Presqu’ile, the estate winery poised high in the hills of Santa Maria with stunning ocean and vineyard views, announces Tim Wanner as their Director of Hospitality and Sales. In this newly developed position, Tim is responsible for overseeing Presqu’ile’s visitor experience as well as the Direct-to-Consumer and wholesale sales channels. Since joining Presqu’ile in June, he’s familiarized himself with the rest of the Presqu’ile team and intends to work closely with them, incorporating his style to complement the work of everyone involved in the winery organization.
Tim brings a wealth of hospitality and wine sales knowledge. Originally from Minnesota, his recent titles included Beverage Director and interim Director of Operations for The Kitchen restaurant group in Boulder, Colorado. During his tenure there Tim oversaw operations, building the business from one location in Boulder to seven restaurants in four states where he was responsible for training and supervising all beverage managers. Tim also created front-of-house best practices that were implemented store-wide with points of service, standard operating procedures and manuals. Earlier in his career, Tim founded and owned a small importing business focusing on wines from Italy and Portugal, sold in 2009. He moved to Santa Ynez with his family to join the Presqu’ile family. Tim is talented in other areas and is a retired semi-professional mountain biker, avid surfer and artist.
Presqu’ile President Matt Murphy welcomes Wanner, stating, “Tim brings his wealth of knowledge to Presqu’ile and we can already feel his impact; it’s inspiring to all of us. As we continue to evolve into a business that spans national wine sales in 38 states and we expand our winery experiences to include live concerts, marquee guest chef dinners, tasting room menus and special events, Tim’s expertise is instrumental in making Presqu’ile’s aspirations a reality.”
Tim Wanner is enthusiastic about joining Presqu’ile, stating, “I’m thrilled to join the Presqu’ile team. Their pursuit for quality in all things and focus on authentic hospitality aligns extremely well with my passion and experience. “
ABOUT PRESQU’ILE WINERY:
Located in the heart of Santa Barbara County’s Santa Maria Valley, Presqu’ile (pronounced press-KEEL) is a small, family-run winery dedicated to making exceptional cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Presqu’ile is a multigenerational collaboration between Madison and Suzanne Murphy, their three adult children, Matt, Anna and Jonathan, and their daughters-in-law, Amanda and Lindsey. No strangers to agriculture, four generations of the wine-loving Murphy family have been farming land in Louisiana for almost a century. Led by eldest son Matt Murphy, the family founded Presqu’ile—the Creole word for “almost an island”—both as a tribute to a beloved Gulf Coast family gathering place that was lost in Hurricane Katrina, and because they envisioned Presqu’ile as an island-like haven amid the vines. Also on the team is rising star winemaker Dieter Cronje.
The Santa Maria Valley is one of the most distinctive winegrowing appellations in the world. With one of the longest growing seasons in all of California. The Santa Maria Valley is a true cool-climate winegrowing region, yielding wines of extraordinary elegance and purity—qualities that define the world’s best Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. To preserve the complexity of these grapes, the Murphys worked with acclaimed San Francisco-based Taylor Lombardo Architects to create a gravity-flow winery designed to Matt and Dieter’s specifications. And to ensure that each wine reflects its vineyard, Dieter practices a naturally minimalist approach to winemaking, with a focus on whole clusters, native yeasts and modest new oak. As a result, Presqu’ile’s wines are pure and purposeful, conveying the authentic charm, complexity and signature Santa Maria spice that have made the wines of the Santa Maria Valley famous among enthusiasts of elegant and balanced wines.