Adress: 4013 Spring Mountain Road St. Helena, California 94574
Country: United States
internet: http://www.palomavineyard.com
Wine district: Napa Valley
wines
We have always had an interest in wine, both in its making and its consumption, and in food and gardening. In 1980, we were living in Midland, Texas, and began thinking about a second home; we decided to start looking for a small property in the Napa Valley where we could build a home and plant a small vineyard. This dream was realized in 1983 when a friend of ours, Dan Duckhorn, called and told us about the property we now call Paloma Vineyard.
The property is located five miles northwest of St. Helena at the top of Spring Mountain. In the last half of the 19th century it was a vineyard, but was allowed to return to forest around the turn of the century. The purchase of this raw land was the beginning of an odyssey that is ongoing, ever changing, but with one goal—to grow the best grapes possible and make a wine that reflects the terroir of our vineyard.
For those interested in such things: the elevation of Paloma Vineyard is 2060 feet above sea level at the bottom of our property and 2240 at the top, exposure is generally east with many variations, and the soils are derived from the Sonoma volcanics and from Franciscan sandstone. Total acreage is 20 acres with 15 acres planted in Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
In May of 2009, a few days after his 78th birthday, my father, Jim Richards, passed away after a two-year battle with cancer. Sometimes, I still sense him in the vineyard and winery—watching over my world.
As of this writing in 2010, I have worked for seven years side-by-side with my mother, Barbara, in the vineyard, and with my father in the winery. Mom taught me to respect the vines as if each were one of our children—over 8,000 in total. Dad taught me how to let the wine make itself with minimal intervention. We are fortunate to own a very special piece of earth on Spring Mountain in the Napa Valley that produces extraordinary fruit.
Sadly, Dad is not here to lend an ear when I need advice, but we have a valley full of talented winemaking friends always willing to lend support. Nothing has changed. My mother and I still work side-by-side to ensure the quality in the vineyard is reflected in the beauty of the wine. We spend the vast majority of our time in the vineyard—winegrowing. We harvest and bin ferment in small lots, again, letting the wine make itself.
What we all love most about this lifestyle—is you—the people we meet from all over the world. You make the food and wine taste better and always remind us of how lucky we are to live in paradise! To all of our many friends and loyal wine buyers, we thank you for your ongoing support.
. . . on behalf of my mother and father, Sheldon Richards
