Skip to main content

Visiting Paso Robles - Ancient Peaks Winery & The Santa Margarita Ranch AVA


Shake off your traveler's fatigue and start your trip the way that I did with a visit to Ancient Peaks Winery for some refreshing Ancient Peaks Rosé 2016 made from 100% Pinot Noir from the cool estate Margarita Vineyard site in the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA. Fresh and crisp with cherry, peach and zippy grapefruit notes, this limited release wine will revive even the most weary of wine lovers and have them ready to explore the terroir from which it came.

 How do you do that?
Go across the street and you will find the Margarita Adventures office for all of your Paso Robles adventuring needs. You can book these experiences on-line in advance of your trip. I recommend the zip-lining jaunt to get your adrenaline pumping while allowing you to see some amazing views while learning the history of the southernmost portion of the Paso Robles area which includes Wild West tales of Frank and Jesse James.

 This two and a half hour tour gives the more daring an incredible view of a California landmark, the Santa Margarita Ranch. The area's wine history began in 1790, sixty years before California became a state. Franciscan friars planted vineyards upon their arrival and others followed. Today, the ranch practices sustainable grape growing and is a part of the historic California Mission Trail.

The marine influence from the Pacific Ocean combined with the typical cold spring weather creates a long and late growing season. There are five unique soil types in the area- ancient seabeds, granitic, rocky alluvium, shale and volcanic. There are no other vineyards nearby, the Margarita Vineyard stands alone in the Santa Margarita AVA.

 The tour includes six zip-lines which span over 7,800 feet with an amazing 2,800 foot valley crossing over a Pinot Noir vineyard with expansive views. Drink plenty of water prior and during as there is some walking/hiking involved.
When the tour is over, head back to the Ancient Peaks Winery tasting room where tour goers receive discounted tasting fees and discounts on wine purchases. Try the super smooth Ancient Peaks Oyster Ridge Red 2013, a juicy yet elegant Cabernet-Sauvgnon based wine to celebrate your successful zip-lining experience.

 Stay tuned here all month every Monday and Saturday for a summer vacation to Paso Robles.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for reading Wine Life - Houston.

Popular posts from this blog

"The Zen of Zin" Tasting at Fleming's in River Oaks

On Friday evening, my husband and I attended the Zinfandel wine tasting at Fleming's in River Oaks. My husband gets totally pumped up for any and all things Zinfandel but what I found really intriguing in the line up of wines were the aged offerings. Brent Sloan, managing partner at Houston's premier wine storage facility Nos Caves Vin, had provided Fleming's with four 18 year old bottlings and one 17 year old bottling from his collection of some of his favorites. I found this interesting because 1. I don't believe that I have ever had an 18 year old Zinfandel before this evening and 2. From various wine classes, I had always heard that at best Zinfandel had very limited aging ability. So, I was definitely excited to give these wines a taste. There were also an additional five younger Zinfandel wines that are some of Fleming's best sellers. The entire tasting line up for the evening included: 2009 Orin Swift Saldo - California 2007 Schulz "Lampyridae...
5 comments
Read more

Spanish Wine under a Houston Sunset

I was asked to speak about Spanish wine and to conduct a tasting at the 30th birthday party of Kyla Kennedy on the rooftop patio of her and her fiancé, Jonathan Garrett's home this past Saturday. They invited a great group of friends with a new interest in wine tasting. Jonathan had the idea after the two had watched the movie "Somm" and had become interested in learning more about the wines of the world.  For our tasting tour of Spain: Anna de Coderniu Brut Cava * - Guests loved this Spanish sparkler! They found the history of the winery interesting and enjoyed the refreshing style of the wine. The birthday girl named the subtle tropical and citrus aromas like a pro. 2012 Burgan's Rias Baixas Albarino - Guests talked about the fresh peach aromas and the crisp taste. Many felt this could be their summer sipper.  2012 Raimat Costers del Segre Albarino* - Guests were interested in learning about this lesser known area, the innovative winery and how ...
6 comments
Read more

A Tropical Staycation with Spy Valley E Block

After a fair amount of traveling this summer with more still to come, I was looking forward to spending time at home with my family this week. Both of my millennial children have recently moved back to Houston but the home-cooked meals have been few and far between. I had recently received a sample of the Spy Valley E Block Sauvignon Blanc 2017 along with an invitation to participate in an on-line tasting with the Wine Pairing Weekend group (find them online under the hashtag #Winepw), this became the inspiration for this family gathering. I gleefully sent out a group text, "I'm grilling poolside tonight, be home by 7:30 p.m. to eat, come earlier if you want to swim." I am surrounded by funny people as the responses reflect, "Who is this?", "What have you done with my mom?", "Not a good night, Bachelor in Paradise is on." I was undeterred, I knew that they would come. I pulled the bottle out of the wine fridge to investigate what I was ...
6 comments
Read more