People
Louis Lucas: Grape growing runs deep in Louis Lucas’s family, beginning generations ago with his ancestors in Croatia. Born and raised in California’s Central Valley and a graduate of Notre Dame, Louis brought that farming heritage to the Central Coast in the 1970s, becoming one of the pioneering commercial wine grape growers in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. As a co-founder of Tepusquet Vineyards, he helped establish some of the region’s early commercial vineyards and pioneered commercial Pinot Noir plantings in Santa Barbara County. More than five decades and 55 harvests later, Louis, known affectionately as “Dirtman”, still spends his days in the vineyards, overseeing more than 400 estate acres and bringing a lifetime of experience to every vintage at Lucas & Lewellen.
Royce Lewellen: Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Royce Lewellen graduated from the University of Missouri and U.C. Berkeley's Boalt School of Law. A retired Superior Court Judge, businessman and community leader in Santa Barbara County, the courthouse complex in Santa Maria, CA was officially named the The Lewellen Justice Center in his honor. "The Judge" embarked on his latest venture in 1996 with renowned wine grape grower Louis Lucas. With their long time love of wine, Royce and Louis set out to produce the finest wines in Santa Barbara County.
Sadly, Royce passed away in September, 2020. He left behind a legacy for us to uphold as we move forward in the direction he set for us, pursuing excellence in the wines that we make, extending graciousness to the guests that we host, and serving this community that he loved with generosity. Royce's son Michael (below) continues in his father's stead.
Michael Lewellen: Michael “Mike” Lewellen is the Managing Partner and co-owner of Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards, a family-owned estate winery in Santa Barbara County, California. He represents the second generation of Lewellen leadership at the winery his father helped found, guiding the business across sales, marketing, finance, tasting room operations, production planning, and overall strategy.
Mike’s connection to Lucas & Lewellen Vineyards runs deep. His father, the late Royce Lewellen, co-founded the winery in 1996 with third-generation grape grower Louis Lucas. Mike became an owner of the company in 1999, bringing a blend of business acumen and family legacy to the table, and transitioned to working with the winery full-time in 2009. Under Mike’s leadership, Lucas & Lewellen has remained committed to hands-on estate viticulture, producing wines that reflect the diversity of Santa Barbara County’s distinct climates and soils. Today, the winery oversees more than 300 estate acres across the Santa Maria, Los Alamos, and Santa Ynez Valleys, and distributes its portfolio both domestically and internationally.
Mike’s role spans all facets of the business from brand development and production forecasting to market expansion and guest experiences. He champions a balance of tradition and innovation, ensuring that the winery honors its roots while evolving in a dynamic wine industry.
Beyond the winery grounds, Mike is active in promoting Santa Barbara County’s wine culture, showcasing Lucas & Lewellen’s wines and highlighting the agricultural richness of the Central Coast. Mike’s stewardship has helped sustain Lucas & Lewellen’s reputation as a respected family winery, one that combines heritage, sustainable farming, and wine excellence appreciated around the world.
Megan C. McGrath: Megan has shaped the wines of Lucas & Lewellen for nearly two decades, bringing together a deep understanding of the vineyard and a winemaking philosophy built around letting each site and variety speak for itself. A Cal Poly San Luis Obispo graduate in Soil Science, she continued her winemaking studies at UC Davis before beginning her career at Flowers Vineyard & Winery on the Sonoma Coast, working with Burgundian-style Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. She later made wine in Sebastopol, working with fruit from Sonoma, Mendocino and Napa before joining Lucas & Lewellen as Winemaker in 2007. Today, Megan oversees winemaking across our three estate vineyards, working with an unusually broad range of varieties and more than 400 acres of Santa Barbara County fruit. Nearly 20 harvests at Lucas & Lewellen have given her an intimate understanding of these vineyards, knowledge that shows in wines made to express where they were grown rather than simply a house style.
