Priest Ranch takes its name from one of the two historic properties that make up Somerston Estate — a 660-acre ranch with roots in Napa Valley agriculture stretching back to the early 1900s. Records in the St. Helena Star from 1926 describe grape harvests happening at Priest Ranch that year, making this one of the valley's quietly enduring vineyard sites, tucked high in the Vaca Mountains east of St. Helena long before Napa became a destination.

Today Priest Ranch serves as the approachable, food-forward expression of the Somerston Estate portfolio — the wines that welcome you in before you go deeper. While Somerston Estate wines are allocation-only and produced in tiny quantities, Priest Ranch brings the same estate-grown fruit and the same 1,615-acre property to a broader audience. The Priest Ranch tasting room in Yountville — paired with The Kitchen at Priest Ranch next door — is open to the public without an appointment, making it one of the most accessible entries into the world of mountain-grown Napa Valley wine.

Priest Ranch wines are sourced from the same estate vineyards as Somerston — 215 acres of sustainably farmed hillside vines spread across 87 individual blocks in the Vaca Mountains, at elevations ranging from 800 to 1,650 feet. The cooler, free-draining mountain environment produces wines with freshness and structure that set them apart from valley floor Napa.

The portfolio spans an unusually broad range of varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Zinfandel, Malbec, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Syrah, Grenache, Grenache Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, and Primativo — reflecting the diversity of microclimates and soil types across the estate's many blocks. Winemaker Cody Hurd, who has been part of the Somerston team since its earliest vintages, oversees production for both labels.

Allan Chapman founded Somerston Wine Company in 2004 and Priest Ranch is part of that same family of wines. Cody Hurd leads winemaking across both the Priest Ranch and Somerston Estate programs. The Priest Ranch tasting room and culinary experience in Yountville is managed by a dedicated hospitality team, with The Kitchen at Priest Ranch — opened in 2023 — adding a full food pairing program to the experience. Margeaux McLain, who joined Somerston Wine Company in 2015, leads sales across both labels.