Michael Beaulac
General Manager and Winemaker
Wine is personal. My goal is to create the best wines that express our five distinct appellations. My aim is to produce elegant, balanced wines that retain their fruit quality and express their vineyard terroir. I like taking raw fruit in and guiding it on the path to great wine.
Michael Beaulac joined the Pine Ridge Vineyards team as General Manager and Winemaker in 2009. He has worked with some of the most highly regarded wineries in both Sonoma and Napa Valley, including St. Supery, Markham Vineyards and Murphy Goode.
Michael’s interest in wine started with his first really good bottle of wine. He quickly noted thereafter the distinct difference between wines, their appellations and ultimately the quality. He read an article on the impact of fruit quality and winemaking and realized wine was not just a commodity. Wine quality was influenced by fruit quality and terroir.
In 1989, he decided to move to wine country from Portland, Maine to embark on his journey to work in the wine industry. He started at Murphy Goode winery in Alexander Valley, working in the cellar for many years to eventually become the Winemaker for the Pinot Noir and Zinfandel programs. He then met Merry Edwards and went to work with her producing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay at Laurier. Most recently, Michael worked at St.Supery for seven years with renowned consulting French winemaker Michel Roland.
Michael joined Pine Ridge Vineyards for the opportunity to work with the 200-estate vineyard acres, within 5 AVA’s, comprised of 12 vineyards. This will be Michael’s 23rd harvest.
Michael has been married for 17 years to his wife Cathy. They have a 9-year-old daughter, Esther, and a 14-year-old son, Eric. When Michael is not making wine you can find him on the ski slopes at Lake Tahoe or out to dinner in Napa.
Jason Ledbetter
Assistant Winemaker
Wine is a melding of alchemy, science and artisanship that sews together the relationship of soil and climate. Each vintage being distinctly its own allows us the opportunity to reflect on how the wine is evolving and growing over time, but that we are as well.
Jason Ledbetter joined the Pine Ridge Vineyards winemaking team in 2009. His winemaking journey commenced by attending UC Davis’ Viticulture and Enology program, graduating in 2008. While attending school he interned at Trefethen Vineyards and Cakebread Cellars.
Having grown up in Napa Valley since he was 8-years-old winemaking seemed a natural professional path. He became interested in winemaking for the creative aspect combined with the scientific background. He loves to see the “fruits of his labor” come together through a tangible, high quality product.
Jason is always pushing the envelope and interested in trying new ways to enhance the quality of the wines through small lot wine production and blending trials.
He jumped at the opportunity to join Pine Ridge Vineyards to make the highest quality wine available from Napa Valley. This was a rare chance to work with five different vineyard appellations and produce wines that are distinctively unique and expressive to their terroir. This ability to work in one of the finest wine regions in the world with the highest quality grapes, winemaking equipment and the overall caliber of the winemaking team provides every opportunity to make the finest wine.
When Jason’s not at Pine Ridge Vineyards you will find him eating at the local oyster bar or making smoked meats to enjoy with his favorite wines.
Gustavo Avina
Vineyard Manager
Knowing each vineyard, row-by-row, vine-by-vine; that’s how I grow such high quality grapes. I walk every vineyard, every block, once a week. Being connected to the vines is what helps me to grow quality grapes and leads us to make such high quality wines.
Gustavo came to Napa Valley from Ventura County in 1989 for his first grape harvest. In 1991, his impressive wine growing and vineyard management experience started at Newton Vineyards, where he worked for 6 years in their vineyard team. He went on to join David Abreu, a highly sought after vineyard and planting specialist, to assist with all vineyards under his management, which included many of the highest quality vineyards in Napa Valley.
Through this experience he learned the techniques and management of vineyards to improve the quality of the grapes. He is an expert in pest control and recognizing disease. His ability to manage people and to build a cohesive vineyard team is one of his greatest strengths. Due to his positive attitude, willingness to help and provide clear direction his team continues to stay with him for many years.
He loves seeing and feeling the changes of the weather. To feel the warmth of the morning sun, the air pressure as harvest starts and the humidity of a cool harvest morning is his passion. The challenge of weather keeps him connected to the soil and vineyard cycle.
He has enjoyed working at Pine Ridge for the last nine years; for the diversity of the vineyards across the valley and the opportunity to work with five different AVA’s, which is particularly unique to Pine Ridge Vineyards.
When not in the vineyards, you can find him enjoying a bike ride, dining out, cooking for his family and friends Mexican carnitas or carne adobada tacos or any activity outside with his wife, Blanca, their 15-year-old daughter, Jessica, and 7-year-old son, Gustavo Jr.
Jose Plancarte
Cellar Master
I love the opportunity to assist in making wines from our five AVA’s. My goal is to keep making good wines to keep making people happy.
Jose moved to Southern Californian from Mexico in 1982. He ended up in Napa three years later while visiting his uncle. Napa reminded him of his small town in Michoacán, El Llano. The climate and landscape were similar, which made it an easy place to call his second home.
In 1985, he started at Pine Ridge Vineyards on the bottling line where he was then promoted to Cellar Master in 1992. He’s worked at Pine Ridge Vineyards for 25 years.
Jose is known for his jovial and friendly attitude. He promotes teamwork and works hard to keep his team happy, which creates a good work environment. To make exceptional wines, he believes in attention to every detail of the production process.
Jose and his wife Esperanza have two boys, 18-year-old, Jose Jr., and 20-year-old, Andres. When he’s not busy in the cellar you can find him in the kitchen cooking Chile Rellenos and other specialty Mexican dishes for his friends and family.