Our Land

Ancient Peaks wines exhibit a natural complexity that is a direct reflection of Margarita Vineyard’s rare array of soils. Margarita Vineyard spans five separate soil types that ebb, flow and intermingle throughout the vineyard. Few vineyards boast such a spectrum of geological diversity. This diversity enables us to grow the same grape varieties in a range of soils, ultimately enhancing the texture and dimension of the resulting wines.

Margarita Vineyard lies just 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean and occupies one of the Paso Robles region’s coolest growing environments, providing our wines with native structure and intensity. When the days heat up, the air rises to create a vacuum that pulls marine breezes inland and over the surrounding peaks—and right through the vineyard. The peaks are frequently enshrouded in coastal fog during the growing season, a vivid testament to the vineyard’s unique microclimate.

The pronounced marine influence, combined with unusually cold spring temperatures, creates a late, long growing season that allows the fruit to develop a signature combination of fully developed flavors and fine structure. As the only vineyard in its vicinity, Margarita Vineyard is alone in benefitting from the climatic conditions of this particular location. Here, the ripening process is slow and sometimes challenging, an attribute that is shared by many of the world’s finest vineyards.

Margarita Vineyard is the only vineyard located within its own namesake AVA—a testament to the vineyard’s unique growing conditions. The Santa Margarita Ranch AVA is situated along the foot of the coastal Santa Lucia Mountain Range. Attributes of the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA include one of the coolest, longest growing seasons in the Paso Robles region; a rare diversity of soil types originating from the tectonic uplift that created the surrounding Santa Lucia mountain peaks; and an abundance of rainfall, totaling 29 inches per year on average.

Margarita Vineyard was planted in 1999 as a model of sustainability. Today, we continue to implement numerous sustainable viticultural practices to ensure natural quality in our wines while protecting the rich native environment surrounding Margarita Vineyard. Our practices have earned SIP (Sustainability in Practice) Certification for Margarita Vineyard, the leading standard for viticultural sustainability.