The seismic forces that forged the towering peaks surrounding Margarita Vineyard also created the diverse soils that shape our wines.

The vineyard unfolds in roughly three sections that tell the land’s geological story, from fine sandy loam deposited by extinct waterflows to fields of small rocks lain by thousands of years of erosion. The most spectacular soil is found along a block that we call Oyster Ridge, where the ground is riddled with white ocean fossils that testify to the land’s origins as an uplifted sea bed.

From a bird’s eye view, the vineyard unfolds as a complex mosaic of soil types. Official soil classifications found in the vineyard include Oceano loamy sand, Santa Lucia-Gazos complex and Greenfield gravelly loam.

The soils of Margarita Vineyard generally retain just enough water to keep the vines healthy while sufficiently stressing them for the development of intensely concentrated fruit. Our varietals, rootstocks and clones were carefully chosen to match the unique conditions of each block, enabling these remarkable soils to achieve optimal expression in our wines.

Click here to view a soil map of Margarita Vineyard.

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