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Everything I’ve looked at in my column has been a special place, with something about it that makes it unique. But I have to say I’m really excited about the place I wrote about for this week’s column.
I mentioned the Margarita Adventures ziplining tours out on the Santa Margarita Ranch in my Valentine’s Day column. It really is an experience you’ll never forget. But there are some other really interesting aspects about this place too — the ranch also has its own cattle business, vineyard and winery. Ranch co-owner Karl Wittstrom gave me a rundown of the history of the ranch — of course I’ll share some with you.
The ranch was settled by Franciscan missionaries in the 1770s, but the land was home to indigenous people for thousands of years. One of the buildings the missionaries constructed (located at the ranch headquarters) is the oldest mortar and stone building in California. The missionaries’ arrival had a detrimental impact on the Chumash Indians living there — within seven years their culture was decimated, according to Wittstrom.
After Mexico declared independence, the ranch was given as a land grant to Joaquin Estrada in 1841. When California became a state, Estrada reapplied to the government to own the land and then sold it in 1861. From 1772 until the railroad arrived in the area in 1888 (due to ranch owner Patrick Murphy) all traffic went through the ranch on the original El Camino Real, which still goes past the ranch headquarters. Wittstrom said according to local folklore, Jesse James and his brother Frank hid out at the ranch in 1873.
The ranch was then passed on to multiple owners through the years until it was bought by one of the current owners in 1999, and still surrounds the town of Santa Margarita.
In 2005, the Ancient Peaks wine label started, and the wine has gotten onto wine lists in multiple publications as a high quality value wine, including Sunset Magazine and Wine Spectator. Its goal is to “overdeliver” the value, Wittstrom said, since usually people buy wine under $20.
The ranch is absolutely gorgeous — rolling hills, vineyards, all kinds of wildlife. Years ago the valley the ranch sits in was covered by ocean, according to Wittstrom, and so the vineyards still have petrified reefs. The 14,000 acre ranch also has multiple ecosystems, including chaparral, grasslands and savannah. Fun fact: There are 11 different species of bats living on the ranch. How’s that for diversity?
Several years ago the owners started working on how to present their wine label as unique, and according to Wittstrom, talking about what made the vineyards special led them to talk about why the ranch itself was special too. His idea for offering ziplining came from a desire to expand on that concept — he wanted to have something that would create excitement but also get people out on the ranch, he said.
“It’s taken off a bit more than I thought it would,” Wittstrom said.
The ziplines were designed by Ian Adamson, an engineer and extreme racer who Wittstrom met through his nephew, and Margarita Adventures officially opened last October. The four ziplines combined are more than 3,000 feet, and I zipped down all of ‘em.
Here’s the thing: I have a slight fear of heights. It’s not really bad, but I get nervous. But when I got up there and let go, it was awesome. Truly awesome. And they make sure everything is inspected for safety — you hang from the cable by a secure harness, and so you’re strapped in pretty well but you still feel like you’re flying.
After ziplining, visitors can get a more in-depth tour of the ranch and hear more about its history and natural aspects. The content of the tours can depend on who’s in the group and what they’re interested in — Wittstrom said some people are more into the history of the ranch and others more into the biology. Everyone gets some information on the ride from town to the ziplines, no matter what they choose.
The full package is $99 and includes the zipline rides, a tour of the ranch and a complimentary Ancient Peaks wine tasting back in town at its tasting room. If you decide you’re not quite ready to brave the ziplines but you’d still like to see the ranch, tours alone are $49. The regularly scheduled tours through the tasting room are free.
What attracts people to the ranch initially is the excitement of the ziplines, Wittstrom said, but what’s exciting for him is showing people a part of California they might not have known about.
“You’re within two or three miles from freeway but yet it’s pretty much in its natural state,” Wittstrom said. “It’s very authentic California.”
People don’t realize how rural some large parts of the state are, according to Wittstrom. Agritourism is about showing people what rural America used to be like — and still is, he said.
I’ll admit, I initially went out to the Santa Margarita Ranch for the ziplines. And trust me, it was incredible. I wanted to go back and do it over when I was done.
But I didn’t realize how much else there is to the ranch. You really do feel removed from civilization, even though you’re so close to it, and knowing that this place has seen so much history is really humbling. I recommend getting the full experience — the ziplining, the tour and the wine tasting. Take advantage of everything this place has to offer.