About Ned Hill

My parents Steve and Gwen moved to Sonoma in 1979, when I was three,  and started farming what were then some of the first grapes on the West side of the Valley. Dad worked for a lifelong family friend named Ed Durell, and through his 30 years of managing the Durell Ranch it gained a world renown reputation as a supplier of quality winegrapes.

I started working in the vineyards at age nine and was driving tractor by age 12. In High School I realized I wanted to work with Dad and/or follow in his footsteps. I went to Cal Poly, SLO and got a major in Fruit Science (the closest thing they had to viticulture at the time) and a minor in Plant Protection. I was named the "Outstanding Fruit Science Graduate" for that year. I hold my PCA (Pest Control Advisor) license which I was able to obtain with that schooling.

Upon graduation I moved back to Sonoma and began to work with Dad on the Durell property, my families own Parmelee-Hill Vineyard, as well as began to manage properties for others in the Sonoma Valley.

During the 2000’s I was heavily involved in community activism for the grape-growing community. I served on the board of the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance (SVVGA) for six years and was president for three years. My greatest accomplishment there was the great growth and success of our “Community Action Committee”, which spread the word of the positive impact of grape growers and wineries through things like scholarships and a “Life in the vineyard” book for school children.

I was also a member of Class 35 of the prestigious California Ag Leadership program, and in 2005 I was named “Outstanding Young Farmer” by the Sonoma County Harvest Fair.

In 2008 I stopped working full time for my Father and Erika and I formed La Prenda Vineyards Management Inc., staring our own management company.

My philosophy in growing grapes is to let the site do it’s own work. Each site has a specific variety that will be optimal for it, I’ve tried to use my experience in growing up here in Sonoma to plant the right variety for the site, farm it in a healthy, sustainable manor, and let the vines do the talking. We’ve tried in some cases to manipulate the vines to give us what we want in terms of production and flavors, etc, however from experience learned that that really doesn’t work. Use the expressions that a site will give you, each one will be unique and each one has a place in the nuances and winemaking that will come from it.

I also feel that things in the vineyard don’t need to be “perfect” for the wine to be perfect. Again, let the site express itself. We’ve had plenty of instances where grapes “just aren’t ripe enough” or “are hanging a bit too much crop”, etc, however when we’ve made the wine from it it’s fantastic.

I really enjoy seeing the growth and changes of the vines through the year, the feel of the changing of the seasons, the smell of freshly tilled soil or the first rain of the season. I love the equipment part of the job, there’s nothing like driving tractor to calm one’s nerves, it’s great enjoyment for me. I also like the challenge of the job. Every day, every year is different, we’re dealing with a living, growing product and the weather dictates everything we do. We can have a game plan in place for tomorrow, and when we wake up it can be hot, cold, raining, windy, etc. and we may have to change everything around based on that. In the end though, after harvest, come winter, we get to wind down and take some good time off.

The toughest part of the job is dealing with the weather (although I also listed that as a “like”) it’s challenging not being able to control the weather and it’s impact on work and vine growth.  And the feeling of being hit by a killing Spring freeze that knocks out your crop before it’s even really getting going is a bad one. The greatest change and to me challenge in the j ob of grapegrowing and winemaking has been the “globalization” of the industry, with so much bulk wine being able to move to and fro to fill bottles wherever someone has a need, and the accompanying squeezes that that has put on the grape grower to be profitable and stay in business. When I was a kid in the industry we dealt more with the winery owners of the big wineries, they’d come to the field for harvest, we’d have parties in the Winter, the cost of doing business was pennies compared to today. Yet the price of grapes back then (in the late 80’s) is about the same as what it is today, however costs are up exponentially. Again, this is also a “like” for me about the job, as I like the challenge brought on by the situation, that we need to be on our toes and constantly changing and adapting in the business. 

As such we have become much more mechanized that before (see “liking” the equipment part of the job), having machine leaf removers, machine harvesters, and other mechanized jobs to try and adapt and stay competitive.

If I wasn’t a grape grower I think I’d be a Real Estate appraiser for land properties.  Odd choice I know, but I love to see property and like breaking things down to the little details to figure out a business plan and value for things. Second choice (probably first really, but I’d loose my wife over it) would be a hunting/fishing guide, I love the outdoors. 

My family today consists of my Wife Erika, our sons Porter (11), Nolan (9) and daughter Elise (6).  In addition to farming 100 acres of our own, our company, La Prenda Vineyards Management Inc. is based in Sonoma and farms nearly 900 acres on almost 30 properties within the area. We farm for many independent growers, selling their fruit to nearly 60 different wineries and labels, from as far North as Lake County, so as far South as Lompoc and even San Diego.  We also export fruit to buyers along the East Coast.

We are proud to farm for estate wineries such as Schug, Nicholson Ranch, Roche Family, Bartholomew Estate, Bennett Valley Cellars, Parmelee-Hill and Fifth Hill, where we get to focus on quality and follow the entire process from grapes to bottle.  

In 2013 we made the decision to come full-circle and concentrate on making bottled wine as well.   Called "Sonoma Collection", this project allows us to follow our farmed product all the way to the consumer, and allows our many vineyard clients a local and sustainable outlet for their grapes.   We have successfully launched Sonoma Collection wines locally and are now making a broader push with them.