Stony Hill Vineyard sold to Long Meadow Ranch

Stony Hill Vineyard, one of the legendary wineries of the Napa Valley renaissance, has been sold the Hall family, owners of Long Meadow Ranch in St Helena, for an undisclosed sum.

Stony Hill Vineyard in Spring Mountain has been sold to the owners of Long Meadow Ranch

After 66 vintages, the McCrea family winery in Spring Mountain that helped define high-quality Napa Valley boutique production and pioneered exclusive wine list sales, will change hands.

Along with the Heitz family at Heitz Cellars and the Davies family at Schramsberg, Fred and Eleanor McCrea represented a handful of ‘outsiders’ who came to Napa Valley in the post-war years to join the valley’s small, established winegrowing community to make fine wine and gain the attention of the American public.

Winemaker Mike Chellini will make his final vintage at Stony Hill this year

Over the years, Stony Hill became particularly known for its Chardonnay and Riesling and, later, Cabernet Sauvignon.

The McCrea family – Peter and Willinda McCrea and their daughter, Sarah McCrea – will maintain a minority equity position in the winery.

2018 will be the last vintage as winemaker for Mike Chelini, who took over as head winemaker in 1977 at Fred McCrea’s death, although he will remain in an emeritus position.

In recent years, the Hall family – Ted, Laddie and Chris – has done major expansion of its farming properties to include perhaps Napa Valley’s most diverse wine tourism property at the Long Meadow Ranch tasting room, restaurant and event facility in St. Helena.

With recent property purchases in Anderson Valley, Long Meadow Ranch farms over 2,000 acres of grapes, olives, fruits, vegetables and pasture in three northern California counties.

“We are proud to welcome Stony Hill Vineyard to the LMR family. We hope the partnership formed by these two unique properties will serve as an example of how family-owned wineries can continue to thrive in the Napa Valley,” said Long Meadow Ranch’s CEO, Ted Hall.

“Stony Hill Vineyard is a natural extension for Long Meadow Ranch, given our commitment to responsibly farmed vineyards that produce elegant, balanced wines that are genuine complements to food.

“We plan to continue to produce ageworthy Chardonnay, Riesling, and Gewurztraminer from Stony Hill Vineyard, as well as expand upon the Cabernet Sauvignon programme initiated by the McCrea family in 2009,” Chris Hall added.