William Short

William Short was the visionary vintner who replanted the historic Monte Bello vineyard in the late 1940s, establishing the foundation for what would become Ridge Vineyards' flagship estate.

Monte Bello Vineyard (1940s-1960)

Field	Details
Location	Monte Bello Ridge, Cupertino
Planted	Late 1940s
Varietals	Cabernet Sauvignon
First Vintage	1959 (made by Mario Gemello)
Sold To	Ridge founders (1962)

Historical Context

The Monte Bello site had deep viticultural roots:

• 1885: Dr. Osea Perrone purchased 180 acres on Monte Bello Ridge and established the original vineyard, building a limestone winery into the mountainside
• Early 1900s: Vineyard fell into disuse
• Late 1940s: William Short acquired the property and replanted with Cabernet Sauvignon

Short's replanting represented a rare mid-century act of faith in mountain viticulture, at a time when most Santa Clara Valley and Santa Cruz Mountains vineyards had been abandoned or converted to other uses.

The 1959 Vintage

In 1959, Short sold his Monte Bello grapes to Mario Gemello, master winemaker at Gemello Winery in Mountain View.

Gemello produced the first Monte Bello wine at his family winery—a wine that demonstrated the exceptional quality potential of the site.

This 1959 vintage proved critical in attracting the attention of the four Stanford Research Institute engineers who would purchase the property in 1962 and found Ridge Vineyards.

The Bridge to Ridge

The sequence:

1. 1885: Perrone establishes original Monte Bello vineyard
2. Late 1940s: Short replants Cabernet Sauvignon
3. 1959: Gemello makes first Monte Bello wine from Short's fruit
4. 1962: Ridge founders purchase property from Short
5. 1969: Paul Draper joins as winemaker, continuing the quality legacy

William Short's role is often overlooked, but he was the essential link between the pioneer-era vineyard and the modern revival. Without his replanting and Gemello's 1959 proof-of-concept, Ridge Vineyards might never have emerged.

Legacy

Short's decision to replant Monte Bello in the 1940s—during the "lost middle" decades when mountain viticulture had nearly disappeared—preserved one of California's most important vineyard sites.

The Short → Gemello → Ridge sequence represents the most under-documented but critical continuity thread in Santa Cruz Mountains wine history.

Related Entries

• Mario Gemello
• Ridge Vineyards
• Monte Bello
• Perrone Ranch
• Gemello Winery
• Paul Draper

Sources

• Historic Vineyard Society: Monte Bello
• Ridge Vineyards historical archives
• Santa Cruz Mountains wine history research