C. Frederic "Fred" Brander, owner and winemaker, and his family established The Brander Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley in 1975. The initial planting was mainly Bordeaux grape varietals and in 1977.

Since its inception, the Brander Vineyard has been highly acclaimed as a top Sauvignon Blanc producer, and for many years the only Brander Vineyard wine was an estate-bottled Sauvignon Blanc. Today, the focus is still Sauvignon Blanc, with one main bottling and three distinctively different reserve wines.

A small quantity of red wine is also produced from estate grapes, featuring the classic Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc). As well as single varietal bottlings, extremely small amounts of Bouchet (a Bordeaux blend) and Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon are offered.