Up on the Santa Maria Bench, where the Pacific fog pours in unobstructed and the soils are old riverbed, sit some of the oldest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines in California. Cambria farms them, and turns them into wines named for two daughters.

An old vineyard, a new vision

Cambria’s home is the historic Tepusquet bench, planted in the early 1970s and among the first great vineyards of the Santa Maria Valley. In 1986, the late Jess Jackson and his wife Barbara Banke acquired the property and founded Cambria, drawn by the old vines and the relentless cooling fog. They named the estate’s two signature blocks for their daughters: Julia’s Vineyard, the source of a benchmark single-vineyard Pinot Noir, and Katherine’s Vineyard, behind the flagship Chardonnay.

Today Cambria is proudly women-led, part of Barbara Banke’s family of wineries, with the next generation carrying it forward. The estate is certified sustainable, and the family has built a long-running commitment to social and environmental causes around it. Old vines, cold fog, and a clear sense of purpose, all in one place.

The vines were planted before the appellation existed. Cambria simply gave them a voice.

The wines

Cambria is a Pinot Noir and Chardonnay house at heart. The Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir is all Santa Maria spice, that distinctive note of cola, clove, and dark cherry the region is known for, while the Katherine’s Vineyard Chardonnay balances oak and orchard fruit with a bright, cool-climate finish. The estate also makes Syrah, Viognier, and sparkling wine from the same cold bench.

The vines came first. Cambria sits on part of the historic Tepusquet Vineyard, planted on the Santa Maria Bench in 1970 and 1971, which makes it some of the oldest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in California. Barbara Banke and Jess Jackson bought the property in 1986 and built the winery around those mature vines, betting that old roots in a cool, fog-fed valley would give wines real depth.

The estate is named for the Jackson daughters, Katherine and Julia, and each has a vineyard that carries her name: Katherine’s for Chardonnay, Julia’s for Pinot Noir. The wines are built around single vineyards rather than blends from everywhere, and the Santa Maria Valley does the rest. The Pacific sits only about 15 miles away, so coastal fog and wind stretch the growing season and keep the fruit bright, structured, and slow to ripen.

Cambria has long leaned into a women-led, sustainability-minded identity, farming the estate for the long term and backing women in agriculture through its partnerships. It is a quieter name than some Santa Barbara labels, but for old-vine Santa Maria Pinot Noir and Chardonnay it remains one of the most dependable values on the Central Coast.

What to drink it with

The Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir, savory and spiced, loves seared duck, grilled salmon, or a mushroom risotto where the wine’s earthy side meets the fungi. The Katherine’s Chardonnay, full but fresh, is made for Dungeness crab in butter or a roast chicken, its acidity cutting the richness. And the estate Syrah is a natural with the valley’s own Santa Maria barbecue.

Plan your visit

Cambria’s wines are poured at the Brewer-Clifton tasting room in the village of Los Olivos, the Jackson family’s shared tasting space at 2367 Alamo Pintado Avenue. The Santa Maria estate itself, up among the historic vines on the bench, is a working winery and vineyard rather than a public tasting room, so plan a visit around Los Olivos and book ahead.

Frequently asked questions