Right there on page 12, " Napa Valley's Random Ridge Vineyard has produced since the late '90s Old Wave zinfandel and Cloud Break chardonnay."
Saturday
You'll Find Us Surfing, the Encyclopedia
Right there on page 12, " Napa Valley's Random Ridge Vineyard has produced since the late '90s Old Wave zinfandel and Cloud Break chardonnay."
Tuesday
Wine delivery Dell’uva May 21
Great vibe at Dell’uva wine bar at 565 Green Street in San Francisco, loyal Random Ridge customers. En route to a poetry reading at Berkeley Art Museum with Brian Howlett and Steve Simpson in tow, found Dell’uva celebrating three years of business in a tough economy. Enjoyed a bottle of our Olas Sauvignon Blanc 2008 with owners Juri and Jason and server extraordinaire Paulina in lovely North Beach afternoon light.
Random Ridge Vineyard
On the edge of an ancient caldera on the western border of the Mount Veeder District, Random Ridge is a 47-acre ranch that straddles the Napa and Sonoma county line at an elevation of 2300 feet. Bill Hawley built the family home with recycled materials in 1980 and planted the first vines in the spring of 1982. The vineyard is currently 10 acres densely planted with a simple vertical trellis system, yielding roughly 1.5 tons per acre. The soil is decomposed volcanics, tuff, and solid rock.
Landscape
At the heart of the appellation stands the 2,677 ft. high volcanic peak of Mount Veeder - named for a 19th century Presbyterian pastor who enjoyed hiking in the area. Over 90 percent of the appellation remains relatively wild, wooded with oak, madrone, laurel, fir and redwood and inhabited by mountain lions, coyotes and pileated woodpeckers.
Precipation averages between 35 - 50 inches per year. Several special climatic conditions provide vines with a long, cool, even ripening period. Elevation places Mount Veeder above the morning fog bank, bathing vineyards in gentle sunshine. The mountain slopes protect vineyards from afternoon heat, and evening brings on a temperature inversion - making Mount Veeder nights warmer than those in the valley and limiting spring frost.
Viticulture
Tending a mountain vineyard requires extra time and care. Growers use little machinery, and pick all of their grapes by hand - an unbeatable method of quality control. The open structure of Mount Veeder soils limits moisture retention in the grape ripening period. This built-in restraint, combined with thin soils and a general lack of groundwater, enables vineyard managers to induce a degree of stress critical to the production of high quality fruit. The ratio of berry skin surface area to liquid volume is high, yielding intense and concentrated juices.
Wines
Mount Veeder's vintners share a commitment to quality. Though appellation wines are diverse as their winemakers and the mountain's microclimates, they share some special qualities. For red wines, it's the briary, brambly flavors of wild berries; the hint of spice, pepper and herbs like lavender, anise and sage; and more structure than the average wine. The region's Chardonnays display reserved tropical and stone fruit flavors with a touch of citrus, and are often longer lived than their valley counterparts.
Today, the mountain's vintners are proudly adding "Mount Veeder - Napa Valley" to their labels so that winelovers everywhere can choose the fine wines of this distinctive appellation.
Read All About It !
Following are articles about Random Ridge starting back in 1983.Included are articles by... The San Francisco Chronicle, The Sonoma Index Tribune, Surfer Magazine, The Wine Advocate and many others.
San Francisco Chronicle, november 1983
"A Winery Fights to Keep Topsoil" by George Snyder
... 'We don't want erosion and we don't want to use pesticides and herbicides here,' Hawley says. 'I guess the bottom line is that we want to hold onto the soil. It's that fine, red, volcanic stuff that gives our grapes their distinctive taste. The French call it the 'taste of the earth.' It's something we just don't want to lose.'
... 'We don't want erosion and we don't want to use pesticides and herbicides here,' Hawley says. 'I guess the bottom line is that we want to hold onto the soil. It's that fine, red, volcanic stuff that gives our grapes their distinctive taste. The French call it the 'taste of the earth.' It's something we just don't want to lose.'
Sonoma Index-Tribune, october 1985
John Lynch, "Poet and grape grower honored for vineyard control efforts here"
"Bill Hawley earned his college degree in Contemporary Poetry. But he has developed equal talent in expressing his work with his hands... Hawley, 33,... has been selected as 1984 "Cooperator of the Year" by the Sonoma Valley Resource Conservation District for his efforts to control hillside vineyard erosion."
"Bill Hawley earned his college degree in Contemporary Poetry. But he has developed equal talent in expressing his work with his hands... Hawley, 33,... has been selected as 1984 "Cooperator of the Year" by the Sonoma Valley Resource Conservation District for his efforts to control hillside vineyard erosion."
San Francisco Chronicle
Rod Smith, The Wine Page, "A Fine Crew of California Zinfandels Ages Well", april 1989,
It could only be described as a fine Zinfandel in its prime. That was the case with the 1979 Quantum Leap, made by Sonoma County grapegrower William Hawley from his own vineyard in the Mount Veeder area. As a dry late harvest wine, it showed another classic zin style that is unique to the variety. Inky purple and very, very ripe, it showed volcanic Zinfandel flavors and a dusting of black pepper in the long finish.
It could only be described as a fine Zinfandel in its prime. That was the case with the 1979 Quantum Leap, made by Sonoma County grapegrower William Hawley from his own vineyard in the Mount Veeder area. As a dry late harvest wine, it showed another classic zin style that is unique to the variety. Inky purple and very, very ripe, it showed volcanic Zinfandel flavors and a dusting of black pepper in the long finish.
Press Democrat
Dan Berger's Wine Cellar, september 1994
"Some of the best new labels on the shelf are from newcomers who have developed new wineries on existing vineyards. Among these are excellent producers with names such as ... Random Ridge... Today adventuresome consumers can have good, fairly priced wine in almost every price range -- wine that's better than it's ever been."
"Some of the best new labels on the shelf are from newcomers who have developed new wineries on existing vineyards. Among these are excellent producers with names such as ... Random Ridge... Today adventuresome consumers can have good, fairly priced wine in almost every price range -- wine that's better than it's ever been."
Wine Enthusiast
Unknown Sonoma by Dan Berger, august 1996
Random Ridge: Surfer Bill Hawley began to make wine a decade ago from his own six-acre vineyard high in the Mayacamas Mountains. The vineyard, now 10 acres, is on Mount Veeder, accessible through a remote Sonoma Valley road. "The Napa/Sonoma county line goes right through my property; my house is in both counties," he says.
Hawley's production, including a joint venture with Wellington, is 700 cases. The Random Ridge red wine is a 50-50 Cabernet Sauvignon/Franc blend; Wellington uses Random Ridge as a vineyard designate. About 90 percent of Hawley's wine is sold "within an hour's drive of my home." He also makes Old Wave Zinfandel from a 90-year old Sonoma Valley vineyard and a tiny amount of Cloudbreak Chardonnay.
Hawley moved here in 1972 to attend Sonoma State University (and wrote a thesis on the influence of Zen Buddhism on the San Francisco school of poetry), built his own home, hand-embellishes each wine label, farms all the grapes he uses.
Random Ridge: Surfer Bill Hawley began to make wine a decade ago from his own six-acre vineyard high in the Mayacamas Mountains. The vineyard, now 10 acres, is on Mount Veeder, accessible through a remote Sonoma Valley road. "The Napa/Sonoma county line goes right through my property; my house is in both counties," he says.
Hawley's production, including a joint venture with Wellington, is 700 cases. The Random Ridge red wine is a 50-50 Cabernet Sauvignon/Franc blend; Wellington uses Random Ridge as a vineyard designate. About 90 percent of Hawley's wine is sold "within an hour's drive of my home." He also makes Old Wave Zinfandel from a 90-year old Sonoma Valley vineyard and a tiny amount of Cloudbreak Chardonnay.
Hawley moved here in 1972 to attend Sonoma State University (and wrote a thesis on the influence of Zen Buddhism on the San Francisco school of poetry), built his own home, hand-embellishes each wine label, farms all the grapes he uses.
Los Angeles Times
"Former 'longhairs' true to their environmental roots", Dan Berger
"Thirty years ago, when the counter-culture staged sit- in protests and raged about the environment -- and middle America called them kooks -- some "longhairs," frustrated at intransigence in the establishment, moved to northern California.
Many wound up in the then-little-populated California counties of Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino... the growth of the California wine industry in the early 1970's coincides with the move of disaffected city-dwelling, environmentally conscious youth to the hinterlands, many of whom wound up in the wine industry.
In the last decade, some have reverted to their original philosophy and adopted the organic farming methods that are proving effective for the making of fine wine.
... With tiny wineries such as Random Ridge in the Napa Valley... full organic farming is in full effect."
"Thirty years ago, when the counter-culture staged sit- in protests and raged about the environment -- and middle America called them kooks -- some "longhairs," frustrated at intransigence in the establishment, moved to northern California.
Many wound up in the then-little-populated California counties of Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino... the growth of the California wine industry in the early 1970's coincides with the move of disaffected city-dwelling, environmentally conscious youth to the hinterlands, many of whom wound up in the wine industry.
In the last decade, some have reverted to their original philosophy and adopted the organic farming methods that are proving effective for the making of fine wine.
... With tiny wineries such as Random Ridge in the Napa Valley... full organic farming is in full effect."
The Wine Advocate
1997, Issue 112, Robert Parker
89+ - Random Ridge 1994 Red Table Wine. Made from a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Cabernet Franc grapes, grown on Mount Veeder, Random Ridge's 1994 is a fruit- driven, intense, medium to full-bodied wine that exhibits excellent winemaking. With its copious quantities of sweet, jammy black fruits intermixed with smoke, earth, and spice, this wine possesses structure and tannin, which is masked by a flashy display of fruit, glycerine, and extract. With another year or so in the bottle, this wine will undoubtedly settle down and become more focused. An intriguing, grapy, unevolved, dense, spicy wine with considerable potential, its forward charms are difficult to resist. Drink it over the next decade, but don't be surprised to see it develop more complexity, and last for 10 to 15 years.
89+ - Random Ridge 1994 Red Table Wine. Made from a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Cabernet Franc grapes, grown on Mount Veeder, Random Ridge's 1994 is a fruit- driven, intense, medium to full-bodied wine that exhibits excellent winemaking. With its copious quantities of sweet, jammy black fruits intermixed with smoke, earth, and spice, this wine possesses structure and tannin, which is masked by a flashy display of fruit, glycerine, and extract. With another year or so in the bottle, this wine will undoubtedly settle down and become more focused. An intriguing, grapy, unevolved, dense, spicy wine with considerable potential, its forward charms are difficult to resist. Drink it over the next decade, but don't be surprised to see it develop more complexity, and last for 10 to 15 years.
Oddbins Fine Wines Catalogue London 1997
Random Ridge could accurately be described as a phenomenon... the setting is reminiscent of a 50's homestead... handcrafted, well-knit [wines]...
1993 Random Ridge Table Wine. Steven Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, "Juicy, tobacco-flavoured fruit offers good ripeness and balancing acidity and a Bordeaux-like shapeliness."
1993 Random Ridge Table Wine. Steven Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, "Juicy, tobacco-flavoured fruit offers good ripeness and balancing acidity and a Bordeaux-like shapeliness."
1994 Random Ridge
"1994 was a spectacular year for Mt. Veeder grapes and from them Bill Hawley produced one of his best wines ever. Bill's Random Ridge vineyards are at 2300 feet on the northeast side of the mountain ... This is a big, serious wine that shows copious quantities of sweet black fruit. Rich flavors of berry, smoke, earth and spice make this a Cabernet for all hearty dishes. It will also reward patience.
1996 Cloudbreak Chardonnay. Winemaker and vineyardist Bill Hawley has never failed to impress with his unique blends and his hand-colored, entertaining labels. This old vine Semillon made from 90-year old vines may be his finest effort to date, red or white... The wine was entirely barrel fermented, sur lie aged, with 70% malolactic fermentation, and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. The richness, length and depth are remarkable for a wine of this price -- or any price for that matter. This is one of the very finest examples of this varietal we've ever tasted and bears comparison to a top white Graves from Bordeaux. So if you're burned out on Chardonnay, come on over!"
1996 Cloudbreak Chardonnay. Winemaker and vineyardist Bill Hawley has never failed to impress with his unique blends and his hand-colored, entertaining labels. This old vine Semillon made from 90-year old vines may be his finest effort to date, red or white... The wine was entirely barrel fermented, sur lie aged, with 70% malolactic fermentation, and was bottled unfined and unfiltered. The richness, length and depth are remarkable for a wine of this price -- or any price for that matter. This is one of the very finest examples of this varietal we've ever tasted and bears comparison to a top white Graves from Bordeaux. So if you're burned out on Chardonnay, come on over!"
Surfer Magazine september 1997
Better With Age by Gary Taylor
"What do walking the nose and walking on grapes have in common? If you asked vintner/surfer Bill Hawley, owner of Random Ridge wines, he'd tell you they're complimentary... The 45-year old Hawley, a lifelong surfer and winemaker, has carved himself a niche... What's even better is that Hawley has remained close to his surfing roots, using labels such as "CloudBreak" and "Old Wave" for his wines. The art on the labels, according to Hawley, "are a humble nod to the late Rick Griffin." On top of that, his one-man business enables him to take two or three good surf trips a year to exotic locations.
As difficult as it might be to imagine a man with a Hawaiian shirt perpetually dangling from his tan, fit frame discussing [fine wine], make no mistake about his wine-making abilities. Hawley's wines have been hailed across the board and regularly hold top 10 positions in wine reviews."
"What do walking the nose and walking on grapes have in common? If you asked vintner/surfer Bill Hawley, owner of Random Ridge wines, he'd tell you they're complimentary... The 45-year old Hawley, a lifelong surfer and winemaker, has carved himself a niche... What's even better is that Hawley has remained close to his surfing roots, using labels such as "CloudBreak" and "Old Wave" for his wines. The art on the labels, according to Hawley, "are a humble nod to the late Rick Griffin." On top of that, his one-man business enables him to take two or three good surf trips a year to exotic locations.
As difficult as it might be to imagine a man with a Hawaiian shirt perpetually dangling from his tan, fit frame discussing [fine wine], make no mistake about his wine-making abilities. Hawley's wines have been hailed across the board and regularly hold top 10 positions in wine reviews."
Gourmet Magazine, november 1997
"Vines Among the Redwoods" by Gerald Asher
"... the Zinfandels of such tiny producers as Lore Olds at Sky and Bill Hawley at Random Ridge are memorable of course, almost any Mount Veeder wine can, on occasion, seem too intense, and therefore overly dramatic. But that goes with the territory."
"... the Zinfandels of such tiny producers as Lore Olds at Sky and Bill Hawley at Random Ridge are memorable of course, almost any Mount Veeder wine can, on occasion, seem too intense, and therefore overly dramatic. But that goes with the territory."
The Sonoma Independent
Renaissance Dude, Surf and Turf by David Templeton
"This is Random Ridge Vineyards, the whimsically titled wonderland located 3,200 feet above the Sonoma Valley, atop the craggy volcanic eminence of Mt. Veeder. It is here that Hawley, a native of Southern California, sometime poet (in the Gary Snyder vein of nature-inspired verse), and a rabid enthusiast of surfing, established himself, along with his lawyer wife Susan, in the late 1970s. Settling in, the pair cleared several acres to make room for Hawley's slowly fermenting vision: the creation of an independent winemaking business producing unique, world-class wines that would capture the muscular essence of all that is Mt. Veeder."
You can check out the entire article on this Metro Active link.
"This is Random Ridge Vineyards, the whimsically titled wonderland located 3,200 feet above the Sonoma Valley, atop the craggy volcanic eminence of Mt. Veeder. It is here that Hawley, a native of Southern California, sometime poet (in the Gary Snyder vein of nature-inspired verse), and a rabid enthusiast of surfing, established himself, along with his lawyer wife Susan, in the late 1970s. Settling in, the pair cleared several acres to make room for Hawley's slowly fermenting vision: the creation of an independent winemaking business producing unique, world-class wines that would capture the muscular essence of all that is Mt. Veeder."
You can check out the entire article on this Metro Active link.
cinco de mayo
budbreak 2010
young vine nearly 10 years old
cane pruned basket tied cabernet sauvignon
lush cover crop provides erosion control
"green manure" or organic matter
improves fertility & soil tilth
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