Emily DaFoe

Emily DaFoe is a writer, creative entrepreneur, and co-founder of DaFoe Wines, based in California’s Santa Ynez Valley.

She grew up between Portland, Oregon, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with both places shaping her love of creativity, nature, and a strong sense of place. At the end of 1999, she moved to Santa Barbara, where she studied communications and creative writing and began building a career in retail, design, marketing, and apparel.

That early creative path eventually led her to found E.R. Leather Goods, a collection of handmade leather bags and accessories that grew from a small creative project into a business she built and ran for many years. Making things by hand has always been central to Emily’s work and continues to influence the way she approaches design, business, and everyday life.

In 2016, after getting married and welcoming her son, Emily moved with her family to the Santa Ynez Valley. Today, she works alongside her husband, Rob, at DaFoe Wines, their family-owned winery, while continuing to write, create, host gatherings, and develop projects rooted in thoughtful living.

Emily first created The Goods in 2007 as a place to share the things she loved and found worth passing along. It has since evolved into an ongoing journal about the art of living well, with stories and ideas around wellness, food, home, books, creativity, wine country, personal growth, and the everyday experiences that shape a meaningful life.

Her work today brings together the different threads of her creative life: writing, making, hospitality, design, wellness, and a curiosity about how to live with more intention, beauty, and substance.

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Family of three standing on a dirt trail in a dry, grassy field with mountains and trees in the background. The woman is wearing a hat and sweater, the man is in a button-up shirt, and the young child is holding hands with both adults, wearing a swea
A woman carrying a young child walks through a grassy field with a dog nearby. Two trees are visible in the background, and the scene is in black and white.
A woman sitting outdoors on a swing bed with open arms, overlooking a scenic landscape with mountains and sky.
A woman and a young blonde boy are sitting on a blanket on a dry grassy field during sunset, enjoying each other's company.
A woman wearing a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses, smiling and waving, standing in a grassy field.
A woman swimming in the ocean, facing away, with the water reaching her shoulders and a foggy horizon in the background.