One of our favorite suppliers sold us on Alta Maria Vineyards Pinot Noir and Presqu'ile (press-keel) Chardonnay. We tasted the Chardonnay and it was magnificent and consequently sold very well. We didn't get to taste the pinot but were assured it was also quite good. Unfortunately that one has a problematic label and in this business, labels will either make or break a wine...so we decided to do our homework on the stuff.
Alta Maria is the project of the Ontiveros family of Santa Maria Valley where they have farmed for ten generations since 1855. The winery was established in 2005. But there's more...the Ontiveroses have traced their family tree back to Rioja, Spain in the 1500's!
Presqu'ile is the project of the Murphy family who farmed for four generations through the twentieth century in Louisiana. The name Presqu'ile is creole for "almost an island." They bought their Santa Maria property in 2007 and invested heavily in their vineyards and winery to the point where they have become a destination for both wine lovers and lovers of natural beauty.
The Ontiveroses have always collaborated with others in the Santa Maria Valley and have multiple partners at this time. When the Murphys came along "just down the road" from them they seemed like a natural partner. That partnership was formalized in 2012. Now all Alta Maria wines are made at the modern Presqu'ile winery.
Santa Maria Valley is a cool weather haven in southern California courtesy of the transverse mountain range that funnels ocean breezes into the valley. Pesqu'ile is located sixteen miles from the Pacific Ocean. Both wineries do a lot of the whole grape cluster fermentation that we just wrote about.
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