Winemaker Profile: Long Meadow Ranch

ASHLEY HEISEY

By Sue Straight, The Wine Wench
My first glimpse of Ashley Heisey was as she passed me on the winding, narrow driveway up to Long Meadow Ranch. She slowed down, rolled down the window in her red hybrid, noticed that I looked lost (which isn’t unusual for me – I often look lost!), smiled brightly and suggested that I follow her up to the winery. I did, and one of the most enjoyable interviews that I’ve ever conducted ensued.
Ashley Heisey is passionate about everything she does. She speaks with conviction about crafting top quality wines from organic and sustainable sources. She is a proud spokeswoman for a healthier, cleaner way of life, and lives it every day. A lifelong athlete, she competes in triathlons, hikes regularly and practices yoga for relaxation.
Long Meadow Ranch is a perfect fit for Ashley. It is an integrated organic farming operation that encompasses 650 acres 800 feet above the Napa Valley. Along with the award-winning wines that Ashley puts her stamp on, they produce extra-virgin olive oil (the olive press is inside the winery building – you gotta check that out!), grass-fed beef, eggs and heirloom fruits and vegetables, which they sell to some of the Napa Valley’s finest restaurants. They breed and work their own Appaloosa horses and POA ponies (POA stands for Pony of the Americas – they are smaller versions of Appaloosa horses and they are great ponies for kids.)
The winery facility at Long Meadow Ranch is state-of-the-art. Inside the cool, fragrant rammed-earth building, fermentation tanks gleam, oak barrels rest in stately rows and the hum of the pumps provides background noise. This is a large part of Ashley’s world and she creates some stellar wines here, too. “I’m willing to take a stand on quality” Ashley tells me with a grin as we stand swirling aromatic Sauvignon Blanc at the tasting bar. All of the wines at Long Meadow Ranch reflect this commitment to quality. They are reasonably priced wines that “speak from the glass” with balanced flavors and good expression of fruit.
Ashley’s resume is impressive. She graduated from UC Davis in 1991 with a degree in Enology. During her education at UC Davis, Ashley interned at wineries in France and Germany. She also interned at Schramsberg Vineyards and Robert Mondavi Winery. She worked for Opus One Winery, Far Niente and Dolce before coming to work for Long Meadow Ranch in 2003. She believes in continuing education, and during the past 10 years has worked spring harvests in Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina. Like many other winemakers, she has other projects that she is involved in – she also makes wine for Oakville Ranch, Quixote Winery and her own Syrah label, Marelle.
Long Meadow Ranch is a very special place and definitely worth a visit. Visitors are welcome by appointment. For more information, call (707) 963-4555 or visit their website at www.longmeadowranch.com.

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