Napa Valley’s Pine Ridge Vineyards picks new chenin blanc-viognier winemaker

Colleen FitzGerald has been promoted to winemaker for the chenin blanc and viognier blend, referred to by the shorthand CB+V, at Napa Valley’s Pine Ridge Vineyards.

FitzGerald joined Pine Ridge as enologist in 2015 and was promoted to assistant winemaker for CB+V in 2018.

FitzGerald was raised in Pleasanton and found her way to the world of wine through harvest and lab internships after earning her biochemistry degree at California Polytechnic State University. She spent several years working harvests in New Zealand and Paso Robles and at Pine Ridge Vineyards before joining the Pine Ridge Vineyards team full time.

The company stated this marks the first time Pine Ridge will delineate the winemaking responsibilities more clearly between the CB+V and estate labels. Josh Mendoza-Widaman recently joined Pine Ridge Vineyards as estate winemaker.

Gary and Nancy Andrus established Pine Ridge Vineyards in 1978 on 50 acres within the Stags Leap District – and began cultivating Cabernet Sauvignon. Today the winery owns estate vineyards in five Napa Valley appellations: Stags Leap District, Howell Mountain, Oakville, Rutherford, and Carneros.

The brands are part of the Crimsom Wine Group in St. Helena, which also includes Seghesio Family Vineyards in the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County as well as labels in Washington, Oregon and the California Central Coast.