
Discover the Magic of the Santa Cruz Mountains
Behind Inversion Wines
- Inversion Wines started as a passion project of its parent company Coastal Range Vineyards. Owners Cody & Taylor Muhly have been developing vineyards and working with amazing local winemakers for decades. After years of perfecting wines for clients, family & friends, they launched their label “Inversion” in 2019. Inversion Wines are sourced from vineyards throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains and surrounding foothills. This distinctive Central California wine growing region is defined by steep terrain and a dense coastal fog that blankets the region at night. This unique “inversion” layer leads to warm days and cool evenings, allowing for grapes to develop both complex and elegant flavors. Cody and Taylor subscribe to the firm belief that extraordinary wines are born from exceptional fruit. All of their wines are produced from vineyards that their management teams personally hand farm to ensure the highest possible quality. This has always been their drive; quality over quantity. It’s a drive that Inversion winemaker, Peter Kirchner, shares. Over the years, Peter has made a name for himself crafting ultra-premium small lot wines from estate vineyards throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains. The Inversion team is excited to share its wines with you!
Meet the team

Cody received his first lessons in vineyard management and wine making as a toddler harvesting and stomping grapes from his grandfather’s vineyard in Sonoma. The harvest parties left a lasting impression on Cody as his educational endeavors took him to Stanford, but his heart remained in the wine and vineyard industries. At Stanford, Cody studied Public Policy and International Relations with a focus in international agricultural trade. In 2005, Cody began to work with his brother, Taylor, on managing small vineyards throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains. Over the past 17 years, Cody has been involved with installing and/or managing over 100 different private and commercial vineyards throughout the area. He specializes in vineyard design, installations, soils and hydraulics. Cody also works as a Fire Captain with Santa Cruz City Fire Department. When he isn’t in the vineyards or on the fire ground, he’s at home trying to keep up with his kids and spending time with his wife.

Taylor is a third generation California wine grower and wine maker. Taylor grew up in the Santa Cruz Mountains and is a Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo alum. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Wine and Viticulture with a concentration in Viticulture, a Minor in Plant Protection Science and has a Qualified Applicators License from the Department of Pesticide Regulation. During college, Taylor spent his summers as a Grower Relations Manager in the Napa Valley. After graduation Taylor traveled throughout South America, where he studied Spanish in Peru and consulted for Vines of Mendoza (a vineyard design and management firm) in Argentina. As a consultant for Vines of Mendoza, he played a key role in designing the firm’s private vineyard estates to be planted at the foot of the Andes. Upon his return to California, Taylor took a job as a vineyard manager in Paso Robles where he oversaw more than one thousand acres of vineyards. Taylor has worked as a consultant and manager for a number of small private and commercial vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains over the past 17 years and has helped grow Coastal Range Vineyards into one of the premier vineyard management companies in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Taylor now balances his time between vineyards, Inversion Wines, and his wife and two young daughters.

While attending UC Santa Cruz and earning a degree in Marine Biology, Peter started working for Devine Consultants where he was introduced to wine making and vineyard management. He always had a passion for wine, stemming from growing up in the bay area and making regular trips to the Russian River Valley and Sonoma with his family where he was exposed to premium wines. Coming to a crossroads after graduation, he had a choice to make between pursuing his passion in marine ecology versus continuing his development as a winemaker and grape grower. If you are reading this, it is clear what his choice was. He has now been making wine and managing vineyards for almost 15 years and knows he made the right decision. He later entered the UC Davis Extension program and completed the Winemaking Certificate program. Combining his scientific mindset and his knowledge of vineyards, Peter takes great pride in ensuring the wines he makes and vineyards he manages reach their utmost potential. Although he spends much of his time out in the vineyards, he feels he is winemaking at all times, with the belief that the most important component to a high quality wine is the premium fruit that goes into it. When Peter is not crafting wine in the cellar or working in the vineyards, he likes to spend time with his wife, Betsy, enjoying the outdoors, attending Giants games, and enjoying hoppy beers.

Christina is the oldest grandchild of the historic Bargetto winemaking family of Soquel. From a young age she learned about the importance of family, food and great wine; a value system that has played a formative role in her adult life. She earned a Communications degree from Loyola Marymount University, and then returned to Santa Cruz with her husband and young daughter to begin a career as an elementary school teacher. While teaching, Christina also spent time working in the Soquel Vineyards tasting room for her uncles Peter and Paul Bargetto. She plays an active role in the Santa Cruz community hosting fundraisers, working for local non-profits, and sitting on the Board of the Guild of Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre. Christina’s extensive teaching and event planning experience, coupled with her commitment to family, community, and wine, make her the perfect Tasting Room Manager. In her free time, Christina and her family love to frequent local Santa Cruz beaches and visit other tasting rooms in the area.
Here are a few of our favorite vineyards

Pappy’s Vineyard
Located in the heart of the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA, Pappy’s is named for “Grandpa Pappy” – Cody and Taylor’s father, Bill. The vineyard was planted in 2013 on the same property on which Cody and Taylor were born (literally!!). The site boasts a sloped hillside at 600 feet elevation, 15 minutes from the Pacific Ocean. The vineyard is situated right at the fog line, which promotes cool nights and warm days. The vineyard is farmed organically and dry farmed.

Graham Estate Vineyard
Just down the street from Pappy’s lies Graham estate vineyard. These Pinot Noir vines sit on a beautiful south facing slope that gets kissed by the fog at night and warmed by the sun during the day. The three clones (667, 777 and swan) were planted in 2015 and are farmed organically, with minimal watering, at 600 feet elevation.
Just down the street from Pappy’s lies Graham estate vineyard. These Pinot Noir vines sit on a beautiful south facing slope that gets kissed by the fog at night and warmed by the sun during the day. The three clones (667, 777 and swan) were planted in 2015 and are farmed organically, with minimal watering, at 600 feet elevation.

The vineyard crew series honors the hard work and passion of our vineyard workers who play an integral role in crafting these premium wines. Each wine is named after one of our valued employees.
Check out more of our named series wines in all the collections

“Fernando” Chardonnay
This is one of the few vineyards that is located outside of Santa Cruz Mountain AVA. Santa Clara AVA is an integral part of California wine history and claims about 1500 acres of vineyards. This Chardonnay is located near the border of the Santa Clara Valley AVA and the Santa Cruz Mountain AVA, and sits on a sloping hillside overlooking Stanford University. Planted in the early 90’s, this vineyard consists of rocky soil, and is farmed sustainably with minimal watering.

Join Us!
The best way to experience the vineyard is in the glass. We look forward to seeing you in our new tasting room in Scotts Valley to tell you more!