Did you know that our estate Margarita Vineyard enjoys the rare distinction of being the only Paso Robles vineyard located within its own namesake AVA?

It’s true! When the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA was officially recognized in 2014, it was declared as
“distinctive from that of other areas of Paso Robles in terms of topography, geology, geological history, soils, and climate.”

Below is a deep dive into this one-of-a-kind AVA that makes our wines so unique:

TL;DR

The Santa Margarita Ranch AVA is the southernmost appellation in Paso Robles. The ranch boasts a rare array of five distinct soil types, and it is also one of the coolest and wettest areas of the region. This creates a special mix of conditions that profoundly shapes our wines.

This is what we mean when we say that Ancient Peaks wines deliver a singular sense of place!

Ready to geek out more? Then read on…

AVA Location

The Santa Margarita Ranch AVA is situated along the foot of the coastal Santa Lucia Mountain Range, roughly 25 miles southeast of the city of Paso Robles and just 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean to the west.

AVA Attributes

  • Santa Margarita Ranch is one of the coolest sub-appellations within the Paso Robles AVA. The maritime influence increases to the west towards the Pacific Ocean and below specific topographic gaps in the range, making it “very much a true, cool Region II climate.
  • Santa Margarita Ranch is also marked by an unusual diversity of soils, due largely to an array of active fault lines along the coastal ridge. The churning of the faults has resulted in five distinct soil types that ebb and flow across Margarita Vineyard. These soils are: ancient sea bed, Monterey shale, volcanic, granitic and rocky alluvium.
  • Of the 11 sub-appellations within the Paso Robles AVA, Santa Margarita Ranch receives among the highest amount of rainfall—29 inches per year on average “as Pacific storms dump their water across the steep, high mountain ridge.”

Wine Attributes

  • The Santa Margarita Ranch AVA’s pronounced soil diversity allows for a range of expressions from a single varietal. The varietal wines of Ancient Peaks are typically blends of multiple estate blocks planted to different soil types, resulting in wines of natural fullness and complexity.
  • Santa Margarita Ranch’s persistent marine influence, combined with unusually cold spring temperatures, creates a late and long growing season—enabling the fruit to develop a signature combination of fully developed flavors with fine natural structure.

There you have it, everything you need to know why Ancient Peaks wines are so singular and special!