Murder Ridge Winery
Get the Dirt from winemaker Steve Alden
“Being small means you know every vine, every grape cluster that goes into the wine. We do it all, from the ground up. We planted the vines, grow the grapes, ferment into wine age and blend. The wine is truly a piece of us — it’s a personal expression of who we are in a bottle.”
Like many of the area’s landowners, the Aldens came to the Mendocino Ridge region in pursuit of timber, which was the dominant industry up through the 1980s. They soon came to realize that logging every 20 years wasn’t going to float the property and sought to diversify. “My neighbor handed me a dormant vine and said, ‘I take this stick, I put it in the ground, and three years later everyone’s bugging me for the fruit.’” Originally, Alden planted Zinfandel, but he eventually switched his focus to Pinot Noir.
1. What was your first vintage year? 2013
2. How many cases do you make per vintage? 53 for 2013, and 260 for 2014. About 500 cases over the last few years.
3. Do you have a Tasting Room? Not at this time.
4. If not you, who is your winemaker? I am now the grower and winemaker.
5. How did you get your start in the winemaking business? I am the longtime owner and grower of Perli Vineyards in the Mendocino Ridge AVA. Instead of selling all the grapes, we decided to start making a bit of wine from the property in 2013.
6. What wine made you want to become a winemaker/start your own winery? Zinfandel & Pinot Noir
7. What varietals do you work with? We work with Zinfandel and Pinot Noir — favorite variety to make is Pinot Noir. It takes real skill in both the vineyard and winery to make great Pinot.
8. What vineyards do you source from? Exclusively from Perli, our Estate Vineyards. Perli is located in the Mendocino Ridge AVA in the Coastal Wilderness of Mendocino County at high elevation a short distance from the Pacific.
9. What do you love about your winemaking region? Cool coastal, high elevation vineyards — the wines are singular and unique.
10. What's the story behind your name/label? The name comes from the land. Murder Ridge, the name of a ridge at Perli Vineyards, comes from a murder that took place between homesteaders in the early 1900’s at that location.
12. Most importantly, what's so great about being small? What can you do as a small winemaker, that wouldn't be possible for larger wineries? Being small means you know every vine, every grape cluster that goes into the wine. We do it all, from the ground up. We planted the vines, grow the grapes, ferment into wine age and blend. The wine is truly a piece of us — it’s a personal expression of who we are in a bottle.
13. How do you view the future in the wine industry for small-lot winemakers? Small-lot wineries are the definition of the grow local, eat local movement — the future is bright. For more information about Murder Ridge Winery, please visit their website or follow them on FACEBOOK.