History of the Estate

Originally, the estate was part of a Southern Pomo Indian village, Budutcilan, which was located between the modern towns of Guerneville and Healdsburg. The ideal geographic location gave easy access to the Russian River and Mark West Creek while the fertile soils and temperate climate made farming more productive. In the mid 1800’s the estate and outlying area became a prime spot for the lumber industry because of the large Redwood and Douglas fir groves. It was during the mid 1800’s that a farmer named Ruben Harper moved his family to the area to begin growing, among other crops, hops for the growing brew industry. During Ruben’s time on the property he built his original home site which is where our tasting room stands today. The split rail fence that surrounds the perimeter of the tasting room was built by Ruben Harper using original, old growth Redwood – a testament to the durability of this remarkable tree. Ruben died 3 days before the Christmas of 1857 and was buried under a Bay tree overlooking his estate. To this day, Ruben’s original resting place, complete with headstone and rock wall, can be seen in a block of our vineyard. It is in honor of Ruben that we’ve named the block “Harper’s Rest”.

The King family acquired the property in the late 1800’s and used the property as a horse and cattle ranch. Ownership moved between two families during the 1900’s. This period saw the recession of hops and orchards as the primary crops and the introduction of wine grapes, specifically Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, as the new staple for agriculture in the Russian River Valley. Realizing the ideal conditions for cool climate, Burgundian varities such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, early grape pioneers like Joe Rochioli and Davis Bynum began significant plantings of the two varieties in 1960’s and 1970’s. In a short 30 years, Westside Road gained the reputation as one of the premier regions for Pinot Noir in North America. Iconic wineries like Rochioli, Davis Bynum, Gary Farrell, and Williams Selyem call our stretch of Westside Road their home.

The McWilliams family purchased the property in 2004 and in mid 2005 the Arista Estate was opened to the public. In early 2007, the estate planting began with a 6 acre section of Pinot Noir. This planting marked a return to agricultural use of the property, the first time in more than 150 years. Over the next few years an additional 4 acres of Pinot Noir will be planted as well as the development of a small production facility for the wines. The property is also the residence of owners Al and Janis McWilliams. It is our mission at Arista to preserve the rich history and natural beauty of the estate and to produce wines that express the unique terroir found on this small piece of land in the heart of the Russian River Valley.