Pride Mountain Vineyards

Pride Mountain Vineyards was one of the very first wineries I ever visited and it made a lasting impression on me. Everything from the wines, to the team, to the caves, and the tasting room left me with that warm and fuzzy feeling you get from seeing a dear old friend. Pride is the wine we turn to for many of life’s big occasions and is a place that reminds me of all the enrichment wine can bring to your life.

In this interview the Pride team shared some of their history, their wine making philosophy, and much more with me. I am thrilled to share my love of this amazing winery with you all and hope this interview will inspire you to pay them a visit or at the very least try a bottle of their Merlot or Viognier (two of my favorites).

The history of Pride Mountain Vineyards

The Pride’s purchase of historic Summit Ranch in 1989 and its subsequent development was the culmination of a lifetime of farming for Jim and Carolyn Pride. Native Californians born into farming families, the Prides farmed rice, walnuts, almonds, sugar beets, tomatoes and Black Angus cattle before turning to grapes and producing estate-grown wines. Jim Pride started out as a dentist, and later founded Pride Institute, the nation’s premier dental practice management organization. Renowned as a public speaker and educator, Jim traveled extensively but was never happier than when he was on his tractor, spending much of his working career with his hands in the dirt. Carolyn ran the show on a daily basis, working with the contractors who built the winery in the early days and later overseeing the administrative offices. While Jim passed away in August of 2004 after a long battle with cancer, the winery continues to be family-owned and operated by the second generation, Suzanne Pride Bryan and Steve Pride. Today, the family’s commitment to excellence in all aspects of the business is supported by Winemaker Sally Johnson and the entire staff.

What makes Pride wines unique?

At each step of the wine making process, from when to harvest, to how hard to press out each lot, to how the blends are put together, we let our senses be our guide. We rethink the strategy every vintage, shun recipes, and refrain from historical bias. This not only fills each wine with unique character, but fills our own lives with renewed vigor and enthusiasm each vintage.

As distinct from many wineries, we vinify and age all vineyard lots separately. Many of our individual vineyard blocks are picked in stages throughout harvest in order for each lot to be at optimal ripeness. Our forty vineyard blocks thus translate into more than fifty lots of wine separately aging in the cave. This labor-intensive strategy allows us to blend only complementary lots, possibly sell off de-classified lots if deemed necessary, and make viticultural adjustments to specific vineyard blocks.

Half of the Pride winery is in Napa County and the other half is in Sonoma County. Does this provide any complexity to wine making or selling process?

Our attitude is that each wine growing region has its own unique expression that can be embraced and enjoyed for what it is. How to make a wine that celebrates this unique gift of ripeness without sacrificing structure, complexity and balance, is an artistic challenge that continues to be our raison d’etre here at Pride Mountain Vineyards. Wines produced here now are designated Napa Valley, Sonoma County or with percentages of both, supporting the tag line, “One Ranch ~ Two Counties.”

Are there any wines you’ve recently released that you’re especially proud of?

Our 2017 Sangiovese and Syrah have been released, our upcoming release will feature our 2017 Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and the next six months will bring the release of our 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon and Reserve wines. Many people will likely remember the tumultuous time that these wines were born, during the October fires that affected large parts of Napa and Sonoma counties. We feel very lucky and grateful that our vineyards, winery and wines were unaffected by either fires or smoke, and fortunate to be able to release wines that represent the ripeness, intensity and quality of what was truly a great vintage.

Our current tasting room wines are our 2018 Viognier, 2017 Syrah, 2016 Merlot, and 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon. The Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon have been our flagship wines from the beginning and they continue to be a favorite for everyone.

What would you tell people interested in coming to St. Helena to visit Pride Winery?

There are many great places to visit in wine country and many great wines. What we think sets us apart is our commitment to offering each guest a warm and personal experience, coupled with a generous dose of education and a good deal of fun. This spirit of authenticity colors every choice we make and everything we do. Situated in a beautiful spot at the top of Spring Mountain with wonderful wines to share, each one of us is genuinely delighted to have guests visit. As all of our tastings are interactive and feature a progressive tasting in through the caves, we have the opportunity to plan the best experience for each guest and offer a truly memorable visit.