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San Francisco Chronicle
13-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Acclaimed Wine Country vineyard with popular tasting room is up for sale
A celebrated Sonoma County winery and vineyard is seeking a new owner. Medlock Ames Winery and its vineyard, Bell Mountain Ranch, are up for sale for $44 million. The estate comprises 342 acres in Healdsburg, straddling the Russian River Valley and Alexander Valley appellations. The listing, which was first reported by the Healdsburg Tribune, also includes Medlock Ames' popular tasting room in Alexander Valley. It's one of several California wine businesses downsizing or shutting down right now, a result of plunging wine consumption and sales. The Duckhorn Portfolio disclosed last week it will close some tasting rooms and discontinue some wine brands, including Paraduxx. The Rafael Vineyard in Napa's Oak Knoll District, the source of grapes for famous winemakers like Thomas Rivers Brown and Massimo Di Costanzo, is listed for $7.95 million, down from $10 million a year ago. The decision to sell Medlock Ames was made about 18 months ago, said president Julie Rothberg, before the industry's downturn became fully apparent. She said the winery is at its "pinnacle," thanks to winemaker Abby Watt. The team has been making notable improvements that should make it an attractive investment, particularly the rehabilitation of the Bell Mountain Ranch vineyard after parts of it burned in the 2018 Kincade Fire. The vines that they replanted are now producing fruit. 'The land has come back to life,' Rothberg said. 'If you came and saw it now, you wouldn't even know that a fire had been there.' College best friends Chris Medlock James and Ames Morrison founded Medlock Ames in 1998 after moving from New York and purchasing Bell Mountain. They gained a following for their Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux-style blends, and also became known for their sustainability efforts. They installed solar power throughout the property in 2004, and in 2022 became the first Sonoma County winery to earn a Regenerative Organic certification. In 2009, the vintners bought a 1920s gas station and dive bar about 10 minutes away from Bell Mountain and transformed it into a modern-feeling tasting room surrounded by organic gardens. It helped usher in a new era of Wine Country tourism catering to hip, young drinkers. The speakeasy they opened in the back, Alexander Valley Bar, was a hit with local winemakers. (The bar later closed, and Medlock Ames sold its liquor license.) The winery has an active club of about 2,000 members, Rothberg said. It's unclear what Medlock Ames' current ownership structure is. Rothberg said that the winery doesn't publicly discuss its ownership, but confirmed that it includes an 'original co-founder.' The property has some privileges that are becoming rarer in Sonoma County, like the ability to hold private events at the tasting room. Thanks to a permit expansion during the pandemic, they can now serve wine to customers throughout the entire tasting room property, including the gardens. Bell Mountain Ranch has 47 planted acres of grapes, about half of which are Cabernet Sauvignon, and Rothberg estimated another 33 could be planted. The vineyard could be sold in four parcels. The winery currently makes about 8,000 cases per year, but has capacity for 20,000. The listing also includes three homes that include gardens, pools, fitness centers and a bocce court, and notes that 140 acres could be subdivided 'for additional development or expansion of hospitality services.' 'Let's be honest, this is a really challenging time in the industry,' Rothberg said. 'But I'm personally really excited about the future and finding a new owner who has the passion to continue in these progressive traditions and see the next 30 years through.' In the meantime, Medlock Ames will continue to produce wine and host visitors for tastings.
CBS News
05-02-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Mudslide buries portion of Santa Rosa home, trapping residents
A mudslide cascaded onto a home in Santa Rosa Tuesday evening, trapping residents inside until rescue crews were able to reach them, authorities said. The Sonoma County Fire Protection District said the slide happened around 5 p.m. Tuesday on Deer Trail Court west of Wallace Road and just east of Rincon Ridge. The slide severely damaged the home, collapsing part of its walls and roof and causing the home to buckle with the second floor separating from the bottom portion of the home. District spokeswoman Karen Hancock said the slide trapped residents inside the home for a time until firefighters safely rescued them. No injuries were reported. The house, perched against a hillside, had been rebuilt on the burn scar after the 2017 Tubbs Fire, making it especially vulnerable to heavy rain, said Hancock. The Press Democrat reported residents of the home had previously evacuated during the 2019 Kincade Fire and 2020 Glass Fire, both of which narrowly missed the home. The home was the second to be damaged or destroyed in Sonoma County on Tuesday because of the effects of the atmospheric river-fueled storm. Earlier during Tuesday's downpour, a slide pushed a home into the swollen Russian River in Forestville, where it was completely washed away. No one was in the home at the time.
