Long before the Santa Maria Valley benchland was recognized as a great winegrowing region, the native Chumash Indians knew it as “tepuztli,” meaning copper coin. Later, Spanish settlers translated the word as Tepusquet. As part of an 1837 Mexican land grant, “Rancho Tepusquet” was home to cattle and row crops throughout the 1800s. Proprietor Barbara Banke acquired a large portion of the original Tepusquet Vineyard (planted between 1970 and 1971) in 1986 to serve as the site for Cambria winery. Over the last three decades the vineyard has been expanded, replanted and updated with new clones and rootstocks to take advantage of the unique climatic and geological conditions of the Santa Maria Bench.
Estate defines who we are and what we do. It tells us which vines to plant and where to plant them. As stewards of the land, we listen to the soil, the wind and the fog of the Santa Maria Bench. As an estate winery, we direct the farming, harvesting and vinification of every grape. Each Pinot Noir and Chardonnay we produce embodies the spirit and character of our land. More than just a vineyard and winery, our estate is our home. We do tours by appointment only and parties of 8 people or more need a reservation.
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