Ramey Wine Cellars

David Ramey earned a BA in American Studies from UC Santa Cruz and an MS in Enology from UC Davis (1979). After graduation he wrote to Bordeaux châteaux looking for cellar work; only Christian Moueix responded, and Ramey arrived in Pomerol to work as a cellar rat at Château Pétrus, where Jean-Claude Berrouet, then the Pétrus winemaker, became a foundational mentor for his red wine work. Berrouet's instruction (in Ramey's later telling, to make red wine and to let nature do the work) shaped the technical approach Ramey carried back to California. He worked next at Lindeman in Australia, then returned to the United States as assistant winemaker at Simi. From Simi he took the helm at Matanzas Creek for five years and then ran the cellar at Chalk Hill for six. He did a second Moueix stint in Bordeaux in 1989, and in 1996 Christian Moueix recruited him as vice president to run Dominus Estate at Yountville and oversee the construction of the Herzog and de Meuron-designed winery building. While at Dominus, Moueix gave Ramey permission to make a little Chardonnay on the side, and Ramey convinced Larry Hyde to sell him grapes from the oldest block at Hyde Vineyard. The 1996 vintage produced 260 cases of the first Ramey Cellars Chardonnay. From 1998 to 2002 Ramey served as winemaker and general manager at Rudd Estate in Oakville, leaving in 2002 to focus full-time on Ramey Wine Cellars.

• MS in Enology from UC Davis (1979); first job out of school was as a cellar rat at Château Pétrus in Pomerol with the Moueix family
• Jean-Claude Berrouet (then Pétrus winemaker) was the foundational red-wine mentor
• Subsequent career: Lindeman (Australia), Simi (California), Matanzas Creek (5 years), Chalk Hill (6 years), Dominus Estate (joined 1996 as vice president), then Rudd Estate in Oakville (winemaker and general manager, 1998 to 2002)
• Founded Ramey Cellars in 1996 with a 260-case Chardonnay made from the oldest block of Larry Hyde's Carneros vineyard

Ramey is built on a portfolio of premier California grower vineyards, with multi-decade relationships at the foundation of the program. The three flagship single-vineyard Chardonnays are Hyde Vineyard (Larry Hyde, Carneros), Hudson Vineyard (Lee Hudson, Carneros), and Ritchie Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon comes primarily from named Napa Valley sites: Pedregal in eastern Oakville (a 3-acre hillside parcel whose name means rocky place in Spanish), Annum (a Napa Valley blend bottling whose name is Latin for year), and Larkmead in Calistoga. Beyond these grower sources, Ramey owns the estate Westside Farms vineyard in the Russian River Valley (roughly 40 acres, acquired 2012); the broader model is purposely built around long-term grower relationships that allow winemakers to influence vineyard management decisions while focusing on cellar work and final blending. The Hyde relationship in particular reaches back to the 1996 founding vintage.

• Hyde Vineyard (Larry Hyde, Carneros): the founding-vintage Chardonnay source, dating to 1996
• Hudson Vineyard (Lee Hudson, Carneros): second flagship Carneros Chardonnay source
• Ritchie Vineyard (Russian River Valley): third flagship single-vineyard Chardonnay source
• Cabernet Sauvignon: Pedregal (eastern Oakville hillside), Annum (Napa Valley blend), and Larkmead (Calistoga)

David Ramey is one of the most cited technical voices in modern California Chardonnay winemaking. The techniques associated with his name and pushed through his cellar work and consulting include whole-cluster pressing of white grapes (rather than berry destemming), the use of oxidized juice in Chardonnay handling, sur lie aging in barrel, native yeast fermentations, malolactic conversion in barrel, and bottling without filtration. The Chardonnay results combine creamy textural weight, integrated French oak that supports rather than masks fruit, and the savory mineral signature of site character. For Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon the cellar uses native yeast fermentation, varied whole-cluster inclusion in Pinot Noir, and extended French oak aging for structural framing. Ramey has been a vocal advocate for the malolactic-in-barrel approach to California Chardonnay, a technique that has shaped broader industry adoption over the past three decades.

• Chardonnay protocol: whole-cluster pressing, native yeast fermentation in French oak, malolactic conversion in barrel, extended lees aging, bottling without filtration
• Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon: native yeast fermentation, varied whole-cluster inclusion (Pinot Noir), extended French oak aging
• Ramey's malolactic-in-barrel approach has shaped broader industry adoption of the technique in California
• House style emphasizes site-specific expression and balance over stylistic extremes

On May 6, 2022, Sonoma County Vintners bestowed its very first Lifetime Achievement Award on David Ramey at the 8th Annual Sonoma County Barrel Auction, recognizing his contributions to modern California Chardonnay winemaking through cellars including Matanzas Creek, Chalk Hill, Dominus Estate, and Ramey Wine Cellars. Wine Spectator has called him Professor Chardonnay for the techniques he has championed. Single-vineyard Chardonnay bottlings (Hyde, Hudson, Ritchie) consistently score in the 93 to 97 range across Wine Spectator, The Wine Advocate, Wine Enthusiast, and Vinous; single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon bottlings (Pedregal, Annum, Larkmead) receive similar critical recognition. Wine and Spirits has included Ramey on its Top 100 Wineries of the World list multiple times across the past two decades.

• Sonoma County Vintners' inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award presented to David Ramey on May 6, 2022 at the 8th Annual Sonoma County Barrel Auction
• Wine Spectator's Professor Chardonnay framing references the techniques he has championed
• Hyde, Hudson, and Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnays consistently score in the 93 to 97 range across major American publications
• Multiple inclusions in Wine and Spirits Top 100 Wineries of the World

In 2021, David Ramey's children Claire and Alan Ramey became co-presidents and co-owners, providing second-generation continuity to the family-owned operation. Claire leads viticulture and the estate vineyard at Westside Farms, while Alan oversees marketing, trade, and operations. Winemaking is led by Cameron Frey, VP of Winemaking, who joined as the winery's first employee in 2002, with Lydia Cummins as associate winemaker. Family ownership provides stability for the long-term grower relationships and consistent stylistic direction across the portfolio. The Ramey family also operates Sidebar Cellars, a separate label founded in 2014 by David and Carla Ramey for aromatic and exploratory varieties such as Kerner, Sauvignon Blanc, rosé, and Zinfandel, with little vineyard or varietal overlap with Ramey Wine Cellars; Ramey's own Pinot Noir is bottled under the Ramey label from Platt Vineyard. The Healdsburg tasting room offers appointment-only seated flights that pour the single-vineyard Chardonnays side by side and frequently integrate winemaker discussion of the technical work behind each bottling.

• In 2021 David's children Claire (viticulture) and Alan (marketing, trade, operations) Ramey became co-presidents and co-owners; Cameron Frey is VP of Winemaking
• Sidebar Cellars, founded 2014 by David and Carla Ramey, is a separate label for aromatic and exploratory varieties (Kerner, Sauvignon Blanc, rosé, Zinfandel), with little overlap with Ramey Wine Cellars
• Healdsburg tasting room offers appointment-only seated flights with the single-vineyard Chardonnays side by side
• Healdsburg location places the winery within reach of Russian River Valley, Alexander Valley, and Dry Creek Valley wine routes