Brandon Sparks-Gillis

The Climb

Whitman College provided the formal base for Brandon Sparks-Gillis’s path in wine, where study and curiosity began to take practical shape. From there, the work moved into vineyards and cellars, and by 2005 he was founder, partner, co-owner, and vigneron at Dragonette Cellars. The title marks more than seniority; it is the combination of vineyard judgment, cellar work, and continuity that keeps a winery moving vintage after vintage.

Today

As co-owner and vigneron at Dragonette Cellars, Sparks-Gillis continues the same line of work that began with the winery’s founding in 2005. The current role carries both oversight and hands-on responsibility, with the day-to-day work connected directly to the original partnership that set the operation in motion.

Signature

Brandon's signature wines include 2021 Dragonette, Rita’s Crown Vineyard Chardonnay, Sta. Rita Hills, 2021 Pinot Noir, Radian Vineyard, 2021 Chardonnay, Black Label, 2021 Pinot Noir, Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, and 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, Vogelzang Vineyard. Together, they show the span of his work across Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc, with each bottling carrying the Dragonette name and the consistency implied by that label.

In Their Words “For years I pursued a dual path: baking in the early morning hours then working in vineyards or cellars in the afternoon, which was inspiring but exhausting.” “I fell in love with wine when I was a college student, studying geology, in Walla Walla, Washington.”

Recognition

The central marker in Sparks-Gillis's career is the founding partnership he began in 2005, which became the basis for his ongoing work as a vigneron and owner. At Dragonette Cellars, that origin is also the present tense: a role built through repeated seasons, steady responsibility, and the accumulation of practical decisions over time.