Santa Margarita, CA—Ancient Peaks Winery today announced that Amanda Wittstrom-Higgins has been named the winery’s executive vice president, reflecting expanded responsibilities beyond her prior role as vice president of operations.
“Amanda has long been a valuable asset to the Ancient Peaks management team,” said Doug Filipponi, viticulturist and co-owner of Ancient Peaks Winery. “In light of her past performance and leadership through these difficult times, we are happy to announce her promotion to executive vice president.”
Wittstrom-Higgins is a 4th generation Paso Robles native and graduate of Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. She has been with Ancient Peaks since the winery’s launch in 2006.
In 2019, Wittstrom-Higgins was on the cover on Wine Enthusiast’s “40 Under 40” issue featuring “the trailblazers who are redefining the industry as we know it.” In 2017, she co-founded Wine Speak Paso Robles, one of California’s premier industry trade events. A year later, she founded Dream Big Darling, a nonprofit dedicated to mentoring the next generation of female leaders in the wine and spirits industry.
As the winery’s executive vice president, Wittstrom-Higgins is responsible for overseeing the winery’s operating performance, strategic planning and financial goals. She will also continue to oversee the winery’s daily operations. Her accomplishments at Ancient Peaks include leading significant year-over-year sales increases and ongoing distribution expansion. She has also been instrumental in helping develop the winery’s direct-to-consumer sales programs, including the winery’s tasting room and wine club operations. Her passion for mentorship continues to drive the winery’s innovative internship program for local college students and graduates.
Ancient Peaks Winery’s estate Margarita Vineyard is the southernmost vineyard in the Paso Robles region, located just 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean in the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA. The vineyard occupies one of Paso Robles’ coolest growing environments and spans a rare diversity of soils, resulting in wines that are known for their distinctive sense of place.
“I believe that Ancient Peaks is positioned for continued success and I look forward to being an integral part of it,” Wittstrom-Higgins said. “Our team here is very talented, and together we believe that the sky is the limit.”
Ancient Peaks is a family-owned winery specializing in wines from our sustainably farmed estate Margarita Vineyard in Paso Robles on California’s Central Coast. Margarita Vineyard stands alone as the southernmost vineyard in the Paso Robles AVA, nestled into the rugged Santa Lucia Mountain Range just 14 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The name Ancient Peaks honors the tall peaks surrounding Margarita Vineyard, which were forged by the collision of the coastal plates. Over time, these same geologic forces blessed us with five distinct soil zones—ancient sea bed, rocky alluvium, shale, volcanic and granitic—that bring natural complexity to our wines. Our tasting room is located in Santa Margarita. Visit www.AncientPeaks.com for more information.
