NVL wine
Photos by Kathryn Bryan
Pride Mountain Vineyards ONE RANCH - TWO COUNTIES
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ride Mountain Vineyards is situated on 235 acres of beautiful vineyard and forest land at the crest of the Mayacamas Mountains, where Napa County and Sonoma County meet. A handsome stone arch celebrates this alliance, drawing the eye to the county line which runs through the vineyards and across the crush pad. On the terrace outside the extensive wine caves, Mount St. Helena and the Coastal Range views are spectacular. A pre-Prohibition “ghost winery” on the lower part of the ranch hints at the property’s long history of grape growing and wine production. Now in its 31st year of winemaking, Pride Mountain Vineyards was founded by Jim and Carolyn Pride in 1990 and passed to the second generation in 2004. Steve Pride is the winery’s CEO and actively manages all aspects of the business, focusing on vineyard management and winemaking. After many years of driving the human resources and health and safety programs, Suzanne Pride Bryan and her husband Stuart Bryan, the winery’s former director of national sales, are now the winery’s vintner ambassadors. Winemaker Sally 68
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Johnson joined the team in 2007. With a background in both artisanal winemaking and modern science, she has been pivotal in taking the quality of Pride’s wines to new and higher levels. Well known for producing cuvées of exceptional quality from its mountaintop vineyards, Pride wines are labeled with the percentage of grapes from each county, leading to the phrase, “One Ranch ~ Two Counties” on each bottle. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Viognier, Syrah, and Sangiovese are all grown, produced, and bottled onsite. Interestingly, even though the estate’s Napa vineyards fall within the Spring Mountain District, the designation cannot be included on wine labels because the Sonoma vineyards are outside the geographical boundaries of the AVA. At an elevation of 2,100 feet, the property’s terroir is characterized by copious sunlight, gentle south-facing exposures, and vineyards above the morning fog. Meticulous farming in this unique setting produces red wines of depth, density, varietal character, and just the right amount of acidity due to the cool afternoon breezes.
Pride Mountain Vineyards is honored to have been served at the White House more than 30 times since 1999 and to be one of just 156 wineries included in Robert Parker Jr.’s book, The World’s Greatest Wine Estates. The wines throughout Pride’s portfolio frequently garner ratings in the mid to upper 90’s by mainstream wine critics, with the Reserve wines consistently in the 95-to98-point range. Hospitality is taken as seriously as winemaking at Pride Mountain Vineyards. Pride’s wine educators, many with five to ten years at the winery, take genuine pleasure in making guests feel welcome and in providing a fun and educational tasting experience. Hundreds of TripAdvisor and Yelp reviewers have given their visit 5-stars, calling out the great wines, convivial atmosphere, and unique progressive tasting in the caves. Pride Mountain Vineyards is a scenic drive up Spring Mountain Road from St. Helena or up St. Helena Road from Santa Rosa. Delicious wines, stunning vistas, and warm smiles are the reward for those who make the trek. Guests are welcome by appointment. FOR MORE INFORMATION pridewines.com
