Presqu’ile Vineyard and Winery
A Gulf Coast family, a two hundred acre hilltop in the Santa Maria Valley, and cool climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah made with Southern hospitality attached.
Visitors short on time often start at the Funk Zone, the walkable warehouse district near the Santa Barbara waterfront where a large share of the county’s producers keep a tasting room.
Named for a place that no longer exists
Presqu’ile is French and Creole for peninsula, or more literally, almost an island. It was the name of a family gathering place on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the sort of spot that produced long tables and longer afternoons among family and friends. Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August of 2005 and ended it. The Murphy family named this winery in its honor.
Four generations of the family had farmed land in Arkansas and Louisiana for close to a century before any of this. In 2007 they went looking for ground suited to Pinot Noir, searching from Oregon down through the Russian River, and ended up buying two hundred unplanted acres in the hills of the Santa Maria Valley. Matt Murphy runs the winery as president. Dieter Cronje, a cool climate Pinot specialist who learned the grape in two hemispheres, makes the wine, with Anna Murphy as enologist and Isaias Flores as cellar master.
One estate, and five vineyards worth knowing
Presqu’ile Vineyard was designed and planted from scratch rather than inherited, which let the family build in a deliberate spread of clones, exposures and elevations instead of working around someone else’s decisions. That variety is the point. It gives the blending table more to work with in a marginal climate where vintages differ sharply.
The wines also draw on fruit from some of the best sites on the Central Coast. Bien Nacido sits close enough to the estate to be a neighbor and still produces something completely different. Sanford and Benedict in the Sta. Rita Hills is one of the historic vineyards of California and much of the reason that appellation is taken seriously for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir at all. Rancho Ontiveros and Steiner Creek, the latter three miles north of Cambria in San Luis Obispo County, round it out.
The tasting room on the hill
The tasting room sits high on the property with views across the Santa Maria Valley to the ocean, and it is less than two miles off Highway 101, which is a rare combination. It has picked up national attention for the experience rather than just the wine.
The family frames the hospitality as a Southern tradition, and in practice that means the wines are presented seriously but without ceremony. Leashed pets are welcome. For more on the appellation, see our guide to Santa Maria Valley.
The wines
Every bottle below links straight to Presqu’ile’s own store. Prices and vintages come from the winery and change as releases sell through.
2025 SANTA MARIA VALLEY SAUVIGNON BLANCSanta Maria Valley$30.00
2025 SANTA MARIA VALLEY ROSÉ OF PINOT NOIRSanta Maria Valley$32.00
2022 SANTA MARIA VALLEY CHARDONNAYSanta Maria Valley$40.00
2023 SANTA MARIA VALLEY PINOT NOIRSanta Maria Valley$48.00
2023 PRESQU’ILE VINEYARD ESTATE PINOT NOIRSanta Maria Valley$65.00
2023 BIEN NACIDO VINEYARD PINOT NOIRSanta Maria Valley$65.00
2024 ALIGOTÉSanta Maria Valley$36.00
2024 SANTA MARIA VALLEY CHARDONNAYSanta Maria Valley$42.00
2025 SANTA MARIA VALLEY GAMAYSanta Maria Valley$38.00
NON VINTAGE BRUT CUVÉE SPARKLING WINESanta Maria Valley$45.00
2021 BRUT CUVÉE SPARKLING WINESanta Maria Valley$65.00
2023 PRESQU’ILE VINEYARD ESTATE CHARDONNAYSanta Maria Valley$51.00
2016 PRESQU’ILE VINEYARD ESTATE CHARDONNAYSanta Maria Valley$58.00Looking for more producers nearby? Start with our Santa Maria Valley guide or the Sta. Rita Hills, and use the wine pairing tool to match a bottle to dinner.
Visiting Presqu’ile
Reservations are recommended, and there are several tiers depending on how deep you want to go.
Common questions about Presqu’ile
Where is Presqu’ile Winery?
The estate is at 5391 Presqu’ile Drive, Santa Maria, California 93455, in the Santa Maria Valley appellation of Santa Barbara County. It sits less than two miles from Highway 101.
How do you pronounce Presqu’ile, and what does it mean?
Presqu’ile is French and Creole for peninsula, literally almost an island. It was the name of the Murphy family’s gathering place on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, which was destroyed when Hurricane Katrina made landfall in August 2005.
When was Presqu’ile founded?
The Murphy family acquired the unplanted two hundred acre property in the Santa Maria Valley hills in 2007 after searching the West Coast from Oregon through the Russian River for ground suited to Pinot Noir.
What are Presqu’ile’s tasting room hours?
Weekdays are noon to 5:00 pm and the winery is closed on Tuesdays. Weekends run 11:30 am to 5:00 pm. Reservations are recommended.
How much is a tasting at Presqu’ile?
The Estate Tasting Flight is $50 per guest for five wines on the terrace. The Wine and Food Experience is $75 per guest and pairs five wines with a mezze style lunch. The Cellar Unlocked, a semi private flight of five library wines, is $125 per guest. Club members have a dedicated reservation option with a complimentary glass.
What wines does Presqu’ile make?
Cool climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah, along with Sauvignon Blanc and a rose of Pinot Noir. The wines come from the estate vineyard plus selected sites across the Santa Maria Valley and Sta. Rita Hills.
Who makes the wine at Presqu’ile?
Dieter Cronje is the winemaker, a cool climate Pinot Noir specialist with experience in two hemispheres. Anna Murphy is the enologist and Isaias Flores is cellar master. Matt Murphy is president of the winery.
Is Presqu’ile dog friendly?
Yes. Leashed pets are allowed on the property.
Explore more Santa Barbara County wine
- Santa Maria Valley wineries and AVA guide
- Sta. Rita Hills AVA guide
- Santa Barbara County wine guide
- California Pinot Noir explained
Wine listings, images and pricing are pulled from the winery and link to its own store. Details change with each release. Confirm hours, tasting fees and reservations with the winery before visiting.