The Wild Horse Story

Located in historic Templeton, Wild Horse Winery was named for the wild mustangs that roamed the hills east of our vineyard estate. Their free and noble spirit are a nod to Wild Horse Winery's commitment to spirited winemaking.

Wild Horse Winery founder, Ken Volk, originally selected the Templeton vineyard and winery location in 1981 for its low vigor soils, proven ground water table, proximity to Estero Bay and rustic vibe. Situated at a midpoint in the Central Coast, this location is ideal for sourcing fruit from vineyards north and south of the winery. Wild Horse Winery remains a champion of Central Coast winegrowing, committed to sustainable viticultural practices and creating wines that express the region's diversity.

The varieties of soil composition and microclimates that can be found within the expansive Central Coast appellation present the opportunity to cultivate the same varietal in a wide range of growing conditions. This fact forms a key philosophy for Wild Horse Winery winemaking: multi-vineyard sourcing. While estate or vineyard-designated wines are outstanding, they offer just one expression of the grapes. Growing the same varietal in different terroirs and then carefully blending the individual lots allows us a spice rack of flavors. The ability to taste vineyard-designated wines alongside these multi-vineyard sourced wines provides a true education and exploration of the varietal.

Winemaking

Wild Horse Winery is passionately committed to quality; our dedication to making distinctive Central Coast wines and willingness to be different is bred deep within us. Experimentation, consumer education, environmental preservation and a sense of humor remain the core values at the Winery today.

Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Viognier represent the majority of Wild Horse Winery's production. Vineyards spanning the Central Coast from north to south provide fruit for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Viognier. The Paso Robles growing region is the source of the winery's Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Throughout the winery's history, Wild Horse has had a program of small lot experimentation that continues today with rare varieties such as Malvasia Bianca, Blaufrankisch, and numerous others, along with a playful series dedicated to the Winery's llamas.

Our Cheval Sauvage (French for wild horse), is the tête de cuvée. With this collection, we created a Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that represents only a small percent of production — and is selected vineyard lot by vineyard lot, barrel by barrel.