Randy Pura
As one of the owners of Ventana Vineyard, Randy Pura understands better than anyone what this vineyard means to the larger world of wine, and the smaller world of Monterey County. When Randy Pura says that his roots are deep in Monterey County, he’s not joking. Both sides of his family date their arrival in Monterey back to the 1800’s, and Randy has more than 200 years of family history and family stories about the region around the Ventana Vineyard. Randy grew up in Greenfield, California, only a few miles from Ventana Vineyard. Randy’s early years on the farm taught him the importance of protecting and respecting the land he farmed. It was during this time that Randy learned to value the amazing soil and climate of the Arroyo Seco River area.
Randy left the farm in 1969, but the land never left his blood. He worked in the agriculture field following college and returned to Monterey County in the mid-1980’s to grow and market fresh produce. His understanding of the agricultural potential of this land, and his vision for the future of farming led him to seek unique Monterey County agricultural parcels. About 10 years ago, Randy teamed up with Bruce Sterten (another owner of Ventana Vineyards Winery), Mark Chesebro (Bernardus' wine maker at the time) and Steve McIntyre (owner of Monterey Pacific vineyard management company). The group acquired small vineyards in the Arroyo Seco AVA, sold grapes to exacting wineries and made limited amounts of wine from their own grapes.
Randy and his partners had long admired award-winning Ventana Vineyard and were fully committed to acquiring it if the opportunity presented itself. In 2005, Doug and LuAnn Meador approached Randy about purchasing the vineyard and winery. Doug and LuAnn wanted to make sure that their vineyard and winery remained in the hands of local wine growers who were committed to the Arroyo Seco appellation. Randy and his partners were the perfect match. The Meadors knew that Randy would not only respect the character of this unique vineyard, but would also drive the quality of Ventana's award-winning, world class grape growing and wine making into the future.
Today, Randy continues to focus his efforts on unique opportunities in agriculture. Monterey County, whose rocks, hills, rivers and soils are embedded with generations of his family history, holds a special place in the heart of Randy Pura. The remarkable Ventana Vineyard and its wines are the truest expression of that place.
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