Ancient Peaks Winery
2020 Ancient Peaks Pearl Merlot – Paired with a Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans and Pork Chops
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Winery
Ancient Peaks Winery is LARGE, consisting of 14,000 acres with 1,000 acres under vine.
As it turns out Santa Margarita is the only vineyard in the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA in the most southern portion of the AVA. Some of the more interesting factoids of the vineyard are:
- Five separate soils are intermixed and found on the property, shown on one of their labels.
- The vineyard is only 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean and draws the fog onto the property
- It is the coolest sub-AVA in Paso Robles AVA.
- Being the coolest region, they are often the latest in full maturing of the vineyards. This helps in providing a slower ripening process (often with challenges) but the reward is flavor, structure and with the varying soil types provides unique character to the grapes.
- They average 29 inches of rain with the surrounding Santa Lucia mountain range.
- Their sustainability practices have earned them SIP Certification (Sustainability in Practice).
- The owners of the winery are Karl Wittstrom, Rob Rossi and Doug Filipponi all local wine growing and ranching families in Santa Margarita.
- Santa Margarita was originally settled by the Franciscan missionaries around 1770. In 1889 the area was part of the Mexican Alta California land grant.
- It is named for Santa Margarita de Cortona Assitencia, an Italian saint.
- A rich and detailed history can be found on Santa Margarita and is fascinating reading. https://santamargaritahistoricalsociety.org/
Today they have the Oyster Ridge event building/site which is an ideal spot for weddings, corporate retreats and private events overlooking the vineyards and ranch. Additionally, they provide a host of activities in the agritourism business on the 14,000 acres including vineyard zip lining, wildlife tours and horseback trail rides.
The label called Oyster Ridge comes from so many oyster bed fossils found about the property. Here Mike Sinor is holding one fossilized oyster.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The Wines by Ancient Peaks – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Learned that their wines have three distinct labels/branding going to market which are: Ancient Peaks, Oyster Ridge and Pearl. Many of the varieties are offered with all three labels/branding. Their white wines consist of Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. The red wines offered are extensive with Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Zinfandel and of course the wine we sought out their Cabernet Franc. We were offered to taste “all the wines” but practically speaking it would be too much unless we camped overnight in the tasting room! We did taste many but not all of their wines. A second or third visit is forthcoming to taste their Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir and Petit Verdot.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This Merlot was extraordinary in “mellow-ness” yet provided ample flavor and character. First on the eyes, a beautiful deep red coloring and aromas of black plum and oak. On the palate, there are intense flavors of black cherry and blackberry. The finish was silky smooth with caressing tannins and a tinge of vanilla and cinnamon. The wine was aged 24 months in French oak barrels providing an almost perfect integration of the wine with the tannins. This wine today goes for $54/bottle and on the website today shows it on sale for $43.20/bottle, definitely a wine to be sought after!
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Paired this evening with a new wintertime “comfort food” called Slow Cooker Cowboy Beans and pork chops. The Cowboy Beans consisted of ground beef, chopped bacon, baked beans with pork, kidney beans, lima beans, chopped onions, ketchup, brown sugar and mustard. Flatiron Peppers Company Calabrian chili pepper was added. The pork chops were seasoned with Flatiron Pepper Company BBQ Rub and sauteed in a cast iron skillet on the stove. Accompanying the meal was a fresh garden salad.
The wine with its fruit and mellowness was a perfect compliment to the beans and pork chops! A very good food and wine pairing this evening.
So glad we picked these wines (and others) from our visit last December. Wine Advocate summed up Ancient Peaks in a quote “keenly priced, high-quality wines that deserve to be better known”.
I hope this article provides you with an incentive to check out their gorgeous property and quality wines.
Sláinte,
Michael
2020 Ancient Peaks Cabernet Franc and Mesquite Chicken Salad
The Winery
Photo from Ancient Peaks Website
Up until a couple of years back, I had not tasted Ancient Peaks Cabernet Franc, nor was I really aware of their winery. I was so impressed from my first sip, I scheduled to visit them in December 2023 and have enjoyed their wines ever since. The winery was founded by Karl Wittstrom, Rob Ross and Doug Filipponi. Mike Sinor has been the founding winemaker since the first vintage in 2006.
Map from Ancient Peaks Website
Once understanding that the property contains five unique soil types: rocky alluvium, ancient seabed, granite rock, shale and volcanic you can now understand their “unique label” featuring the soil types. On the property they make white wines of Viognier, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Red wines produced include Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot, Malbec and red blends. They even produce fermented mead, produced from honeybees. The estate is comprised of 14,000 acres and 900 acres are under vines.
For a complete background and detailed story on Ancient Peaks click on a previous story:
The Wine – “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The 2020 Ancient Peaks Cabernet Franc wine is dark and opulent on the eyes and with medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose, blueberry and blackberry wafted into the senses beckoning and drawing one to partake in the first sip. On the palate, the fruits burst into a parade of flavor profiles, coupled with plum and secondary flavors of coffee and vanilla. The finish was expressive with grippy tannins and an intense structure, not typical of Cabernet Franc from the region. A real surprise and welcome treat!
The wine consists of 92% Cabernet Franc and 8% Merlot. Their limited-edition offering was hand selected from their finest vineyard rows and aged for 23 months in 50% new French oak. The price is $50/bottle and belongs in their Pearl Collection. The wine comes in at 14.9% alcohol and is extremely smooth.
This wine just made my annual list of Best Wines Tasted in the calendar year for 2025 as it had in 2024! This is truly an enjoyable and amazing wine.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Another light summertime meal when the temperature reaches close to 100 degrees. Paired this evening with mesquite chicken salad. Salad included shredded lettuce, chicken sauteed with mesquite spices, combination shredded cheese, minced purple onion, cut tomatoes and topped with multicolored tostada chips. Accompanied by chips and cheese. While not a typical food and wine pairing it was very good. The fruit from the wine, synchronized wonderfully with the tangy chicken. I always enjoy finding “new pairings” with wines as I remember the anonymous quote “Adventure may hurt you, but monotony will kill you”. Dessert was watermelon pieces (not shown).
Sláinte,
Michael