Before turning to winemaking, Amy Christine built her career on the trade side of wine, working as a wine importer, educator, and writer. Her natural curiosity, her smarts, and the inherent geek factor inspired her to pursue (and pass) the demanding Master of Wine certificate. This is a BFD. Like a “400 people in the world” big deal. The MW training places heavy emphasis on not just knowing all about viticulture, sensory analysis, and global wine styles, but how it all comes together in the glass.

Amy works alongside her husband Peter Hunken in Los Olivos, where they produce wines under labels such as Holus Bolus, The Joy Fantastic, and the more playful Hocus Pocus (we’ll leave you to research their Wine Slut label elsewhere). Hunken focuses on vineyards and farming relationships, while Amy’s role often includes blending decisions, stylistic direction, and the intellectual framework behind the wines, along with social media. Together they work with cool-climate Santa Barbara County sites, particularly vineyards well suited to Syrah, Grenache, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.

Her winemaking style tends toward clarity, restraint, and balance rather than ponderous flashiness. Native yeast fermentations, oak is used sparingly, and extraction is controlled so that aromatics and texture stay lifted and precise. The wines show fresh acidity, moderate alcohol, and transparent vineyard character, reflecting the cool coastal influence of Santa Barbara County. In many ways the approach mirrors the ethos she absorbed through the MW program.

And as a public service, we’d recommend you check out Amy & Peter’s Instagram accounts: https://www.instagram.com/acloveswine/ , https://www.instagram.com/heywineslut/,

https://www.instagram.com/amys_tasting_room_diaries/    You’ll thank us for this later.