08/14/2026
Twelve years ago, a dream was planted.
Looking back, we realize it was never just about growing grapes or making w**e.
It was about building something together.
What began as an idea in 2014 led us down a path we never could have imagined. Two years later, we planted Rebel Ranch Vineyards, and in 2018 we made our first amateur w**es. What followed was far more than we ever expected.
Along the way, we were humbled beyond words by the recognition our w**es received. What began as a simple dream and a willingness to learn grew into w**es that earned some of the highest honors in competition, including Best in Show, Best Estate W**e, Double Gold, Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals at local competitions, national competitions, and even competitions that included international w**es.
Those awards were never the reason we started, but they became a meaningful reminder that hard work, perseverance, excellent mentors, and God’s blessings can produce something truly special.
We were blessed beyond measure with the very best mentors, Micole and Teri of Ramona Ranch W**ery. Their generosity, encouragement, wisdom, and friendship mean more to us than they probably know.
Our heartfelt thanks also go to the local vineyard and w**ery owners throughout the Ramona Valley AVA and beyond, our fellow w**emakers, our family, our friends, including those who traveled from out of state to help during harvest and bottling, our wonderful neighbors, and so many others who generously shared their time, knowledge, encouragement, and friendship along the way. You helped shape this journey in ways we will never forget.
For us, growing things has always been more than a hobby. Long before Rebel Ranch Vineyards, we spent years commercially growing flowers together for our own flower shops, in our 8 acres of fields in Carlsbad, where LEGOLAND now stands, and row upon row of greenhouses in Leucadia. Through the years, we also cultivated gardens, a citrus grove, and orchards at home, always finding joy in planting, nurturing, watching something flourish, and enjoying the fruits of our labors.
A vineyard was a natural next chapter for us. It was a new challenge, a peaceful place to work, and another opportunity to create something with our own hands.
Some of our greatest rewards, however, were never found in a barrel, a ribbon, a medal, or a social media post.
They were the harvest days and bottling days spent together as a family. We had the privilege of teaching our children, and especially our grandchildren, that good things rarely happen overnight. They learned what it takes to grow a crop, from planting and pruning to harvesting, crushing, pressing, bottling, and waiting. They learned that many hands truly do make light work, and that even their little hands could make a meaningful contribution.
We shared long, hot days under the sun, sweat on our brows, battled wasps and bees, snacked on grapes straight from the vines, laughed together, raised our glasses together, and made memories that will last far longer than any bottle of w**e ever could.
Those vines produced so much more than grapes. They gave us lifelong friendships, unforgettable experiences, opportunities to learn, countless family memories, and w**es that were shared around our table and at gatherings with the people we love most.
Looking back, we realize the vineyard was never only about the destination. It was about the journey.
As the years passed, regulations, permitting requirements, and the costs of opening even a boutique w**ery changed dramatically. At the same time, we entered a new season of life. Our priorities shifted. Our lifestyle changed. Through much prayer and reflection, we realized that while this dream had fulfilled its purpose, it was not meant to continue in the way we had originally imagined.
So today, with grateful hearts and a touch of bittersweet emotion, we are sharing that Rebel Ranch Vineyards will remain our own private family estate for a little while longer. We will not be pursuing licensing, permitting, or opening a tasting room.
For quite some time, we found ourselves standing at the door of the future we had imagined, wondering why it never opened. Wondering why we kept dragging our feet.
Over time, we came to realize something important. Sometimes God does not close a door because something went wrong. Sometimes He closes it because its purpose has already been fulfilled.
The dream was never denied.
God simply fulfilled it differently than we first imagined.
And when we look back, we would not change the journey for anything.
Soon the vines themselves will be gone. But the friendships, the lessons, the laughter, the hard work, the memories, and the love we cultivated together will remain. Those are the harvests that matter most, and they will stay with us long after the last vine is gone.
Some dreams are meant to last a lifetime. Others are meant to shape a lifetime.
We believe this dream did exactly that.
As one chapter comes to a close, we look forward with grateful hearts to whatever chapter God has waiting for us next. We do not know exactly what lies ahead, but we know the One who does. Our hearts are filled with gratitude for every lesson, every blessing, every challenge, every friendship, and every person God placed in our path through Rebel Ranch Vineyards.
And after all these years, all these memories, and all the blessings this journey has given us, we can truly say:
Our cup runneth over.
A Harvest of Blessings
“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want… Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”
Psalm 23:1, 5–6 (KJV)
With grateful hearts,
Michael & Marla Fryman
Rebel Ranch Vineyards
