Blog
Do the Work: Lessons from My Grandfather and the Farmers Who Feed Us
My grandfather taught me not to leave my dirty laundry on the bathroom floor. He taught me countless lessons, usually delivered with humor—but his message was not one to be taken lightly. One piece of wisdom he gave me as a teenager has become ever more relevant as time passes:
“Be the person who does the work, not the person who talks about it.”
When Will and I decided to open Pico, I was pregnant with our daughter Winslow, running wine bars and restaurants in North Lake Tahoe. I was doing the work! I love projects, and a farm-driven restaurant with a focus on Lumen wines didn’t sound like a whole lot of work. It sounded like a fun opportunity to work with my husband. But projects (and restaurants) are like kittens—they grow into cats. You have to be prepared to take care of a cat for years.
Recently, I found myself in the kitchen again, dreaming up dishes for the Pico menu. It has been over ten years since I have been an executive chef in a kitchen but it feels like a natural fit. These days, I focus on ensuring every single item on Pico’s menu is inspired by what is thriving locally or growing on our property. Will and I grow what we can ourselves (insert a new project every day), and we source the rest from our neighbors and farms nearby.
At home, on the Lumen estate, we grow everything from grapes for Lumen’s wines to avocados, persimmons, eggs, apples, citrus, and more. Pico’s backyard is an edible garden you can dine in, supplying mostly herbs and fruits. Aside from a few staples—like the Pico burger, now made with 100% local beef from Kiani Preserve—everything shifts with the seasons.
We invite you to join us in celebrating the farmers and producers who make our dishes possible. On Mother’s Day, I’ll be cooking up a menu filled with some of my mother-in-law’s favorite dishes! A locally inspired version of BLT, a tuna melt, and French toast. Check out our Mother’s Day menu and make a reservation in the garden.
Then, on May 17, we’re hosting a Know Thy Farmer lunch to spotlight two of our favorite hard workers: Cassidy and Markos Alexandrou of Motley Crew Ranch. One of my favorite dishes on the Pico menu features Motley Crew quail alongside Finley Farm arugula and juicy tangerines from Brit and Ryan Zotovich. This lunch is a chance to meet the people behind ingredients like these—and to thank them for the work they do.
Both Mother’s Day and our Know Thy Farmer lunch will be paired with Lumen Wines. Until then, treat someone special in your life to a bottle of natural bubbles—we’re offering 50% off Hey Ginger Pét-Nat through Mother’s Day.
-Kali
Low-Pick Lane and the Women Who Lead Anyway
Women owning businesses isn’t new. We’ve been doing it forever—running farms, restaurants, and entire industries—often without much recognition. March is Women’s History Month, and while it’s nice to have a dedicated month of appreciation, let’s be honest—shouldn’t we be celebrating women and their contributions every month?
From winemakers to CEOs to entrepreneurs, women continue to shape their fields, proving that leadership is about skill, vision, and persistence—not gender. On the Central Coast, we dedicate an entire weekend to celebrating female winemakers and culinarians, recognizing the industry they have helped shape.
One of the women we celebrated last weekend is Lane Tanner, whom I’ve been lucky enough to work with for the last ten years. She was put on this earth to make Pinot Noir. Early in her career, she was given the less-than-flattering nickname "Low-Pick Lane"—a dig at her insistence on picking grapes earlier than was common at the time. But she trusted her instincts, staying true to a balanced, old-world approach while carving her own path in a male-dominated industry. That same determination and quiet confidence define so many of the women leading the next generation.
Our community is full of women who don’t wait for a spotlight—they just do the work. At Fool’s Gold, nearly half of the participating wineries are female-owned, a reflection of just how much women are shaping the wine world. Our Know Thy Farmer lunch will feature Cassidy of Motley Crew, who prioritizes ethical, humane practices and respect for the land and animals she cares for. And with Mother’s Day Lunch around the corner, we’ll take a moment to celebrate the women who keep everything running, often without recognition.
This month, and every other, thank your mom, your mother-in-law, your sister, and every hardworking woman you know who takes a stand for what she believes in. Because real change doesn’t come from demanding attention—it comes from showing up, putting in the work, and moving things forward, whether or not anyone is keeping track.
- Kali
OUR SHORT LIST
If there’s one thing that unites us on the Central Coast, it’s a love for what we eat and drink—not just the flavors, but where they come from, how they are grown, and the people behind them. That’s why we're refining our short list—the wines on our menu, our farm partnerships, and the ways we support our growing community.
Just as knowing what is on our plate matters, so does knowing what is in the glass. For years, Will and I have been committed to traditional winemaking, both in practice and philosophy—allowing the fruit and terroir to shine with minimal intervention. Our approach is rooted in the belief that great wine starts in the vineyard and should reflect the place it comes from. Starting this year, every bottle of Lumen will include an ingredient list—because wine should be as honest as the food we serve. Will recently wrote about this philosophy and the role of wine in a healthy lifestyle—read his article here.
This April, some of our favorite like-minded wineries are coming together in the garden for a festival celebrating wine made with intention—bottles that tell a story, not just fill a glass. Until then, we hope you’ll stop by, explore the new wine list, and maybe fall in love with our most popular dish: a warm broccolini and kale salad, made with greens from Finley Farms, our favorite local organic produce farmers in Los Olivos.
- Kali
FARM LIKE THE WORLD DEPENDS ON IT
If you’ve seen Will in the vineyard or around town lately, he was probably wearing his favorite shirt from Tablas Creek, emblazoned with the Regenerative-Organic Certification motto: “Farm like the world depends on it.” It’s more than just a t-shirt—it’s a philosophy that shapes everything we do, from how we farm to how we live.
When we bought our home in the Santa Maria Valley, the land was untouched—a blank slate. Will and I envisioned a vineyard that would grow Pinot Noir in a way that not only celebrated the terroir but also respected and nurtured the land itself.
With no formal background in regenerative farming (or farming of any kind), we jumped in headfirst, learning as we went. Friends shared their wisdom, books on regenerative practices piled up on our nightstands, and workshops at UC Davis helped guide our decisions. Even long road trips (which you know we love) became farming classrooms, filled with podcasts like John Kempf’s Regenerative Agriculture Podcast, teaching us about soil health and grazing.
Of course, there is an ongoing debate in our household: pigs. Will and Winslow are all-in, envisioning a drove grazing on the weeds, aerating the soil, and exploring the property as part of Winslow's pack. I’m mostly against it. I enjoy bacon way too much to befriend and work side-by-side with my breakfast.
Even from a young age, knowing where my food and wine come from has always been a driving force for me. With Will by my side, we’ve embraced “farm like the world depends on it” as both a life philosophy and a business principle. At Pico, we take pride in sourcing from the best small farmers and ranchers in the area. In our vineyard, you’ll see regenerative farming in action—cover crops, livestock, and experiments like attempting to dry farm certain blocks. Every day brings new lessons, and only the best of what we learn makes it into the glass.
Come visit to see regenerative farming in action, taste the wines with Will, and meet Winslow’s furry and feathered farm family. Who knows, there might be kunekune pigs foraging on your next visit.
- Kali
TRADING COVERS FOR CLAMS
Will and I traded the comforts of our home kitchen for a fire on a cliff overlooking the Pacific this Thanksgiving. Our bird, brined overnight in ocean water and cooked over open flames beneath a cloudy sky, was perfectly complemented by the sound of waves crashing below. (Disclaimer: Actually it was a chicken, but our taste buds could hardly tell the difference.)
It wasn’t perfect, but it was magic—a beach towel as a table cloth, the ocean breeze, and the rhythm of the waves coming together in a way that reminded me of what really matters: family, connection, and the simple joy of sharing a meal. This holiday season, Will, Winslow, and I are in Mexico, letting the ocean teach us to slow down and embrace life’s little moments together. Here, our success is measured by waves caught, or how many clams we received in trade for a bottle of Coca-Cola, not by restaurant covers or Lumen placements.
As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited to share experiences like these with you. We are starting the year with a New Year’s Wine Tasting, where Will and I will pull corks on our favorite Lumen bottles and tell the stories behind them. For Valentine’s Day, we are planning a prix fixe dinner to celebrate love—whether it’s with your partner, your friends, or simply a love of good food and wine.
Food has a way of bringing us together - whether over an open flame on a rocky cliff, or at a table in the garden at Pico. We hope to share those moments with you in the year ahead.
-Kali
THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION
Lane asked the question, with that knowing half-smile and a twinkle in her eye. After forty years in winemaking, she’s been teaching me everything she knows over twelve harvests, including the occasional pop quiz (which I often flunk). I thought for a moment and said, “Making sure we have enough tank and barrel space for harvest?”
Lane kindly shook her head. “Not quite, but here’s a hint: it’s a decision made in the vineyard that shapes everything that follows.”
I was sweating. Finally, it clicked. “Choosing the right day to pick,” I said, feeling a rare sense of victory.
Lane has taught this since day one: the most critical decision in winemaking doesn't happen in the winery. Picking day is critical at Lumen, especially with our natural, old-school methods. Some winemakers prefer to harvest later for riper flavors, but this often requires extra balancing tricks. We prefer to pick at the exact moment when sweetness and acidity are perfectly in harmony. From there, our work is simple: ferment, barrel, and bottle—no extras needed.
This commitment to balance shines in our wines, like our 2021 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir, which features fruit from my very first pick at the Wild King Vineyard. To celebrate, we’re offering a BOGO sale on this Pinot—crafted to age beautifully or be enjoyed now with friends.
- Will