Fred Brander

C. Frederic "Fred" Brander, owner and winemaker, was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. At a young age he moved with his family and settled in Santa Barbara, California. Fred graduated from Harvey Mudd College with a degree in Chemistry, and then went on to pursue studies in Enology at UC Davis.

Fred started his career in the wine business by working for a Santa Barbara wine merchant, and later went to work in the wholesale business. While attending college, he started his own small wine import company, bringing in wines from France and his native Argentina.

Wishing to make his own wines, and with a fondness for Santa Barbara, Fred and his family established The Brander Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley in 1975, where he quickly developed a reputation for making outstanding Sauvignon Blanc. Fred's passion for this varietal has committed him to be California's top producer of Sauvignon. With 28 vintages "in the bottle," he is a pioneer of the Santa Barbara wine country.

Kathy Forner

Kathy Forner, our Office Manager, joined the Brander Vineyard family in 1987. Starting part time in the Tasting Room when her children were young, she developed a passion for fine wine. With her background in business and banking, she quickly found her way into the office to take over the bookkeeping, administrative duties, and our Vintage Clubs.

Bill Burroughs

Bill Burroughs, member of our Tasting Room Staff, came to The Brander Vineyard with over 25 years experience of selling wine retail, buying, traveling and tasting. He retired to the Santa Ynez Valley when he couldn't get his wife, Lois, to go back to Manhattan Beach.

Since we are in California and not New Zealand, we often refer to Bill as the "Santa Ynez Valley" man rather than the "Marlborough" man.