Winery to Provide Participants with Complete Kit to Explore the Art of Blending
Santa Margarita, Paso Robles, CA—So you want to be a winemaker for a day? Now is the chance to do it from the comfort of your own home as Ancient Peaks winemakers Mike Sinor and Stewart Cameron present an innovative virtual seminar for anyone interested in exploring the art of blending.
“We are excited to provide wine lovers with insights into how we approach blending at Ancient Peaks,” Sinor said. “We are known for our red blends such as Renegade and Oyster Ridge, and now we want to help people learn how to create their own perfect blend.”
Added Amanda Wittstrom-Higgins, the winery’s executive vice president who will be steering the seminar, “The reason we wanted to bring an interactive blending experience to our friends and customers is that we feel it’s enlightening and fun. We want others to feel the joy and excitement of creating their own unique blend, whether they are passionate aficionados or just starting to learn about wine.”
Blend Your Own
The online Zoom-hosted webinar takes place on Thursday, June 25 at 4 p.m. PST. Interested participants can purchase an advance blending kit for $125 (includes shipping) that features a graduated cylinder, beaker, funnel, tasting mat and four bottles of wine for blending: the 2017 Renegade, 2017 Zinfandel, 2017 Merlot and 2017 Malbec, all from Ancient Peaks Winery’s estate Margarita Vineyard in the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA of Paso Robles.
Once a kit is purchased, the participant will receive an invitation to the June 25 webinar to be steered by Sinor and Cameron.
The 2017 Renegade red blend will serve as the “inspiration” wine. The winemakers will provide insights into the art and methodology of creating a seamless, balanced blend from different grape varieties—with consideration given to attributes such as acidity, tannin structure, mouthfeel, flavor harmony and overall balance. Finally, they will guide the participants as they create their own master blend from the provided Zinfandel, Merlot and Malbec.
“The Zinfandel, Merlot and Malbec all bring very distinct attributes to the table,” Cameron said. “In the spirit of Paso Robles, this will be a non-traditional blend, and everyone will use their newfound skills to create their own ultimate wine.”
About Ancient Peaks
Ancient Peaks is a family-owned winery specializing in wines from our sustainably farmed estate Margarita Vineyard in Paso Robles on California’s Central Coast. Margarita Vineyard stands alone as the southernmost vineyard in the Paso Robles AVA, nestled into the rugged Santa Lucia Mountain Range just 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The name Ancient Peaks honors the tall peaks surrounding Margarita Vineyard, which were forged by the collision of the coastal plates. Over time, these same geologic forces blessed us with five distinct soil zones—ancient sea bed, rocky alluvium, shale, volcanic and granitic—that bring natural complexity to our wines. Our tasting room is located in Santa Margarita. Visit www.AncientPeaks.com for more information.
