About us

Long Meadow Ranch brings together a family-owned winery, diversified farming and a love of good food. The Hall family restored its historic vineyards, olive groves and orchards, gradually building a business that unites winegrowers, farmers and chefs. Their shared belief is reflected in the family motto, “Excellence through Responsible Farming.”

A Story Beginning in the 19th Century

The history of Long Meadow Ranch dates back to the second half of the 19th century, when US President Ulysses S. Grant signed a land patent granting the property to Civil War veteran E. J. Church. By the end of the century, vineyards, apple orchards and olive groves were thriving here. The ranch also produced hay and had a goat dairy, with its harvests taken to market by horse-drawn carriage.

Farming ceased during Prohibition, and the surrounding forest gradually reclaimed the abandoned land. When the Halls purchased the property in 1989, they began a careful restoration. They tended the neglected olive trees, replanted vineyards and apple orchards, and brought agriculture back to the land. A long, sweeping meadow set among the wooded slopes of the original mountain estate in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains gave Long Meadow Ranch its name.

The Hall Family

Ted and Laddie Hall are at the heart of the ranch’s modern story. They moved to Northern California so Ted could attend business school at Stanford University. It was here that his interest in winemaking grew, along with a dream of owning a vineyard. Buying Long Meadow Ranch gave the family the opportunity to fulfil that dream while reviving the property’s agricultural heritage.

Their sons, Chris and Timothy, shared this connection to farming. At twelve, Chris planted the ranch’s first organic vegetable garden with his younger brother. They spent weekends tending their crops and, with help from their mother Laddie, preparing the harvest to sell at the St. Helena Farmers’ Market. This early experience inspired Chris’s lasting interest in bringing together agriculture, wine and food. After completing his studies, he returned to Napa Valley to help develop the family’s farming operations and its food and wine destination, Farmstead.

Timothy, who died in 1996 at the age of thirteen, remains an important part of the family’s story. The Timothy Hall Foundation honours his love of agriculture and music by supporting school education in the arts and sciences.

Long Meadow Ranch Today

What began with the restoration of the original ranch has grown into a farming business spanning more than 2,000 acres, approximately 810 hectares, across three California counties. Alongside its vineyards are olive groves, fruit orchards, vegetable gardens and pastureland. The agricultural diversity that characterised the property in the 19th century remains central to the ranch today.

Vineyards form the backbone of Long Meadow Ranch. The family farms them using organic practices certified by California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). Winemaking is also part of the broader Full Circle Farming philosophy, which brings the ranch’s different agricultural activities together as one integrated operation.

From the Ranch to the Table

The work in the vineyards, orchards and gardens continues at Farmstead, where Long Meadow Ranch wines are served alongside ingredients from the family’s own farm. Chefs work closely with the growing team to select fruit and vegetable varieties for their flavour and their place in the seasonal kitchen.

Food and hospitality are a natural extension of the work that begins on the ranch. For the Halls, wine belongs at a shared table, alongside olive oil, fresh vegetables and the other products of their land. This connection between farming, winemaking and hospitality gives Long Meadow Ranch its distinctive character.