Brittany Rice

The Climb

Cellar work is where the shape of this career begins. At Sunstone Vineyards & Winery, Brittany Rice started as Cellar Crew from 1999–2003, after training at California Culinary Academy. That sequence matters: the kitchen training and the cellar apprenticeship gave her two working vocabularies, both grounded in timing, control, and repetition. From there, she moved into the role of winemaker at Sunstone Vineyards and Winery from 2003–2010, carrying cellar discipline into production decisions. Baking and pastry added another exacting register to that practice. Brittany Rice worked as baker and Pastry Chef at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in 2019–2019, where the demands of precision, balance, and sequence mirrored the same kind of attention required in wine. She then returned to Santa Ynez as director of winemaking at Sunstone Winery from 2019–2025, a role that reflects years spent moving between cellar, kitchen, and production with the same practical command. The broader scope of the work is split across three continuing roles: Private Chef and owner of Rustik Chef since 2003, Private Chef of Rustik Chef & Rustik Farm Co. LLC since 2010, and Company Owner of MILLESIME CELLARS since 2012. Together, those positions show a craft practice built across table, vineyard, and cellar rather than confined to a single discipline.

Today

The food work is framed as a balance of method and intent. Brittany Rice describes it as "an intuitive balance of creativity and precision, where food becomes a way to connect, nourish & create meaningful experiences rooted in quality." The line gets to the point: the craft is not decoration, but structure, restraint, and service to the person eating. In the vineyard, the language stays close to observation and management of a living system. "There was once a time when pesticides were thought to be the universal remedy to agriculture. The concept of disrupting eco-balance was non-existent, and the belief that ‘the only good bug was a dead bug’ permeated society." She adds, "We are constantly experimenting with different methods to achieve a natural balance in the vineyard, which can be severely disrupted by the ‘quick-fix’ employment of herbicides or pesticides." The position is clear: work with the site, read the balance, and avoid shortcuts that flatten the system. For MILLESIME CELLARS, the emphasis is on the material facts of production. "MILLESIME CELLARS is dedicated to creating high quality handcrafted wines that are unfiltered made with organically grown grapes." The terms are plain and trade-facing: handcrafted, unfiltered, organically grown.

Signature

Brittany's signature wines include Le Jardin Viognier.

In Their Words “There was once a time when pesticides were thought to be the universal remedy to agriculture. The concept of disrupting eco-balance was non-existent, and the belief that ‘the only good bug was a dead bug’ permeated society.” “We are constantly experimenting with different methods to achieve a natural balance in the vineyard, which can be severely disrupted by the ‘quick-fix’ employment of herbicides or pesticides.”

Recognition

Recognition here comes through sequence: Cellar Crew, then winemaker, then director of winemaking at the Santa Ynez winery. The progression is the point.