Franciscan missionaries planted the first grapes at Santa Margarita Ranch in 1780, and California’s original El Camino Real, the trail that linked the state’s twenty-one missions, ran straight through this land. More than two centuries later, that same ground is home to Ancient Peaks, the only winery in the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA. Its Margarita Vineyard stands alone at the cool southern edge of Paso Robles, and the wines carry all the history and all the freshness of one of California’s most remarkable estates.

Two and a half centuries of vines

Few vineyards in California can claim history like this. Grapes were first grown at Santa Margarita Ranch by Franciscan missionaries in 1780, and the 600-mile Mission Trail, El Camino Real, ran right through the property. In the 1800s the ranch served as a stagecoach stop for Wells Fargo and other stage lines, a crossroads of early California.

The modern chapter began in 1999, when the Margarita Vineyard was planted as a model of sustainability. In 2005 three longtime Paso Robles winegrowing and ranching families, the Filipponis, Rossis, and Wittstroms, took full ownership of the vineyard and established Ancient Peaks Winery. Two generations of those families are still actively involved today, and the wines are crafted under the guidance of Mike Sinor, a local veteran and one of the highest-rated winemakers on the Central Coast. It is a winery built on deep roots and serious talent.

Margarita Vineyard is the only vineyard in the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA, where grapes have grown since Franciscan missionaries planted the first vines in 1780.

The coolest corner of Paso Robles

Ancient Peaks farms the Margarita Vineyard, which stands alone and apart as the only vineyard in the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA, the southernmost and one of the coolest appellations in all of Paso Robles. The estate is vast, some 14,000 acres with more than 1,000 under vine, set on steep Salinas River slopes between roughly 900 and 1,400 feet along the Rinconada Fault.

The magic here is the cool. Santa Margarita Ranch sits east of the coastal grade, where marine air spills over from the ocean and makes this the coolest, Region II corner of the Paso Robles AVA. That cool climate, combined with remarkably diverse soils, including ancient sea-bed deposits found nowhere else in the region, gives the wines a freshness, structure, and vibrancy unusual for Paso, letting the estate grow everything from cool-climate Pinot Noir to ripe Cabernet on one extraordinary property.

The wines: one vineyard, astonishing range

The breadth of Ancient Peaks is staggering for a single estate. Thanks to the cool climate and the diversity of soils across 14,000 acres, the Margarita Vineyard grows an enormous range, from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Petite Sirah to Syrah, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, and Nebbiolo, plus Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and rose. Few estates anywhere can ripen that many grapes well.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the flagship, and it shows the estate’s signature: ripe, dark fruit balanced by the freshness and structure that the cool site provides, a Paso Cabernet with real lift and detail. The cool-climate bottlings, like the Pinot Noir and the whites, are a genuine surprise from a Paso winery, proof of just how distinctive this southern ground is. Across the board, Mike Sinor’s hand keeps the wines polished, balanced, and true to their singular place.

What to pour it with

Start with the flagship Cabernet Sauvignon and a good steak. The wine’s firm tannins bind to the protein and fat in a grilled ribeye or a braised short rib, turning the wine plush while the meat tastes cleaner, the classic Cabernet pairing that the estate’s fresh, structured style handles beautifully. The Petite Sirah and Syrah want the same treatment with more smoke, barbecued brisket or grilled lamb.

Then take advantage of the estate’s cool-climate range. The Pinot Noir, with its bright acidity and earthy fruit, is a dream with roast duck, salmon, or mushroom dishes, meeting the food on shared savory, earthy notes. The Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier suit goat cheese, fresh seafood, and salads, where their acidity cuts richness and lifts the dish. Few wineries let you pair across so wide a range from one vineyard, which makes a visit to the tasting room and cafe a genuine adventure in matching wine to food.

Ancient Peaks Winery: common questions