off and aged for 10 months sur lie. It's an opulent style of Chenin that feels like Cali sun shining on the Loire Valley, tempered by that unmistakably limestone-driven acidity.

2024 Sendero Luminoso Red Blend, $28
Like the white blend, Sendero Luminoso is a blend of selections from the sites and varietals they otherwise bottle singularly, to paint a full picture of the Central Coast: 60% Syrah from Starfire vineyard, 30% Vaccarèse from Old Oak Vineyard, and 10% Mourvèdre from Rancho Arroyo Grande. This is an ode to GSM Rhône blends, and the Vaccarèse is particularly compelling: an incredibly rare grape, it's planted to only 10 acres in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and two California vineyards (from cuttings brought over by Tablas Creek). The Syrah is a mix of carbonic and destemmed fruit, Vaccarèse fermented with 50% whole clusters, and the Mourvèdre with 30% whole clusters; all blended after 6 months in neutral oak. The through line to the Rhône is clear; this is a velvety wine packed with black fruit, bacon fat and Mediterranean herbs.

2024 Five Oaks Vineyard Sangiovese, $37
An expansion of their work in Santa Barbara, this is a rocky vineyard tucked between five heritage oak trees in the Santa Ynez Valley. Natalie and Ryan started farming the one acre, 100% Sangiovese site with regenerative practices in 2024, and – as it was also their first time working with Sangiovese – this vintage was vinified in three separate lots to explore the site. 1/3 was done with carbonic fermentation, 1/3 fully destemmed, and 1/3 with 30% whole clusters included; all aged separately in 500L puncheon, blended at bottling. The result is a hydrating, graceful take on Sangiovese – infused with the classic roses and taut red fruit, but rounded by a soft tannin and green herbs.

2024 Potrero Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, $48
With fruit from Massa Vineyard no longer accessible, 2024 marks the first vintage that Natalie and Ryan are sourcing their Cabernet from Potrero Vineyard. Deep in San Luis Obispo's Rancho Arroyo Grande wilderness, the high elevation vineyard was planted in the 1990s in sandy loam soils. The fruit here is especially concentrated, so they let it shine freely: 100% destemmed, gently extracted and aged in neutral French oak for 10 months. It's a style that echos California's original Cabernets, free from oak influence and packed with a refreshing (but not overwhelming) level of pyrazines.

2024 Santa Ynez Valley Syrah, $45
This is a blend of two sites that Natalie and Ryan are farming regeneratively in Santa Barbara's Santa Ynez Valley: Pace vineyard, a personal backyard vineyard planted by Ryan's father (and industry vet) Randy Pace in 2000; and Starfire vineyard, which they started farming in 2024. Co-fermented with 5% Viognier from Pace, this is the only one of their top wines that is not single-varietal. 100% whole cluster fermentation followed by 10 months in neutral French oak. Côte Rôtie is the inspiration here, a taut and savory wine with a black-fruited, herbal palate.

The otherworldly Shell Creek Vineyard in Paso Robles; photo via Broc Cellars

Cold, foggy Presqu'ile Vineyard; photo via @presquilewine

Old Oak Vineyard (source of their rare Vaccarèse); photo via Old Oak Vineyard

Stunning Rancho Arroyo Grande vineyard, nestled in the wildnerness; photo via Rancho Arroyo Grande

Ryan and Natalie 🫶

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