At our estate Margarita Vineyard, we are always among the last to harvest our fruit here in the Paso Robles wine country. In fact, with later-ripening varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, we sometimes find ourselves on what we call “the edge of ripeness”—having just enough time at the end of the season to ripen our fruit.
It can be nerve-wracking, but the truth is there’s no other place we’d like to be! Indeed, our Founding Winemaker Mike Sinor has a saying: “Greatness is found at the edge of ripeness.”
Why is that? Because fruit that ripens slowly over a long period not only develops full, rich flavors, but also maintains the structure and acidity found in the greatest wines. In contrast, fruit that rushes to ripeness can be softer and more pedestrian, with less acidity and structure.
“If you’re serious about wine, you have to study France, and their wines are a perfect example of this phenomenon,” Mike says. “With the Chardonnays, as you travel into the cooler areas, you get the great Chablis wines. In the Rhône Valley, Syrah becomes something truly special as you head north into the cooler reaches of the valley where it’s harder to ripen.”
He adds, “In a metaphysical way, it’s like life. If things are easy and given to you, it’s not that interesting. But if you struggle, and you go beyond the norm, you can achieve greatness through effort.”
Keeping It Cool
It all starts with the fact that Margarita Vineyard resides in the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA, the southernmost and the coolest district in the Paso Robles region, located just 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The maritime influence here is consistent and pronounced, making it a cool Region II climate.
The result is a long, extended growing season, during which it takes our Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and other later-ripening grapes a long time to reach full ripeness. On any given summer day, we might be 10 degrees cooler than the heart of Paso Robles, and on average our harvest dates are a few weeks behind the bulk of the region.
In fact, we’ve had Petit Verdot picks as late as Thanksgiving in the coldest years. As of mid-October this year, we’re only 60 percent through our Cabernet Sauvignon picks despite an unusually warm fall.
Not for the Faint of Heart
Such a terroir is not for the faint of heart, however. During cooler harvest seasons in Paso Robles, it can be a bit stressful, especially if bad weather is looming. For this reason, in cooler years, we often take proactive measures, such as reducing crop loads and manipulating the vine canopies, all in an effort to make sure that the fruit has the best chance to get sufficiently ripe.
“Sometimes you have to stare down frost and rain later in the harvest season,” Mike says. “You have to have the fortitude to make hard decisions on picking. We’re all good at what we do here, and we know how to adapt and keep quality high to the end.”
We invite you to discover this distinct sense of place in your next glass of Ancient Peaks wine: full flavors, true varietal character, fine acidity and ample structure.