The Inside Scoop!

with Cory Culmer

Interview with Winemaker Paul Wilkins of Alta Maria Vineyards

Article by Corey Culmer
Santa Maria Explorer and columnist for The Saint Joseph’s Chronicle

Cory Culmer: Can you tell me who founded Alta Maria Vineyards?
Paul Wilkins: Alta Maria Vineyards was founded by myself and James Ontiveros. We met while attending Cal Poly.

Cory Culmer: What is the meaning of the name Alta Maria?
Paul Wilkins: The meaning of Alta Maria is “Higher Mary”. We wanted our name to help create awareness of the beautiful region that we grow in.

Cory Culmer:Can you tell me why Santa Maria was chosen as the location of Alta Maria Vineyards?
Paul Wilkins: The Santa Maria Valley is well suited for growing grapes.

Cory Culmer: Where do you make the wine?
Paul Wilkins: We have three different locations in the Santa Maria Valley where we make the wines.

Cory CulmerWhy is Alta Maria Vineyard wine more special than other wines?
Paul Wilkins: Well, we try to be very special by focusing on the delicate grape growing process. We have very high quality standards for our vineyards and that is represented in our wine. We use no chemicals or harmful materials in our winemaking process.

Cory Culmer: How long have you been a winemaker?
Paul Wilkins: I have been winemaking for 11 years.

Cory Culmer: Can you tell me why you wanted to be a winemaker? Is it fun?
Paul Wilkins: Yes it is fun! My father was a farmer and as a child I would help him in the vineyards.

Cory CulmerDid you go to school to be a winemaker?
Paul Wilkins: Yes, I attended Cal Poly’s Agricultural Program.

Cory Culmer:What is the best part of winemaking?
Paul Wilkins: Drinking the product!

Cory Culmer:How many different types of wines do you make?
Paul Wilkins: We make five different types of wines: Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pino Noir and Syrah.

Cory Culmer: How many grapes does it take to make one bottle of wine?
Paul Wilkins: That is a tough question! It takes 2000 lbs. of grapes to make 2 1/2 barrels of wine. 2 1/2 barrels of wine makes 700 bottles. So it takes approximately 2.86 lbs. of grapes to make 1 bottle of wine.

Cory Culmer: Do you still stomp grapes with your feet?
Paul Wilkins: Yes, we occasionally do. Stomping grapes with your feet is called “pigeage”, which means to tromp by foot. This is a much gentler process that extracts the juice in a delicate fashion.

Cory Culmer: How many people do you get in your tasting room per day?
Paul Wilkins:Our wine tasting room in Los Olives serves approximately 20 to 50 customers a day.