Cote of Paint Splashes Bright Colors Across Santa Barbara Wine Country

Would-Be Doctors Kristin and Nick Luis Shifted Gears to Make Wine More Approachable

Kristin Harris Luis and Nick Luis in the vineyard | Photo: MacDuff Everton

A few years ago, when it was abundantly clear that their original medical school plans had derailed due to gleeful entanglement in Santa Barbara’s wine industry, Kristin Harris Luis and Nick Luis started pondering what meaningful role they could play in the business. If they were to take the steps toward creating their own brand — a mission that had begun quietly in the cellar back in 2018, with a barrel of pinot noir they named “Pipsqueak” — what should be their mission?

“We wanted a purpose,” Kristin told me a few months ago, sitting under a large oak tree outside of the small guest house they rent in the middle of the Santa Ynez Valley. Said Nick, “What value can we add to the industry?”

Having worked with the down-to-earth people who run vineyards and wineries, they noticed the discrepancy between wine’s grassroots, on-the-ground realities and the lofty, luxury-aimed image that’s pushed through marketing channels. Could they make wine more approachable, yet adhere to the traditional techniques?

Seeking such balance led to naming their winery Cote of Paint. “We don’t want to change the way wine is made,” said Nick one day aloud. “We just want to put on a new coat of paint.”

Kristin Harris Luis | Photo: MacDuff Everton

When everyone around stopped talking, they knew that they had found a name, especially by swapping in the common wine word côte, which means “slope” in French. There was some concern that people may not take them seriously, but they decided to lean into the message even more strongly. Said Kristin, “It became our goal to make our wine relatable for the consumer.”

Today, Cote of Paint remains a very small producer, crafting about 150 cases annually. That includes, depending on the vintage, pinot noir from Duvarita Vineyard, grenache from Christy & Wise, grüner veltliner and sangiovese from Cocquelicot, sauvignon blanc from Happy Canyon, and a rosé of grenache.

The best way to taste them all is by signing up for the recently launched “Base Cote” wine club, whose members gain access to discounts, exclusive merchandise, and even the option to host private tasting parties by signing up for 12-bottle shipments two times a year. (There’s a six-bottle option as well.)

But Cote of Paint is also splashing a new color on the wine club model. A $25-per-month tier called “Dab of Paint” grants members access to the discounted prices but allows them to delay their shipments until a time when they have a need for the wines. “We wanted something a little different than the traditional wine club,” said Kristin. “It gives versatility for people who don’t have wine storage or can’t commit to six bottles twice a year.” Their website warns that this option “may induce feelings similar to finding money in your couch cushions or jean pocket.”

Perhaps nothing exemplifies Cote of Paint’s creativity more than the release party they had last spring. Called “Pours & Scores” and hosted at the Peasant’s Feast arcade in Solvang, the affair mixed video games with wine pours, and was an instant hit across demographics. For some younger fans, it was their first wine event ever. For others, including people in their seventies, it was just the coolest. “The event almost validated everything,” said Kristin.

Kristin and Nick’s paths to wine started out similarly, both coming from households that didn’t really drink much alcohol. Nick was raised in Santa Maria, where he graduated from St. Joseph’s High School, and Kristin hailed from the San Diego area. They met at San Diego State, where they plotted to become doctors, working in various medical industry jobs during and after college.

Having finished their undergrad degrees and preparing to get serious about being doctors, the couple moved to Orcutt for the summer to relax a bit, having gotten to know wine country during trips to see Nick’s family. “We decided to get fun jobs in wine and just hang out before going to medical school,” said Kristin. They credit Dan O’Neill and Sherrill Duggan O’Neill, who owned Wine Country in Orcutt, with really opening their eyes to the wines of the region.

In June 2015, after braving a “super intimidating” interview with Brandon Sparks-Gillis of Dragonette Cellars, Kristin started working there and quickly loved the hands-on work of production. Then about to become an EMT, Nick took note. “He got super jealous,” said Kristin. Agreed Nick, “How would you not want to do this?”

Their lives would not fully change for a few more months. “Up until the harvest of 2015, we were on the track to be doctors,” she said, and then they walked away. “It was pretty heavy. You work your whole life toward a goal and then do a big 180.”

Thankfully, their parents were okay with it. “They were totally supportive as long as we were happy,” said Kristin.

Kristin Harris Luis and Nick Luis of Cote of Paint wines | Photo: MacDuff Everton

Since then, Kristin has worked primarily in production, with jobs at Jackson Family Wines and Margerum Wine Co. before coming back to Dragonette. “I get my workout in,” she laughed. Nick works on the tasting, sales, and wine club side of the business at the Dragonette tasting room in Los Olivos.

Kristin also serves in various nonprofit capacities, including three years on the board of the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation and recently starting in a role at The Veraison Project. “It’s a nonprofit organization dedicated to diversifying the wine space through initiatives, scholarships, and bridge programs,” said Kristin, who is managing a storytelling project that will launch early in 2025. As one of the few female Black winemakers on the planet, she’s also brought Cote of Paint to numerous diversity-minded wine events around the Bay Area and Los Angeles.

All of that work neatly aligns with their pursuit of making wine for everybody to enjoy. “With Cote of Paint and everything I’m doing, I’m trying to create my own space where not only do I fit in, but other people do as well,” said Kristin. “It’s more of just trying to do different things and represent wine in a different way to attract a bigger audience.”

Cote of Paint is hosting a holiday-themed “Pours & Scores” event at the Peasant’s Feast Arcade on December 14. See coteofpaintwine.com.