Teri, please share your story with us.
Originally from Oregon, we ended up in Ramona, after being stationed in and around San Diego, while Teri was on active duty with the US Navy. Building our vineyards, winery and ranch from scratch started around the same time grapes began being planted again in the Ramona Valley, which was designated as a federally recognized American Viticulture Area (AVA) in 2006. Located in the San Diego foothills, we soon discovered what wine grapes grew well, and what we personally enjoy, like Sangiovese, Viognior and Tannat. Long, hot summer days and cold nights yield wines with great balance, with intensely flavored fruit, we focus on single varietal, vineyard specific wines, picking and processing by hand to create artisan style wines, producing just 1000 cases annually.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As a first generation wine region, we do not have the experience and expertise of those who have come before us to learn from, so there was a lot of trial and error in the beginning. Being part of a new wine region requires that you are a Farmer, Business Owner, Winemaker, Marketer, Public Relations Expert, Community Activist and Social Director.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Ramona Ranch Vineyard and Winery – what should we know?
Ramona Ranch is San Diego’s first and only certified sustainable Vineyard and Winery. Enjoy our family-friendly atmosphere with horses, goats, chickens, and a steer, in addition to grape vines.

Sustainability and honoring our land is important to us, planting insect, bird and butterfly zones while installing owl boxes makes our winery more inviting to wildlife and helps us to be greener while saving time in the long run to enjoy time outside. Native, drought tolerant plants thrive and attract beneficial wildlife while drip irrigation, composting, and hand management of our vineyards results in a balanced crop load and superior wines. We don’t push our vines to over-produce, believing instead that the long-term effects of thoughtful viticulture and our stewardship will benefit all creatures and our wines to come.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Ramona Ranch was recognized in 2017 as San Diego’s Best Commercial Winery by the Ramona Valley Vineyard Association, continually winning medals in both local and international competitions, most recently a Double-Gold, Best of Class for their Estate Tannat for both the 2013 and 2014 bottlings.

Micole Moore, Ramona Ranch co-owner and winemaker, received recognition for his contribution to supporting and growing the San Diego County winemaking region. In addition to producing award-winning wines at Ramona Ranch Winery, he is a former president of the Ramona Valley Vineyard Association (RVVA) and has helped to improve the County’s Winery Ordinance, while spearheading sustainability wine grape farming in San Diego County

Ramona Ranch is the first in San Diego County to be designated Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing (CERTIFIED SUSTAINABLE) as a result of meeting a comprehensive set of standards for “environmental stewardship, conservation of natural resources and socially equitable business practices” set by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA).

National Wildlife Federation (NWF), America’s largest wildlife conservation and education organization, is pleased to recognize that Ramona Ranch Vineyard and Winery in Ramona, California has successfully created a Certified Wildlife Habitat® through its Garden for Wildlife program. NWF celebrates the efforts of Ramona Ranch to create space that improves habitat for birds, butterflies, frogs and other wildlife by providing essential elements needed by all wildlife – natural food sources, clean water, cover and places to raise young. Certification also makes Ramona Ranch’s Certified Wildlife Habitat® part of the Million Pollinator Garden Challenge, a national effort to restore critical habitat for pollinators.

We believe our focus on quality grapes in the vineyard, patience, and sustainable practices are all contributing to our success.

Pricing:

  • Tastings are between $2 and $4 each.
  • Wine by the glass ranges from $8 to $20,
  • Wine by the Bottle ranges from $15 to $70 per bottle.

Contact Info:

 

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