Jim Clendenen

James Alexander Clendenen (January 11, 1953 – May 15, 2021) was an American winemaker and the owner of Au Bon Climat, a winery in Santa Maria, California. Jim Clendenen was deemed "The Godfather" of Santa Barbara County wine. He was key in raising international recognition of Santa Barbara County as a world class wine region, as well as being instrumental in raising the quality of Burgundian varietals on California's Central Coast.

Early life Clendenen was born in Akron, Ohio, on January 11, 1953. His father, Donald, worked as a chemical engineer with Firestone Tire and Rubber Company; his mother, Alice, was a housewife. It was based in a former dairy barn outside of Los Alamos, California. At first, he and Tolmach handled all aspects of the business – including the picking of grapes, sales, and delivery – because they "had no money to hire any labor". including the 2001 winemaker of the year by Food & Wine, Winemaker of the World by Wein Gourmet three years later, and Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America by the James Beard Foundation in 2007. He headlined his hometown's wine auction in 2005 and 2017, which was the largest fundraiser for the Akron Art Museum.

Personal life Clendenen was married twice, with both marriages ending in divorce. His first marriage was to Sarah Chamberlin. His second was to Morgan Clendenen, and they had two children: Isabelle and Knox. His daughter, Isabelle, works in sales and marketing for Au Bon Climat and son Knox currently is working in the cellar at the winery. Clendenen split his time between his home in Buellton and at his ranch in Los Alamos during his later years.

Clendenen died in his sleep on May 15, 2021, at his home in Buellton, California at the age of 68. He is also survived by his older sister, Marsha, and younger sister, Patricia, as well as his nephew Patrick, niece Marisa, and great nephew.