Everett Ridge Winery

Until 1989 Jack and Anne Air had no idea where Sonoma County was. Both were born and raised on the east coast and had always been big city dwellers until they went to visit some friends in Kenwood in 1989. Jack took one look at his friend’s tractor and he pictured himself on the seat riding down a vineyard row.

The Airs’ first purchase was a 160-acre piece of property in Nuns Canyon, not far from the city of Sonoma. Anne and Jack moved onto the land in 1993 and with a lot of hard work transformed an old vineyard, dating from the 1940s, into what became the superb Nuns Canyon Vineyards with wineries clamoring for the grapes.


The property was beautiful but not an ideal homesite, so Jack and Anne started looking again and chanced upon the former Bellerose Winery in Dry Creek Valley.

“On Christmas morning, 1996 we took a walk around the hillside and the magic took over.” Anne recalls. “We sold all but twenty acres of the Nuns Canyon property, bought the old ranch and named it Everett Ridge in honor of Everett Wise, who established a winery on the site in 1878, the second winery to be founded in the Dry Creek Valley.”

They now own four vineyards with a total of 120 acres providing Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Syrah, and Sauvignon Blanc. The Airs also purchase Chardonnay grapes from a vineyard on the southwest edge of the Russian River Valley Appellation.

Total production is 4,000 cases and Syrah is the winery’s biggest hit. If you’re just counting medals, however, then the clear leader is the Nuns Canyon Syrah, which has brought home two golds and a silver since the first of the year, also earning a 92 in the Wine Report.

Everett Ridge Winery is located at 435 West Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg. Good information, up-dated regularly