At a recent cellar dinner at Pride Mountain Winery that I attended, master sommelier Evan Goldstein remarked that Pride is one of only a handful of wineries he calls American first growths. Robert Parker, a trusted wine advocate, includes Pride on his exclusive list of World’s Greatest Wine Estates and he awarded its 2012 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon a prized 100-point score.
These are classic mountain wines with incredible flavor and depth that gracefully age for decades.
From my many years as a sommelier and consultant to collectors, I can attest to the esteem these wines hold in the wine world. But as great as the wines are, this story is more about the commitment of the Pride family to generously give to their communities. The aforementioned dinner, where yes they did serve the 100-pointer among many library wines, was a donation benefitting Sonoma Rising, which is a campaign to assist those affected by last year’s horrendous fires. They also donated a custom lot of five cases of premium Cabernet that fetched one of the day’s highest bids at The Sonoma Barrel Auction.
Co-owner Suzanne Pride-Bryan and husband, vintner ambassador Stuart Bryan, have been part-time residents of Truckee and we have seen their smiling faces because they have been generously donating and pouring their wines for our local causes for decades. Events such as An Elegant Affair, Kiwanis fundraisers, Thunderbird Lodge benefits, Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival and many more are richer in all ways for the Pride’s generosity.
Beyond the beneficence, Pride Mountain Vineyards’ origin story is another fascinating topic. Their 235-acre property — 83 of which are vineyards — straddle the Napa/Sonoma County lines 2,000-plus feet above the valley floor in the Mayacamas Mountains. Hence the Sonoma/Napa appellation on the labels. First planted in the 1860s, this is one of the legacy regions of California viticulture and it has achieved full potential under the multi-decade stewardship of the Pride Family team. These are classic mountain wines with incredible flavor and depth that gracefully age for decades.
These wines have been awarded more than 350 scores of 90 points or better from the leading wine publications and have appeared six times on The Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the World list. Pride wines have achieved an even rarer status, that of nonpartisan White House love having been served there 31 times.
Although these wines are made in small quantities, Stuart and Susan always make sure Tahoe restaurants and shops get an allotment. Their floral and aromatic Viognier, rich yet crisp Chardonnays, and world-renowned reds are treasures well worth seeking out.
If I sound like a raving-fan, well, I am. But I know the wines back up any positive reviews and the Pride Vineyards family has given generously to our mountain community. I’m proud to be able to spread that word. | pridewines.com
