Grower Series Part 9: Ulises Valdez

Did you know that Ram’s Gate Winery sources grapes from over nine of the most esteemed grape growers in Sonoma County? Most of these grapes are kept separate from each other throughout the winemaking process from vine to bottle, resulting in individual vineyard-designate bottlings with the integrity of each vineyard site preserved in each wine. Over the next few months, we invite you to join us here for a behind the vines introduction to our devoted growers, without whom we would not be able to craft each uniquely luscious wine.

Ulises Valdez, Diablo Vineyard & Silver Eagle Vineyard

His passion for the grapevine and its cultivation met only by his passion for the United States of America, Ulises Valdez is a living, breathing manifestation of the fabled American Dream — and what results from vision, determination and a good attitude.

Ulises grew up with two donkeys and no electricity in an adobe hut in a town you’ve never heard of in Southern Mexico. At eight years old, he was forced to drop out of school to support his family after his father died on the job in the United States. At ten, the small child made a solo move to Mexico City for better paying work and at twelve, he hired a man at the market to teach him how to read and write. When a friend proposed that they move to the U.S. to be better able to support their families, sixteen year-old Ulises knew he must go. Ulises somehow landed in Cloverdale, California and started work in the first place that would have him. It was a vineyard.

Grower Series Part 8: Ellie Price

Did you know that Ram’s Gate Winery sources grapes from over nine of the most esteemed grape growers in Sonoma County? Most of these grapes are kept separate from each other throughout the winemaking process from vine to bottle, resulting in individual vineyard-designate bottlings with the integrity of each vineyard site preserved in each wine. Over the next few months, we invite you to join us here for a behind the vines introduction to our devoted growers, without whom we would not be able to craft each uniquely luscious wine.

Ellie Price, Durell Vineyard

The history of Durell Vineyard Syrah begins with its namesake founder, Ed Durell, but its current identity bears an additional name: Price. The Price family, who purchased Durell in 1998, now oversees the 400 acres that span across Carneros, Sonoma Coast and Sonoma Valley and contribute to some of the region’s most sought-after fruit.

From a southeast-facing hillside parcel of these treasured vines comes the fruit for Ram’s Gate’s Durell Vineyard Syrah, and behind those vines is Ellie Phipps Price. Ellie, an avid equestrian, lover of fine wines and graduate of UC Berkeley, founded her site with the vision to grow ultra-premium wine grapes.

Between her time spent with her two children and stewardship of Durell Vineyard, Ellie is an active supporter of animal welfare and environmental causes. Along the same vein, the vineyard practices of Durell Vineyard are respectful to the utmost of the natural balance paramount to growing delicious fruit. Her clay- and loam-soiled vines produce the rich, layered Durell Vineyard Syrah we are honored to craft at Ram’s Gate Winery.

Grower Series Part 4: The Sangiacomo Family

Did you know that Ram’s Gate Winery sources grapes from over nine of the most esteemed grape growers in Sonoma County? Most of these grapes are kept separate from each other throughout the winemaking process from vine to bottle, resulting in individual vineyard-designate bottlings with the integrity of each vineyard site preserved in each wine. Over the next few months, we invite you to join us here for a behind the vines introduction to our devoted growers, without whom we would not be able to craft each uniquely luscious wine.

Today’s generation of Sangiacomos continue their family legacy

The Sangiacomo Family has one of the longest legacies of high quality grape growing in Sonoma County. The first Sangiacomo to arrive in the United States was 17-year old Vittorio, who came over from rural Genoa on his father’s advice. It was the early 1900’s and like so many others at that time, he was a farmer from the old world coming to America in search of the proverbial ‘better life’. After working in San Francisco’s booming industrial region for many years, he eventually found his way back to the land and purchased his first orchard in 1927. With his new bride, Maria, also from Genoa, the young Sangiacomos built what quickly became the largest pear-producing farm in Sonoma County and welcomed four new Sangiacomos to the world.

In 1969, with decades of first-hand knowledge of the area’s growing conditions and a burgeoning wine scene starting to take shape around him Vittorio decided to give grapevines a try. He purchased a neighboring hay field and the Green Acres Vineyard, from which Ram’s Gate Winery crafts its Green Acres vineyard-designate Chardonnay, became the very first vineyard Vittorio planted.

The “Hill” block of the Green Acres Vineyard is planted to Old Wente clone Chardonnay, adored by winemakers for its diversity of berry size, higher skin to pulp ratio and resulting complexity imparted in the wine. The vines in the Hill block are over twenty years old and are reserved by six different wineries, each for vineyard-designate bottlings made from these premium grapes.

The Sangiacomos’ Roberts Road Vineyard, from which Ram’s Gate creates the Roberts Road vineyard-designate Pinot Noir, is another testament to the Sangiacomos’ pioneering spirit and willingness to take risks to discover something great. When the second generation of Sangiacomos found this property in 1998, there were but two other small vineyard plantings in the vicinity. The climate was on the cold side for grape-growing and industry peers thought it would never work. Now 15 years later, a waiting list of renowned winemakers hope to one day be able to receive fruit from this low yield, high quality site. Ram’s Gate Winery counts itself gratefully among the lucky few.

View the current-release Sangiacomo Chardonnay here.

For access to the tiny-production Roberts Road Pinot Noir, learn more about Ram’s Gate Membership here.

Grower Series Part 3: Bill Price, Durell Vineyard

Did you know that Ram’s Gate Winery sources grapes from over nine of the most esteemed grape growers in Sonoma County? Most of these grapes are kept separate from each other throughout the winemaking process from vine to bottle, resulting in individual vineyard-designate bottlings with the integrity of each vineyard site preserved in each wine. Over the next few months, we invite you to join us here for a behind the vines introduction to our devoted growers, without whom we would not be able to craft each uniquely luscious wine. 

Meet Bill Price, private equity investor turned wine entrepreneur, and the man behind the “Sand Hill” portion of Durell Vineyard, from which we source Chardonnay fruit for our Durell Vineyard Designated Chardonnay. We’ve got Durell on the brain this month as we prepare to release our January Membership Allocation, which includes Durell Chardonnay. To learn more about membership and secure your allocation in time, check out our membership page here. 

“If you don’t stay committed to your vision, you are lost.” So goes the mantra of Durell Vineyard owner Bill Price, private equity investor turned wine entrepreneur. It was this dedication and devotion that transformed Bill’s lifelong passion for wine into a full-time career, leading to purchase Durell in 1997.

“The first time I drove onto the property,” Bill recalls with emotion and wonder,” it was pouring rain with water flowing everywhere…I immediately programmed it into my GPS thinking no matter what, I needed to remember where it was – this was someplace very, very special.”

The 480 acres of Durell Vineyard span across three of Sonoma County’s appellations, and as a result, the vines bask in features of each: the cooling Carneros breezes from the San Pablo Bay, the warm Sonoma Valley sun and the Sonoma coast’s rolling fog.

From Ed Durell’s first plantings in 1979 to the 160 acres planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Zinfandel and Pinot Blanc today, the vineyard’s secret has been its soils. The terrain oscillates between cobbled, rocky riverbed stones and well-drained, rolling volcanic earth, which translates to a quintessentially “Durell” minerality and palette of baking spices in the glass.

Grower Series Part 2: Ned Hill, Ram’s Gate Estate Vineyards

Did you know that Ram’s Gate Winery sources grapes from over nine of the most esteemed grape growers in Sonoma County? Most of these grapes are kept separate from each other throughout the winemaking process from vine to bottle, resulting in individual vineyard-designate bottlings with the integrity of each vineyard site preserved in each wine. Over the next few months, we invite you to join us here for a behind the vines introduction to our devoted growers, without whom we would not be able to craft each uniquely luscious wine.

Next in our lineup of vine-growing experts is Ned Hill, Founder and Director of La Prenda Vineyards Management and son of Durell Vineyard’s Steve Hill. Ned Hill manages Ram’s Gate Winery’s Estate Vineyards, which surround the winery and tasting hall. 

Son of a Sonoma wine-growing pioneer, Vineyard Manager Ned Hill began learning the art and science of vineyard management as soon as he could stand on his own two feet. As a young kid, he loved to ride around in the 4-wheeler, bringing water to the crew and pulling leaves out of the large gondolas. During harvest time, he’d walk behind the picking crew and collect any ripe clusters that had been left behind. By age 15, he was exceedingly capable in nearly every aspect of the field and knew he wanted to make vineyard management his life’s work.

In 2008 at age 32, already with decades experience ahead of his time and an unrelenting work ethic, Ned and his wife began the La Prenda Vineyards Management Company, seeking to provide full-service vineyard management and consulting to high-end winegrowers.

Ned Hill has taken care of Ram’s Gate Winery’s estate vineyards since the winery’s inception. The twenty-eight planted acres surrounding the winery supply grapes for the small lot Estate Pinot Noir, Sparkling Brut and future Grenache, Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and more. Situated above miles of marshland on a Southern Carneros hillside, Ram’s Gate’s estate vineyards benefit from a long, cool growing season. The constant Bay influence keeps the climate temperate at all times of day and year, allowing the grapes to develop gradually to full maturity with enviable complexity and depth.

This fortunate fruit is made even more so under the expert eye and indefatigable care of Ned Hill, who knows exactly what’s going on in the vineyard at any given moment and is a veritable vine whisperer, brimming with explanations, ideas and solutions at every turn. Ned and Winemaker Jeff Gaffner work closely together to grow the most balanced and delicious fruit possible for Ram’s Gate Winery’s estate collection. The synergy of complementary forces is palpable.

Meet Sonoma’s Finest Growers

Did you know that Ram’s Gate Winery sources grapes from over nine of the most esteemed grape growers in Sonoma County? Most of these grapes are kept separate from each other throughout the winemaking process from vine to bottle, resulting in individual vineyard-designate bottlings with the integrity of each vineyard site preserved in each wine. Over the next few months, we invite you to join us here for a behind the vines introduction to our devoted growers, without whom we would not be able to craft each uniquely luscious wine.

First up: meet Steve Hill, the man who created the Durell Vineyard thirty years ago and now manages his own parcel, which he calls Parmelee-Hill 

Steve Hill had no experience in agriculture when his lifelong family friend Ed Durell called and invited him to manage and develop the 500 acres of virgin wilderness Ed had just purchased in Sonoma County. The year was 1979. Thirty some years later, Steve Hill has turned “Durell Vineyards” into a wine connoisseur’s household name. “Parmelee-Hill Vineyards” represents the 52 acres of grapevine-covered Sonoma Coast hills that Steve purchased from Ed Durell in 1994 and planted to grapevine shortly thereafter.

The Parmelee-Hill Vineyard, from which Ram’s Gate Winery creates a vineyard-designate Syrah, produces what is widely considered some of the best Syrah in the county. Situated on the protected side of a hill, which serves as a buffer to the coastal winds and allows the fruit to mature fully and slowly, Parmelee-Hill Vineyard Syrah is crafted into premium quality wine for a handful of reputable wineries. Among them are excellent producers such as Patz & Hall, Orin Swift’s The Prisoner and Saxon Brown in addition to Ram’s Gate Winery. Steve’s goal has always been to grow nothing short of luxury grapes for luxury wine.

“I want to grow a product that’s so good, even in the toughest times the demand is high.” His dedication to these vines is palpable. “Some people ask me why I insist on working 6 or 7-day weeks,” he explains. “A Friday to a Monday is an eternity in the vineyard.”  He prides himself on knowing at any given moment what’s going on out in his vines and is proud to work hard for what many consider to be unparalleled Syrah in Sonoma County. And Ram’s Gate Winery is certainly proud to craft wine from his beautiful fruit.

Click here to check out Ram’s Gate Winery’s Durell Vineyard Designate Syrah.

Next up: Ned Hill, Founder and Director of La Prenda Vineyards Management and son of Durell Vineyard’s Steve Hill. Ned Hill manages Ram’s Gate Winery’s Estate Vineyards, which surround the winery and tasting hall…check back soon!