Arista Winery

The McWilliams family's wine business began with a vineyard purchase in 1996, according to both the San Francisco Chronicle and the Press Democrat. Al and Janis McWilliams founded Arista Winery in 2002, and Wine Spectator reports that the first commercial release came in 2003. The family purchased the 36-acre Westside Road property in the Russian River Valley two years after founding and opened a winery there in 2018. Wine Spectator describes the property as including a hospitality center, seven acres planted to Pinot Noir, and one acre planted to Chardonnay. In 2012, sons Mark and Ben McWilliams took over day-to-day operations.

• Family vineyard purchase in 1996; Arista founded in 2002 by Al and Janis McWilliams
• First commercial release in 2003 (Wine Spectator)
• 36-acre Westside Road property purchased two years after founding; winery opened in 2018
• Estate plantings: seven acres of Pinot Noir and one acre of Chardonnay (Wine Spectator)

As of September 2026 the winery's team page lists Mark McWilliams and Ben McWilliams as owners. Mark manages sales, marketing, and grower relations, and Ben directly oversees all estate activities. Matt Courtney is winemaker and oversees all production and winery activities; the winery states that his first vintage at Arista was 2013. Before Arista, Courtney had been at Marcassin, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. Gordon Miller, associate winemaker, has worked alongside Courtney since 2008, and assistant winemaker Ray Lyons joined for the 2013 harvest. Kim Lapides, director of membership, has been the winery's A-List concierge since 2010.

• Mark McWilliams, owner: sales, marketing, and grower relations
• Ben McWilliams, owner: oversees all estate activities
• Matt Courtney, winemaker; first Arista vintage 2013
• Gordon Miller, associate winemaker; Ray Lyons, assistant winemaker

Arista describes working with distinctive sites throughout Sonoma County, each chosen for its soils and microclimate. Kent Ritchie's Ritchie Vineyard was planted in 1974 on Goldridge soil and is the source of the winery's Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay. The Kanzler family approached Arista in 2019 to work with a few acres of their 15-acre vineyard on the western edge of the Russian River Valley, originally planted in 1996. Ulises Valdez's U.V. Lucky Well Vineyard is planted on the second ridge in from the Pacific Ocean, overlooking Occidental, while the U.V. Vineyard sits atop a low lying ridge on the eastern edge of the Russian River Valley. The Reuling Vineyard is a 12-acre site between Forestville and Graton that Tim and Jackie Reuling converted from an apple orchard to grapevines in 2000, and the winery says the Reulings have farmed Biodynamically for over a decade. Paul and Amy Mononi's approximately 4-acre Pinot Noir vineyard off Olivet Road was planted in 1998 on Huichica loam. Kim and Mark Dempster's 15-acre Banfield Vineyard in Green Valley holds Chardonnay planted in 1980 and Pinot Noir planted in 1990, and Arista dry farms it. The northernmost source is Steve Alden's Perli Vineyard on the Mendocino Coast, 7 miles in from the Pacific Ocean at an elevation of almost 1800 feet. Past bottlings listed on the winery's accolades page include Harper's Rest Estate, Two Birds Estate Vineyard, and Toboni Vineyard.

• Ritchie Vineyard: planted 1974 on Goldridge soil
• Kanzler Vineyard: 15 acres, originally planted 1996; the Kanzler family approached Arista in 2019
• Banfield Vineyard: 15 acres in Green Valley; its Pinot Noir is used for the Rosé of Pinot Noir
• Perli Vineyard: Mendocino Coast, almost 1800 feet elevation

Arista states that its wines are fermented using only native yeast, aged in French oak barrels, and bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve the nuance and character of each wine and its ability to age. In the cellar, the winery says it combines state-of-the-art technology with years of experience. The winery's shop notes that the 2023 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir was framed by 20% new French oak, and it describes the Estate Pinot Noir as an example of the Russian River's Middle Reach. The San Francisco Chronicle wrote that Arista became a darling of the Pinot Noir movement in the mid-aughts and earned critical acclaim, especially from Wine Spectator. Wine Spectator wrote that under Courtney the wines became among the best examples of single-vineyard and regional Russian River Valley wines. Production was about 6,000 cases a year, according to both the San Francisco Chronicle and the Press Democrat.

• Native yeast fermentation, French oak aging, bottled unfined and unfiltered
• 2023 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir: 20% new French oak
• About 6,000 cases a year
• Critical acclaim noted by the San Francisco Chronicle, especially from Wine Spectator

The McWilliams brothers owned the Arista brand while their parents owned the real estate, according to the San Francisco Chronicle and the Press Democrat. In February 2025 the 36-acre Westside Road estate was sold to Chris Underwood, CEO of Young's Holdings, as reported by Wine Spectator and the Press Democrat. After the sale, Arista continued producing wine at the same facility, the Press Democrat reported. The winery now states that it is no longer located at the estate property that visitors knew between 2002 and 2025. In January 2026 the family announced that the 2024 vintage would be its last; Wine Spectator reported that continuing would have required either debt or partners, and the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Arista made no wine in the 2025 harvest. The winery's release schedule describes 2026 as the year for releasing its final vintage, the 2024s, with library wine offerings planned in 2027 before it closes. In the family's letter as quoted by the Press Democrat, the McWilliams family wrote: "Rather than sell the brand and watch it become something different under new ownership, we have chosen to wind Arista down on our own terms." Tastings remain by appointment in Healdsburg, with 12 appointments offered each week, Monday through Saturday.

• February 2025: 36-acre Westside Road estate sold to Chris Underwood, CEO of Young's Holdings
• January 2026: the 2024 vintage announced as Arista's final vintage
• 2026: the final 2024 wines released; library wine offerings planned for 2027
• No wine made in the 2025 harvest (San Francisco Chronicle)

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.aristawinery.com/, https://www.aristawinery.com/about/, https://www.aristawinery.com/people/, https://www.aristawinery.com/vineyards/, https://www.aristawinery.com/shop/, https://www.aristawinery.com/visit/, https://www.aristawinery.com/releases/, https://www.aristawinery.com/accolades/. Secondary sources: https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/wine/article/arista-winery-closing-21304941.php, https://www.pressdemocrat.com/2026/01/21/arista-winery-sonoma-last-vintage/, https://www.winespectator.com/articles/arista-winery-to-close. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs. Last verified 2026-09-23