About Us
Occidental Ridge Vineyard is situated on a wind-swept, sun drenched promontory above the little town of Occidental in West Sonoma County, CA.
The Pinot Noir made from this site has some of the implicit richness of the Russian River wines, but with a remarkable "verve" or raciness of structure that can only be associated with the Sonoma Coast. Our unique mesoclimate is one of those rare "warm spots in a cool region". In summer, we really have very little fog effect, but our mid-day temperatures are moderate (not hot) with dry, breezy days of full sunshine.
If one can accept that there is "the wild" of the true Sonoma Coast, out to our west, and "the mild" of the central Russian River agricultural areas, we are right between the two. Our vineyard seems to express the best of both worlds.
Our vineyard is farmed based on the Code of Sustainable Winegrowing Practices .
The principle embraces a balance of respect for the environment and our neighbors, with economic sensibility. In addition, we are proud to utilize solar power for much of our operation, along with gravity-fed rainfall capture.
Through an incredible intersection of good luck and effort, we are providing our Pinot Noir fruit to two of the most sought-after brands in California cult Pinot Noir: Failla and Rivers-Marie . The gifted winemakers behind these efforts are crafting a pure, definitive expression of the vineyard site, in their bottling of the "Occidental Ridge Vineyard" designate wines. This type of refined, elegant and restrained enology has been the hallmark of the "new style" of California Pinot Noir.
These wines are being served at some of the top restaurants in the United States, and have been very well received by sommeliers, critics and wine lovers.
We truly look forward to the coming years at this unique vineyard. The best is ahead of us, with the vines gaining in complexity and power. It's going to be an exciting journey...
