The pioneering estate winery sets the standard for winemaking excellence in Santa Ynez Valley under new female leadership.
Santa Ynez Valley, CA, August 13, 2024— Folded Hills Winery has announced important personnel changes to its leadership team, including the return of its founding winemaker Angela Osborne to lead cellar operations starting August 2024. Additionally, Folded Hills’ co-owner Kim Busch will resume an active role in the overall management of the business. Together, the predominantly female-led team will further Folded Hills’ commitment to crafting small- production Rhône-style wines from their estate vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley.
From the beginning, Folded Hills has focused on Rhône varieties—Grenache, Syrah, Grenache Blanc, Marsanne, and Clairette Blanche. After establishing the vineyard in 2014, owners Kim and Andrew Busch hired Osborne in 2015, a position she held through 2020.
“When Angela initially joined Folded Hills, we were immediately captivated by her intuitive, hands-off approach to winemaking. Her deep connection with the earth, its natural rhythms, and the grapes is truly profound,” remarks Busch. “We’re confident this renewed partnership will produce wines that beautifully showcase the harmony between the land and Angela’s distinctive vision.”
At the time, New Zealand-born Osborne had already established a stellar reputation in California through her own label, A Tribute to Grace, for her unique style: authentic expressions of Grenache characterized by high acidity and modest alcohol levels. She looks forward to bringing her minimalist approach and love for Grenache to Folded Hills, collaborating with esteemed viticulturist Lino Bozzano to craft expressive wines.
“I am honored to be returning to the Folded Hills family. I have missed this incredible site and its profound coastal influence,” says Osborne. “The estate remains one of the most beautiful California vineyards I have worked with and I am beyond grateful to have this opportunity not once but twice.”
Under Busch and Osborne’s leadership, Folded Hills will continue to innovate and improve their meticulous vineyard practices and winemaking techniques. Already certified organic, the team has also adopted biodynamic principles with the aim of working cohesively with the land to promote wine quality and set an example for environmental stewardship. Folded Hills is also poised for strategic growth in distribution, focusing on increasing availability to top accounts in California and across the U.S.A.
In anticipation of Osborne’s forthcoming 2024 vintage, Folded Hills has released the Angela Osborne x Folded Hills Library Wine collection, featuring the 2016-2019 vintages made during Osborne’s original tenure. This limited-time offering showcases the portfolio’s exceptional aging potential and the winemaker’s artistry.
About Folded Hills
Located in the Santa Ynez Valley just four miles from the Pacific Ocean, Folded Hills was founded by Kim and Andrew Busch, scion of the Anheuser Busch family, as a testament to family legacy and artisanal estate winemaking. The family relocated from their home in St. Louis, MO to what is now a 600-acre working ranch, vineyard, and farmstead. Recognizing the abundant potential of their unique site for grape growing, Kim and Andrew began planting vines in 2014, establishing the southernmost vineyard of the central coast in the Santa Ynez AVA. Since then, they have remained deeply committed to land stewardship—certified organic since 2020—and ensuring that each bottle encapsulates its distinct Santa Barbara County terroir. For more information visit foldedhills.com and @foldedhills on Instagram.
