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Margarita Adventures 2,800-foot “Double Barrel” zipline one of California’s longest, fastest and highest

–Margarita Adventures has launched its latest zipline, the radical new tandem line is 2800-feet long and 160-feet high, one of the longest, fastest and highest ziplines in California. Named the “Double Barrel” it is sure to hit the spot for your thrill seeking needs. The new line officially opens today, Friday, May 20.

The Double Barrel line is just that, double the fun, you can race your friends and family across some of the most beautiful countryside in Paso Robles wine country. Departing between two red oaks, you soar over a steep canyon forested with blue oaks. Next, it crests above a high ridge and over a broad valley before finishing on a distant mountainside.

Margarita Adventures new “Double Barrel” Zipline.

Located on the historic Santa Margarita Ranch, the full zipline course includes six distinct ziplines, and optional wine tasting, spanning more than 7,500 combined feet. During the tour you see forests, canyons and wide-open views of vineyards and mountains. There is the 1,300-foot Renegade which soars over a valley with breathtaking 360-degree views. The Woodlander glides along the top of native blue and white oaks. The Hilltopper begins with a running start and concludes on a hilltop vista, while the Archway sends guests through a natural archway of companion oaks. The Pinot Express travels 1,800 feet over a Pinot Noir vineyard, and now the Double Barrel kicks everything off with the most stunning ride of all. The ranch, Margarita Adventures and Ancient Peaks Winery are owned by the Filipponi, Rossi and Wittstrom families.

Santa Margarita zipline tours have six distinct ziplines.

Vice President of Operations at Ancient Peaks Winery Amanda Higgins, whose father Karl helped spearhead the project said it was his vision to show nature and allow people to really appreciate being outside. “The ranch itself is private so the only way to see it is either through Margarita Adventures or a vineyard tour,” she said. “The ziplining tour is a great way to see the ranch with an adventurous twist. We see a lot of wildlife on the tours, nesting eagles, wild turkey, pigs and bears, a lot of deer and even mountain lions although they are mostly out at night. It is an easy but adventurous tour, the staff are fabulous and everyone really enjoys what they do, it definitely doesn’t feel like work.”

View from the Renegade zipline over the Pinot Noir vineyards at Santa Margarita Ranch.

Proprietor of Margarita Adventures Karl Wittstrom said with the new Double Barrel line they wanted to ratchet up the excitement by giving guests the opportunity to zip right alongside a friend or family member. To top off the new zipline, Margarita Adventures also built a suspension bridge accessible from the Double Barrel landing point. “The footbridge was originally just a practical consideration, but it has turned into a really exciting part of the tour experience,” Wittstrom said. A deep canyon separated the new line from the next zipline on the tour. And so Margarita Adventures created the new 300-foot suspension footbridge to ferry guests across, providing a high-flying stroll that is an adventure unto itself.

Santa Margarita Ranch Suspension Bridge. Photo courtesy of Matt Wallace.

Margarita Adventures tours also includes guided insights into Santa Margarita Ranch, which was established by Franciscan missionaries as an Asistencia, or assistance mission, in the late 1700s. The tours touch on the ranch’s sustainable ranching and winegrowing practices, as well as its diverse wildlife and remarkable geology, which includes fields of ancient oyster fossils.

Oyster shell fossil beds at Santa Margarita Ranch.

Tours conclude with an optional wine tasting at Ancient Peaks Winery, which specializes in artisan wines grown on the ranch’s estate Margarita Vineyard. Tour guests receive 15 percent off wine purchases, and the tasting fee is waived with a purchase of one bottle or more. Why not try one of their amazing charcuterie plates at the Ancient Peaks Cafe paired perfectly with a bottle of 2013 Renegade which is composed of Syrah, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

Ancient Peaks 2013 Renegade and charcuterie plate.

For more information, visit www.margarita-adventures.com.