Presqu’ile Winery
Named for a gathering place lost to a hurricane, a family carried the name west and built one of California’s most beautiful wineries in the cool Santa Maria Valley.
Presqu’ile, pronounced press-keel, is French for almost an island. For generations it was the name of a place the Murphy family gathered on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, until Hurricane Katrina swept it away. The family kept the name, moved west, and built a new gathering place in the hills above Santa Maria.
A name, carried west
After Katrina destroyed their Gulf Coast retreat in 2005, the Murphy family went looking for a new home for the idea behind it: a place to bring people together over food and wine. They found it on the cool, fog-washed bench of the Santa Maria Valley and founded Presqu’ile as a family-owned estate winery. In 2013 they opened a striking modern winery with caves carved into the hillside and sweeping views, a building so beautiful it is regularly named one of the ten most beautiful wineries in California. The estate vineyard is sustainably farmed, and winemaker Dieter Cronje crafts the cool-climate wines with a clear ethos of freshness and balance.
A hurricane took the place. The family kept the name, and the reason behind it.
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Presqu’ile is a cool-climate house through and through. The estate makes perfumed, savory Pinot Noir and taut, mineral Chardonnay from the cold Santa Maria fruit, along with a peppery Syrah, a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, rose, and sparkling wine. These are wines built, as the winery puts it, not for headlines but for the cellar and the table, with structure and energy rather than weight.
What to drink it with
The Pinot Noir loves grilled salmon, seared duck, or a mushroom dish, meeting the earth of the plate on the same savory note. The Chardonnay, fresh and stony, is a natural with Dungeness crab or a roast chicken, its acidity cutting the richness. The Sauvignon Blanc and a wedge of goat cheese read as a single bright note, and the Syrah is made for the valley’s own Santa Maria barbecue. The estate’s Chef’s Mezze lunch is built to pair with the whole flight.
Plan your visit
Presqu’ile is one of the great tasting experiences in Santa Barbara County: a modern winery with hillside caves, long views over the vineyard, and a serious estate culinary program. Reservations are recommended, especially for the Chef’s Mezze.
Taste a family’s gathering place
Book a tasting at Presqu’ile and drink cool-climate Santa Maria wine with a view worth the drive.
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