Pride Mountain Vineyards

Pride Mountain Vineyards is located high on the spine of the Mayacamas mountains, the geographical boundary between Napa and Sonoma Counties. The winery is about halfway between eastern Santa Rosa (the largest city in Sonoma County) and the town of St. Helena in the Napa Valley. In fact, half of their winery is in Sonoma County including their tasting room, and the other half is in Napa County; their vineyards grow in both counties with approximately 60% of their land in Sonoma County and 40% in Napa County. A row of bricks in the concrete between the tasting room and the winery visually identifies the county line. Wines that contain grapes from both Sonoma and Napa County are labeled with the percentages of each; as they say at Pride, “one ranch, two counties”.

Pride Mountain owns 235 acres with approximately 90 acres planted to vine. As a result, there is a nice balance between the native hillside vegetation and the vineyard blocks. The winery is one of the more recognizable wineries in the Spring Mountain District. Regardless of the direction you come from, you will be driving on narrow windy roads to reach the property.

Pride Mountain was founded by Jim (died in 2004) and Carolyn Pride; today the winery is still very much family run – Carolyn’s two children Suzanne and Steve are the co-owners.

The earliest vineyard plantings on site were from 1869 – the property was originally called the Summit Ranch by locals and was deeded to its original owners in 1872 from the US Government. Over the years we have seen several photographs of wooden wagons making the trip up from St. Helena to the top of Spring Mountain (one such photo shows a wagon in between two redwood trees on the lower part of Spring Mountain before the road becomes much steeper (these redwoods are still there). Electricity did not arrive to the top of Spring Mountain until the 1940s and Spring Mountain Road was not paved until the 1950’s.

Prior to the Pride’s purchase of the property in 1989, grapes from the vineyards were being sold to Robert Mondavi Winery (grapes have been growing continuously on site since the 1950s). However, when the Pride’s purchased the property, much of the existing vineyards needed to be revitalized or replanted – initially overseen by noted Napa viticulturist, “Laurie” Wood. The original winery on the property, Summit Winery was founded in 1890 – today only parts of the old stone walls are standing as the winery burned down sometime during Prohibition.

The first Pride wines were made at what is now Frank Family and then Rombauer Winery from 1991 through 1996; the current winery was built in 1997 and later 23,000 square feet of caves were drilled into the hillside. Early winemaker and for a number of years was Robert Foley (he used to produce his own wines at Pride until he built his own winery on Howell Mountain).

Jim was the founder of the well-known Pride Institute, formerly (headquartered at Hamilton Landing in Novato about a 70-minute drive south of the winery). Ask most dentists about this institute and they will have heard of it. They introduced many now common practices in the dental industry and currently provide management and consulting services for dental offices. After Jim’s death, Pride Institute was sold to its employees.

Hospitality
This winery has been the reason a lot of folks make the short trip up to Spring Mountain from the town of St Helena or from the other side, from Santa Rosa. Pride Mountain is well known both for the quality of wines and their exceptional hospitality. Their employees participate in regular training, including sessions hosted by prominent leaders in the wine world. They truly care about their clients; this is something extremely important to note.

Due to their popularity (arguably the most visited winery on Spring Mountain), an auxiliary benefit has been additional recognition for the Spring Mountain District. There is 20+ other small premium producers on ‘the mountain’; all are appointment only and most are within only a 10 minute or less drive of each other. For guests coming here and to limit driving time, it makes sense to schedule another appointment or two on Spring Mountain.

Due to its perch at about 2,000 feet in elevation there are excellent views; on a clear day one can see into parts of several counties including all the way to Snow Mountain (often covered in snow in the winter) – about 80 airline miles to the north.

We highly recommend their Estate Tasting – allow 90 minutes for this educational experience including the tasting and tour through part of the cave. Alternatively, the Summit Experience is a private seated tasting within the cave and also lasts about 90 minutes. Both tastings include an overview of the Pride Mountain history and information about their vineyards and wine making.

In the past Pride used Belgian draft horses for guest experiences – bringing visitors through the vineyards while seated on a wooden wagon. We recall years ago an employee even taught one of the horses how to dance, Mexican style! These original horses have since died and no more horses are kept on the property.

Tours are especially popular around and during harvest time, so be sure to reserve well in advance if you are planning a visit to the valley during this time of year. Several nice spots on the property are available for picnics including up the hill beyond the winery and what is our favorite spot, the tables next to stone walls of the old Summit Winery (for tour guests usually following a tour, let the tasting room staff know before you setup your picnic).

The tasting room is elegantly furnished with a hand painted mural above the mirror behind the tasting counter. Tastings usually include at least one white wine among all the red wines.

Their wines have performed well at a variety of wine competitions over the years and have also been a favorite in the White House spanning multiple presidents; a wall next to the tasting room is decorated with Presidential menus for when their wine was served at White House functions. The first Pride wine served at the White House was in 1997.

Select Wines/Winemaking
A variety of soil types are on site including noticeably red rocky soils. In addition, afternoon breezes help delay the onset of mildew and keep other diseases at bay. Because of the elevation of the property, the vineyards are often above the fog line – with a long moderate growing season, plenty of sunshine with harvest often occurring in late October. The vast majority of their wines are produced from their estate vineyards – their focus is on Bordeaux style reds, but they also make several enticing white wines.

Pride’s philosophy is that the majority of wine making occurs in the vineyards and that blending grapes from multiple vineyard blocks add complexity to wine. Individual blocks are harvested only as they ripen. Fruit from these blocks is then fermented and aged separate from each other until the final blends are put together. Unlike many area vintners, they believe in using all neutral oak during the initial stages of aging the red wines – then based on each barrel and flavor profile they will add in individual new oak barrels as necessary. The wine making team wants to highlight the true expressions of the vintage and varieties rather than have the new oak take over in the early stages of aging.

Whites
Chardonnay
Perhaps wine enthusiasts sometimes associate California Chardonnays as lacking the components to being able to age – possibly reinforced by wines of this style that are heavily oaked and got through full malolactic fermentation. But Pride Mountain crafts their Chardonnays to be able to age and develop more complexities over time. The fruit source is extremely important; they have made wine from Chardonnay from multiple vineyard sites over the years but eventually kept returning to a really special source – Poseidon’s Vineyard on the Napa side of Carneros.

The Pride expression of this varieety is always a very thoughtfully made Chardonnay. It is entirely barrel fermented but focusing on using neutral barrels rather than new oak with weekly battonage. And during the winemaking they take steps to limit oxygen exposure – even wrapping their entire press in cellophane and then immediately blanketing the resulting pressed juice with a cover of nitrogen to limit oxygen exposure.

The 2024 Pride Mountain Chardonnay is medium gold in color; stone & tropical fruited, ripe but never crossing into the territory of being oaky, this wine smells like yellow nectarine, apricot, pineapple, golden delicious apples, melting butter, vanilla and finishing inflections of butterscotch and creme brule. As the wine ages, our guess is this latter aromatic will begin to start showing more. A rich and ripe expression of the variety both in terms of flavor and texture, this wine tastes like honeycomb, baked apples, Alphonso mango, pineapple, vanilla and a light note of butterscotch. The palate carries some noticeable weight and viscosity but is never heavy, showcasing a creamy and supple mouth feel. This wine finishes richly flavored with plenty of persistence including flavor and acidity. Both fermentation and its elevage were in 90% neutral oak and 10% new French oak barrels. The vineyard sources were from Carneros and the Oak Knoll District.

The 2019 Pride Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay saw only 30% malolactic fermentation, a choice that helps preserve both freshness and structure. Medium to deep gold in color, it opens with expressive aromas of honeysuckle, ripe pineapple, and lemon, with a subtle floral lift that adds elegance to the bouquet. The aromatic richness carries seamlessly onto the palate, where the wine delivers an equally generous depth of flavor. A distinct thread of minerality—almost flinty in character—emerges from the front through the mid-palate, providing a refined backbone to the wine. Layers of mandarin orange and lemon zest unfold gradually, offering brightness alongside the richer fruit tones. Despite its concentration, the wine remains very well balanced. There is a noticeable weight, but it never overwhelms; instead, it contributes to a polished texture, complemented by a gentle, integrated creaminess. The result is a Chardonnay that harmonizes richness with restraint, delivering both complexity and precision in a poised, lingering finish.

Viognier
Viognier is one of Carolyn Pride’s favorite varieties.

The 2023 Pride Mountain Vineyards Viognier is made with grapes, 57% from Sonoma and 43% from Napa Valley. This wine is pale straw in color; highly aromatic the bouquets burst from the glass offering a union of tropical, floral and ripe orchard fruit aromas including lychee, pineapple guava, pineapple, star jasmine, citrus blossom, white nectarine, white peach and apricot. It smells like it might be a late harvest white, but in reality the palate is bone dry. It reveals flavors of white peaches and nectarines, apricot, pineapple, Comice pear, Golden delicious apple, pineapple guava and passion fruit. Lightly fleshy, but not viscous, its texture is smooth and rounded. Its rich flavors are complemented nicely by its bright acidity. Lingers with persistent drying character. Pair with a glass, a good book, a warm spring afternoon and a recliner.

The 2017 Pride Mountain Vineyards Viognier (from the Sonoma County side of their property) was entirely aged in barrel (neutral oak) with battonage lasting for about 6 weeks. This stirring of the lees is done to “build up the stuffing of the mid palate,” accordingly to then winemaker Sally Johnson (she left Pride in 2022). One soon notices the roundness and weight on the palate that she is referring to. Also immediately noticeable is the extremely aromatic bouquet with its sweet tropical and floral aromas. Summertime stone fruit – with ripe aromas of nectarine and peach. These aromas continue as flavors – rich on the palate there is a perception this wine might be sweet due to the intensity of the fruit but in reality, there is no residual sugar.

Pride Mountain used to produce a Mistelle de Viognier (may still be able to find this online), this was a very unique wine. It was created with juice from Viognier grapes and fortified with white brandy.

Reds
Pride’s red wines age very well, and it is interesting to note the differences both in aroma and flavor even with just a year extra of bottle aging.

Merlot
The 2023 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot is 89% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This wine is medium ruby in color; the nose smells a union of both spice, floral and fruited notes. These scents include dried rose petal, raspberry, red cherry, boysenberry and a whisper of cocoa powder and mocha as the wine opens further. Balanced already, 2.5 years post vintage this wine is already highly approachable in terms of both youth and a vintage that tended to produce plenty of structural bones. Its flavors include raspberry, cherry, Santa Rosa plum and red mulberries. And there is a spicy and savory edge, most noticeable on the finish including notes of dried herbs, i.e. sage, bay leaf, white pepper and smoked cedar.

The 2018 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot is composed of 83% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Cabernet Franc. It is medium ruby in color, immediately offering a bouquet led by darker spice notes. There is a somewhat briary character at first, intertwined with ripe aromatics of blackberry; with a bit of air, the wine opens further to reveal layers of dessert spices, adding warmth and complexity to the nose. On the palate, flavors of red cherry and currant take the lead, supported by a subtle earthiness that echoes the wine’s initial aromatic profile. There is a noticeable tartness that brings energy and lift, complemented by still tightly knit tannins reflective of its youth. These tannins show a slightly dry edge, yet remain fine-grained rather than coarse, contributing structure without overwhelming the wine. A thread of mouthwatering acidity runs throughout, enhancing both the freshness and the persistence of the finish. Overall, this is a well-structured and food-friendly Merlot, with a balance of fruit, acidity, and tannin that makes it particularly versatile at the table while also suggesting further development with additional time in bottle.

The 2015 Pride Mountain Vineyards Merlot is composed of 87.9% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 0.1% Petit Verdot. The bouquet is elegant and expressive, offering a subtle hint of smokiness that weaves through bright red fruit aromatics of strawberry and plum. With a bit of air, these aromas deepen slightly, revealing an added layer of complexity without losing their freshness. Pride’s Merlot vines are known for producing clusters with very small berries—resulting in a high skin-to-juice ratio—and this contributes to the wine’s notable structure and concentration. This vintage is no exception. On the palate, the wine shows both ripeness and definition, with a core of red fruit supported by underlying savory tones. The tannins are ripe and robust, asserting themselves more prominently on the finish where they linger alongside a nuanced thread of darker spice. Despite this structure, the wine maintains a sense of balance, aided by very good acidity that keeps the profile lively and focused. The interplay between fruit, tannin, and acidity gives the wine both immediate appeal and the ability to continue evolving gracefully over time.

Syrah
The 2023 Pride Mountain Vineyards Syrah, Sonoma County is 95% Syrah, 3% Grenache and 2% Viognier. This wine was fermented in stainless steel vessels and aged entirely in 100% neutral French oak barrels. Its color is deep ruby with some purplish hues on the rim; distinctive, fun and open knitted, the bouquet offers sweet fruited aromas of ripe Santa Rosa plum, blackberry, boysenberry, and Persian mulberries. Layers of baking spices including clove, nutmeg and cocoa powder provide supporting nuances. This wine tastes brambly including notes of raspberry and blackberry with a light finishing spicy character including of dried herbs and crushed peppercorn. Sporting soft and supple tannins, this wine’s texture offers a creamy caress, a gentle hug, seamlessly integrated into the plush finish.

Claret
The 2015 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Claret is a Merlot dominated wine (60% Merlot) with 39% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Petit Verdot. Fruit for this wine comes from their best block of Merlot plus fruit from the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon block on site (planted in 1982 – the only original block that the Pride’s did not replant). This old vine Cab block is named the Rock Arch Block after a rock arch that used to be located on this part of the property but was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. The 2015 shows aromas of dark cherry and blueberry with nuances of dust and cedar box. As the wine opens reveals hints of mocha on the bouquet. A good mix of both darker and red fruits show on the palate including red cherry and black currant. Very approachable in its youth but has plenty of ‘oomph’ and character to last quite some time if aged properly.

Cabernet Sauvignon
The 2023 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, 68% Napa Valley and 32% Sonoma County and a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Francs deep ruby and opaque; the appealing bouquet smells red fruited and restrained, with its time in oak providing a supporting influence, contributing light layers of sweet baking spices, more noticeable as the wine evolves. This wine smells like dark raspberry, blackberry, red plums, cherry pie and a hint of lavender. Bright, balanced and harmonious, all of its pieces already fit together quite well in its youth. We tasted this 2.5 years post vintage. Its flavors include raspberry, boysenberry, blueberry and red cherry. The tannins are comfortably felt, with a light to moderate dusty tug in parallel with the fruit on the finish. Medium+ acidity. This wine pairs particularly well with Soul Meets Body by the band, Death Cab for Cutie.

The 2018 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon is dark ruby in color – sports plenty of darker fruit aromatics including blackberry, black currant and black licorice. A ripe sweetness of aromas show as the wine opens further. If we should so dare to generalize, this smells like a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon – although to be fair, 30% of this wine was from the Sonoma County side of their property. Medium to the full bodied with plenty of layers of flavor including black cherry. The grip of tannins begins on the front of the palate through to the finish without being heavy or course in texture.

The 2015 Pride Mountain Vineyards Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon with very small percentages of Merlot and Petit Verdot. Even in the dimly lit cave light one can see this wine is quite dark in the glass. An aromatic gem, it is somewhat savory on the bouquet showing pretty aromas of ripe blackberry and black fig along with cinnamon and brown sugar. The palate shows incredible depth; this is a powerful wine with long lasting robust tannins and hints of lingering mocha. Like for the Reserve Claret, this Cabernet Sauvignon was also sourced from the Rock Arch Vineyard.

Cabernet Franc
2018 was year 2 in a series of 4 years in a row of absolutely devastating fire years in California. However, unlike some of the other vintages during this period, harvest was not as affected and the growing season in 2018 while accelerated at the end, was generally a good vintage.

The 2018 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc opens with a bouquet that leans slightly spicy, layered with notes of cigar smoke and a touch of earthiness that gives it an immediately savory appeal. With time in the glass, the fruit begins to emerge more fully—red cherry and ripe plum take shape, accompanied by subtle hints of licorice that add both depth and intrigue. This wine delivers ample flavor and concentration, building steadily toward a particularly expressive finish. Here, darker spices come to the forefront, joined by nuances of dried tobacco leaf that echo the aromatics. The tannins—both from the grape and oak—are firm and long-lasting, providing structure and persistence. There is a slightly chewy texture at the end, reinforcing the wine’s youthful grip and aging potential. As with many wines from Pride Mountain Vineyards, a lively thread of acidity runs throughout, lending balance and lift to the wine’s richer, more structured elements. The result is a Cabernet Franc that is both robust and nuanced, offering a compelling interplay between fruit, spice, and structure.

Sangiovese
The 2018 Pride Mountain Vineyards Sangiovese (harvested from 5 rows on the Sonoma County side of their property) is 77% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot. The wine is medium to deeper garnet in color; offers a ripeness of fruit on the bouquet with notes of plum, red cherry and darker spice hints along with a green herb hint deeper into the aromatics – but the aromas are primarily fruit driven. Very balanced in its youth from start to finish focusing more on red fruits rather than darker fruits. Great acidity with a juicy mouthwatering finish featuring some long-lasting darker spices (black pepper), leather and gravelly tannins. Medium bodied. Cozy up to a fire with a cigar in hand with this wine!

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Based on their location straddling the county line – Pride Mountain often participates in tasting events in both Sonoma and Napa County – including the Napa Wine Auction, Premiere Napa Valley and the Sonoma County Barrel Auction.

Total production varies but is around 18,000 cases per year with about 85% sold direct to consumer. For more information, to schedule a visit or to join their wine club, visit: www.pridewines.com

Hospitality Center

Winery/Caves

Vineyards

Summit Winery (founded 1890)

Pride Institute, Novato, permanently closed.