Araujo Estate Wines, producer of distinctive wines from the iconic Eisele Vineyard in Napa Valley, is pleased to announce it has appointed Caleb Mosley, formerly of Ridge Vineyards in Cupertino, as Vineyard Manager. Mosley will report directly to Araujo Founder and Proprietor Bart Araujo.

“Caleb’s lifelong vineyard experience, his work with Paul Draper at Ridge and its internationally-renowned Monte Bello Estate vineyard, as well as his cutting edge work in viticulture -- including the areas of soil mapping, sap flow monitoring and agroecology -- combine to give him a background perfectly suited to taking on the management of our Eisele Vineyard,” says Bart Araujo, who notes that like the Eisele Vineyard, Ridge’s Monte Bello Estate Vineyard was one of the earliest California vineyards to produce a single-vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. “We’re confident he’ll take our viticultural and vineyard management practices to an entirely new level.”

Mosley, who developed a deep appreciation of vineyards and their surrounding environments growing up on a 35-acre estate vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains, spent the last five years at Ridge Vineyards, first as viticulturist and subsequently as vineyard manager. At Ridge, in addition to managing the 130-acre Monte Bello Estate Vineyard, Mosley provided growing, scouting and management support in 350 acres of Ridge’s estate vineyards in Dry Creek and Alexander Valleys, oversaw the development of a new 35-acre estate vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and implemented the transition of 75 acres from conventional to organic farming.

Well versed in the use of beneficial insects to help naturally decrease pest pressure, Mosley has worked on several related projects including a beneficial insectary hedgerow design and an agroecology program in Sonoma County designed to boost natural biodiversity within vineyards. While attending school at California Polytechnic State University where he studied wine and viticulture, Mosley held harvest intern and tank room supervisor positions at Orcutt Road Cellars in San Luis Obispo.

“Araujo takes a ‘vine by vine’ approach that closely matches the philosophy I’ve developed both at Ridge and by following my father’s footsteps in the vineyard,” says Mosley. “The opportunity to work with a vineyard the caliber of the Eisele Vineyard – and with a team that takes a no-holds-barred approach to quality – is something I’m very excited about.”

Araujo Estate Wines was founded in 1990 by Bart and Daphne Araujo. The 162-acre estate consists of the 38-acre Biodynamic® and organically-farmed Eisele Vineyard, one of the most respected Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards in Napa Valley, a winery and caves designed specifically to vinify Eisele Vineyard grapes, as well as a wildlife habitat and watershed. More information can be found at www.araujoestate.com.