McNab Ridge Winery, Hopland CA

Category & Type :

Wineries And Breweries

Location :

13441 South Highway 101 , Hopland CA

Phone :

707-744-1986

Website :

http://www.mcnabridge.com/

Information about McNab Ridge Winery...

Once known as the McNab Ranch, the property was originally homesteaded in 1868, by Alexander McNab, a Scottish immigrant. The original property consisted of thousands of acres of land, including the McNab Valley where our winery now stands. Nestled at the back of the valley, McNab Ridge is surrounded by some of the finest vineyards in Mendocino County.

The McNab Valley, in which the winery is situated, was settled in 1868 by the sheep rancher and Scottish immigrant Alexander McNab. To manage his flocks, in 1885 he imported two male “fox collies” from an original neighbor and bred a distinctive dog variety that, not surprisingly, became known as McNab; his son John imported others from the same area in the early 1900s. One legend is Alexander crossed the original males with Spanish females imported by the Basque sheep herders to obtain a shorter haired dog more resistant to California heat. Whatever their origins, McNabs are now treasured by farmers and ranchers throughout California and elsewhere, are noted for their devotion and loyal companionship, and are registered through the National Stockdog Registry. Napoli Lehnert and his wife Rena, who own the vineyard behind the winery from which we harvest Pinotage and much of our other grapes, have two beautiful examples - Pinot and Crush.

Our History

Mendocino's first vineyards were planted during the American Civil War. Italian immigrants penetrated the wilderness and found a place reminiscent of their steep hillside farms back home. John Parducci's immigrant father arrived in the United States in 1912 and sold grapes to home winemakers across the country. During that time, John was learning the art of winemaking from his father, 200 legal gallons at a time, of course.

John continued making wine at his family's winery until the late 1980s. He purchased the McNab Ridge Winery in 1999 to continue his tradition of making classic Mendocino County varietal wines. John knew the McNab Valley area well, having grown up hunting deer, turkey and wild boar on the ridges and valleys around the McNab Ranch.

John's grandson Rich Parducci grew up in Mendocino County like his grandfather. He joined John at McNab Ridge following the 1999 harvest. Rich has a winemaking degree from California State University at Fresno, and held various winemaking positions before accepting the head job at McNab Ridge.

McNab Ridge Winery now combines the pioneering winemaking spirit of John Parducci with the new tradition and vitality of Rich Parducci. Rich makes wine in the style made famous by his grandfather, John: complex, approachable, and enjoyable to drink. "We make wine that gets people to ask for a second glass," says Rich. Production in 2010 was 16,000 9-liter cases.