Ep 181 And Then There Was One: Santa Margarita Ranch Nestled AVA – Featuring Ancient Peaks
August 20, 2026
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🍇 Where Wine Takes You, Episode Highlights 🍷
Adam may be recording this episode from a lake house on Bear Pond in Hartford, Maine, but we’re headed straight back to Paso Robles wine country for another look at the region’s nested AVAs. This time, we’re going south, to the Santa Margarita District and one remarkable piece of land with a lot of stories buried in it.
Adam sits down at SLO CAL Studios with Doug Filipponi, co-owner of Ancient Peaks Winery and Margarita Vineyard, and Mike Sinor, founding winemaker at Ancient Peaks. Doug grew up about a mile from Santa Margarita Ranch, later drilled water wells on the property, and eventually became one of its owners. Mike came to Cal Poly thinking he might become a teacher, found wine instead, and has spent decades learning how to translate the character of Margarita Vineyard into the glass.
The conversation digs into the history of Santa Margarita Ranch, its wildly varied geology, the cooler growing conditions of the southernmost Paso Robles nested AVA, and the unusual reality that Margarita Vineyard remains the only vineyard inside the appellation. Doug and Mike also get into water wells, airplanes, old Jeeps, the early days of Ancient Peaks, their commitment to over-delivering on quality and value, and the story behind Oyster Ridge, the wine Mike calls their “best foot forward.”
For this week’s Travel Paso Spotlight, Adam checks into River Lodge Paso Robles, the restored mid-century roadside motel from Nomada Hotel Group. The property gives an old Paso motor lodge a second act with 28 rooms, landscaped grounds, a 21+ pool and hot tub, and poolside restaurant and bar Ciao Papi. We also hear from Nomada founder and creative director Kimberly Walker about the vision behind the property.
And because the show is literally called Where Wine Takes You, Adam has one more story developing from Maine. Turns out there’s a tiny vineyard practically across the pond from where he’s staying, with a couple, a dream, and one very unexpected obstacle involving a dry town. More on that one next episode.
🍷 GUEST + TRAVEL PASO LINKS
Ancient Peaks Winery
https://ancientpeaks.com/
Instagram: @ancientpeaks
River Lodge Paso Robles
https://www.riverlodgepaso.com/
Instagram: @riverlodgepaso
🌐 PASO WINE WIRE
2026: An Early Vintage Demands Precision
Advanced Viticulture looks at an unusually early 2026 growing season and how soil-moisture probes, plant-stress monitoring, and smart irrigation decisions have become especially important in a compressed vintage.
https://advancedvit.com/why-technology-was-essential-in-2026/
Kristen Barnhisel Returns as ASEV President
- Lohr Winemaker, White Wine Kristen Barnhisel has returned as president of the American Society for Enology and Viticulture for the 2026-2027 term, after previously serving as president in 2019-2020.
Winemakers’ Cookoff Announces 2026 Winners
California Coast Brewery and Tobin James Winery took the People’s Choice Award, Booker-My Favorite Neighbor and Ava Hotel won the Professional Chef Award, V1no Juan earned the Judges’ Award, and Hoyt Family Vineyards took the Spirit Award at the annual fundraiser supporting local youth scholarships.
https://pasoroblesdailynews.com/winemakers-cookoff-announces-this-years-winners-2/222731/
🌴 TRAVEL PASO SPOTLIGHT
River Lodge Paso Robles
https://www.riverlodgepaso.com/
Instagram: @riverlodgepaso
🎯 Plan your next Paso Robles getaway at travelpaso.com
📲 Where Wine Takes You now has its own Instagram. Follow us at @wherewinetakesyou for new episodes, behind-the-scenes pours, guest highlights, and more from Paso wine country.
🎙️ RECORDED AT SLO CAL STUDIOS
Recorded at SLO CAL Studios, San Luis Obispo County, California.
SLO CAL — where the wine is world-class, the people are real, and life is too beautiful to rush.
For turns well taken:
https://slocal.com
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🎙️ Credits
Executive Producer: Joel Peterson + Paso Wine
Associate Producer: Krista Smith
Recorded, edited, hosted by Adam Montiel
Follow Adam: @AdamOnTheAir
Explore all things Adam: AdamMontiel.com
Listen to Adam’s other shows: Up + Adam (daily) and The Pour (wine & more, travel, culture)
Learn more, connect, or say hey at AdamMontiel.com/connect
🎵 Original music by Moonshiner Collective
📱 Download the Paso Wine App
🍷 Plan your trip at PasoWine.com and follow @PasoWine
🎯 Plan your next Paso Robles getaway at travelpaso.com
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