About Presqu'ile Winery
Presqu'île Winery is named for the French geographical concept of a presqu'île — almost an island, a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides. The Murphy family's Santa Maria Valley estate carries this name because the Santa Maria Valley itself is something like a presqu'île: a transverse valley opening directly to the Pacific Ocean, nearly encircled by the Santa Lucia and San Rafael mountain ranges, and filled with cool ocean air that makes it feel climatically isolated from the warm California interior.
The estate, which shares its drive name with the winery, produces Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah from Santa Maria Valley estate vineyards with the organic farming philosophy that the Murphy family's commitment to their land demands. The French naming reflects the estate's philosophical connection to Burgundy — the same varieties, the same cool-climate commitment, named in French for the geographic isolation that makes the Santa Maria Valley so distinctively cool.
Wine Advocate has scored Presqu'île's Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at 91–95 points, and the estate's restaurant and event space make it one of the Central Coast's most destination-worthy wine properties.