Gary Andrus didn’t just stumble into winemaking—he charged into it. In 1978, after a career hurtling down icy slopes as a U.S. Olympic downhill skier, Andrus brought that same edge, intensity, and focus to founding Pine Ridge Vineyards.

Before wine, he ran a sports retail store in San Luis Obispo and served as VP of Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Colorado. But it was the structured beauty of Bordeaux reds that pulled him west, to Napa Valley, where he set out to make Cabernet Sauvignon that could go toe-to-toe with the world’s best.

He planted his flag in the untamed terrain of Stags Leap District—a region few were betting on at the time. Its rugged, volcanic soils and cool, shifting breezes called to him. He carved vineyards into the steep, pine-lined slopes, the same kind of terrain he used to dominate on skis. That bold move helped turn Stags Leap from a question mark into a world-class AVA, with Pine Ridge at the center of the transformation.

When Andrus arrived, Napa was still basking in the glow of the 1976 Judgment of Paris, but Stags Leap was barely on the map. He saw what others missed: rocky, well-drained soils and cool air from San Pablo Bay that slowed ripening and built complexity. His first vintage, 1978, came from a hot, dry season that yielded intense, compact fruit—an early glimpse of the district’s potential. His gamble on Stags Leap didn’t just define Pine Ridge—it helped carve out a new frontier in Napa Valley.

Andrus approached winemaking like an engineer with a poet’s instincts. He understood that this land’s stingy soils and sharp microclimate forced the vines to dig deep and fight, producing low yields with intense character. Those traits became Pine Ridge’s calling card. He wasn’t content with one district, though. He pulled fruit from across Napa—Howell Mountain, Oakville, Rutherford, Carneros—each with its own edge, its own voice. Up to 80 vineyard lots are fermented on their own before the blending begins—a painstaking process that balances precision with instinct.

At Pine Ridge, blending isn’t just craft—it’s combat and choreography. Deep in the hillside caves, the winemaking team goes barrel by barrel, testing combinations, chasing harmony. Every French oak barrel is chosen with surgical care, aiming to build texture and lift without masking the fruit. They taste for tension, structure, and aromatic firepower. In the 2018 vintage, for instance, Howell Mountain delivered graphite and muscle, while Stags Leap brought velvet and grace.

Cabernet will always be Pine Ridge’s backbone, but Andrus wasn’t one to color inside the lines. In 1995, he launched a Chenin Blanc + Viognier blend—an experiment from Clarksburg and Lodi, far from Napa’s center stage. Crisp citrus from Chenin. Lush florals and stone fruit from Viognier. It wasn’t what people expected from a place like this, but it stuck. What started as a tasting-room oddity became a cult favorite for its punchy, refreshing personality.

Pine Ridge today is still driven by Andrus’s original fire: that exceptional wine starts with tough land and relentless attention to detail. His conviction put Stags Leap on the map and helped shape Napa’s modern identity. By weaving together fruit from multiple AVAs and never compromising on craft, he left a mark that doesn’t fade.

Visitors to Pine Ridge don’t just taste wine—they feel the experience. In the hush of the caves, among the vines that have weathered decades, the legacy is palpable. Each bottle carries the grit, vision, and risk it took to get here. The land speaks. The wine listens.

The wines featured in the Wine Recommendations section were provided by the winery for the purpose of review. The selection and tasting of these wines were independently conducted. No compensation or incentives were provided for inclusion in the story. As always, the top priority is to provide readers with informative reporting.

Wine Recommendations

2022 Traveler’s Series Cabernet Sauvignon- a plush, approachable effort, brimming with blackberry, cassis and boysenberry notes layered with espresso, mocha and a hint of vanilla.  The palate is velvety, with well integrated tannins and a subtle lift of acidity that keeps the wine fresh and lively through the finish.  

2022 Chenin Blanc + Viognier- a strikingly aromatic and refreshingly distinctive blend, marrying the mouthwatering acidity of Chenin Blanc with the fleshy, tropical exuberance of Viognier. On the nose and palate, it delivers a medley of apple, lime zest, honeysuckle, all underpinned by a crisp, linear structure and a touch of chalky minerality that elevates its clean, dry finish.