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MARTIN RAY PERSON
- Type: Person
- Born: 1904
- Died: 1976
- Primary role: Winemaker, Founder, Quality Advocate
- Region: Santa Cruz Mountains
- Active years: 1936-1976
- Associated wineries: Paul Masson Mountain Winery (1936-1942), Mount Eden Vineyards (1945-1972), Martin Ray Winery
- Associated vineyards: Paul Masson Mountain Winery estate, Mount Eden estate, Peter Martin Ray Vineyard
- Historical significance: Bridge figure between pioneer era and 1960s revival; championed quality-first, estate-bottled, 100% varietal wines
Martin Ray (also known as "Rusty" Ray; 1904-1976) was the pivotal bridge figure connecting the pioneer era of Santa Cruz Mountains wine to the modern quality revival. Mentored by Paul Masson, Ray purchased the legendary Mountain Winery in 1936 and later founded Mount Eden Vineyards in 1945. His uncompromising focus on quality—estate-bottled, 100% varietal, single-vineyard wines—directly influenced David Bruce and the entire 1960s mountain wine renaissance.
Note: Martin Ray and Rusty Ray are the same person; "Rusty" was his nickname.
Martin Ray was born in 1904 in California. He was also known by the nickname "Rusty" Ray.
Ray's entry into wine came through his mentorship by Paul Masson, the legendary French-trained vintner who had established the Mountain Winery in Saratoga.
In 1936, Martin Ray purchased the Paul Masson Mountain Winery from Paul Masson himself. This property, established by Masson in 1901, was one of the most prestigious mountain wine estates in California.
The purchase:
- Ray acquired the winery, vineyards, and inventory
- Masson personally mentored Ray in winemaking philosophy
- Ray absorbed Masson's quality-first European standards
- The relationship transmitted French viticultural knowledge across generations
In 1940, a catastrophic fire destroyed much of the winery, though some structures survived.
In 1942, Ray sold the Mountain Winery property, vineyards, and inventory to Seagrams, but retained the Martin Ray Winery name and company title.
With proceeds from the Seagrams sale, Ray purchased an adjoining mountain property in 1945 and established Mount Eden Vineyards.
At Mount Eden, Ray implemented his uncompromising quality philosophy:
Winemaking Principles:
- Estate-bottled only — No purchased fruit
- 100% varietal wines — No blending for commercial appeal
- Single-vineyard expression — Terroir over consistency
- Quality over quantity — Small production, high standards
- Age-worthy structure — Built wines for decades of cellaring
Focus varietals:
- Chardonnay
- Pinot Noir
- Cabernet Sauvignon
In the late 1960s, Ray formed a partnership to develop the surrounding area. The partnership soured, and Ray lost control of most of the Mount Eden property in the legal dispute.
The partnership became Mount Eden Vineyards as a separate entity.
Ray retained only 5 acres, which he named Peter Martin Ray Vineyard after his son.
Ray continued winemaking from the 5-acre Peter Martin Ray Vineyard until his death in 1976.
After his death, his widow Eleanor Ray and son Peter Martin Ray continued production into the early 1980s, purchasing grapes from Stelzner (Stag's Leap) and Winery Lake (Carneros) when estate fruit was insufficient.
- 1904 — Martin Ray born
- 1936 — Purchased Paul Masson Mountain Winery from Paul Masson
- 1936-1942 — Operated Paul Masson Mountain Winery
- 1940 — Fire destroyed much of Mountain Winery
- 1942 — Sold Mountain Winery property to Seagrams; retained Martin Ray Winery name
- 1945 — Purchased adjoining mountain property; founded Mount Eden Vineyards
- 1945-1972 — Operated Mount Eden Vineyards
- Late 1960s — Formed partnership to develop surrounding area
- 1972 — Lost most of Mount Eden property in partnership dispute; retained 5 acres as Peter Martin Ray Vineyard
- 1976 — Martin Ray died
- 1976-early 1980s — Eleanor Ray and Peter Martin Ray continued production
- 1990 — Martin Ray label acquired by Courtney Benham; Martin Ray Winery established in Sonoma, continues legacy with some SCM fruit
- Paul Masson — Ray's mentor and predecessor at Mountain Winery; transmitted French quality standards and mountain viticulture philosophy
- Charles Lefranc — Indirect influence through Masson lineage (Lefranc → Masson → Ray)
- Eleanor Ray — Wife and business partner; handled correspondence, public relations, business operations at both Mountain Winery and Mount Eden
- Eleanor Ray — Wife; integral business partner (1936-1976)
- Peter Martin Ray — Son; continued winemaking after Martin's death
- Paul Masson Mountain Winery — Purchased 1936, operated 1936-1942
- Mount Eden Vineyards — Founded 1945, lost most of property late 1960s
- Peter Martin Ray Vineyard — 5 acres retained after partnership dispute
- Martin Ray Winery (Santa Cruz Mountains) — Label continued by family 1942-1980s
- Martin Ray Winery — Modern winery in Sonoma (1990-present) honoring Martin Ray's legacy; uses some SCM fruit
- David Bruce — Ray's quality-first philosophy directly influenced Bruce and the 1960s mountain wine revival
- 1960s revival generation — Ray's uncompromising standards became model for quality-focused mountain vintners
Martin Ray championed an uncompromising quality approach that was decades ahead of its time:
- Estate-bottled — Only fruit from his own vineyards
- 100% varietal — No blending to soften or commercialize
- Single-vineyard — Expression of specific terroir
- No compromise — Quality over profit
- Age-worthy — Structured wines built for decades
This philosophy anticipated the modern emphasis on terroir, estate bottling, and varietal integrity.
- Mount Eden Chardonnay — Benchmark mountain Chardonnay
- Mount Eden Pinot Noir — Early California Pinot Noir of distinction
- Mount Eden Cabernet Sauvignon — Quality-focused mountain Cabernet
- Refused to blend for commercial palatability
- Championed mountain terroir when most focused on valleys
- Built cult following through quality, not marketing
- Established estate-bottling model for California
Martin Ray's importance to Santa Cruz Mountains and California wine:
Ray is the critical link connecting:
- Paul Masson (pioneer era, French quality standards)
- Martin Ray (continuity through mid-century)
- David Bruce and 1960s revival (modern mountain wine)
Without Ray, the knowledge chain from Masson might have been lost.
Ray's uncompromising standards influenced:
- The 1960s mountain wine revival
- Modern emphasis on terroir and estate-bottling
- California's shift from bulk to quality production
- Single-vineyard wine culture
Ray established Mount Eden Vineyards as a canonical quality benchmark that:
- Continues to present day
- Set standards for mountain Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
- Demonstrated that California wines could match European quality
- Proved mountain sites superior for certain varietals
Ray demonstrated the importance of knowledge transmission:
- Masson → Ray (1930s)
- Ray → David Bruce (1960s)
- Multi-generational quality philosophy
- Exact birth date (year 1904 confirmed, but month/day unknown)
- Details of relationship with Paul Masson before 1936 purchase
- Full story of the late 1960s partnership dispute
- Specific wines and vintages from Mountain Winery era (1936-1942)
- Relationship with other mountain vintners of the 1940s-1960s
- How Ray supported himself financially given small-scale production
- Eleanor Ray's specific contributions to winemaking decisions
- Complete production records from Mount Eden era
- Martin and Eleanor Ray Papers (UC Davis Special Collections) — ark:/13030/c87946xw/dsc/
- Stock certificates, early writings, articles
- Business correspondence
- Conversations with David Bruce (documented in his oral history)
- Family communications (Peter Martin Ray, Eleanor Ray)
- Sullivan, Charles L. — California wine history works
- Late Harvest (1983) — mentions Ray's role in mountain wine revival
- Regional wine history publications
- Martin Ray Winery modern website — history section
- Martin Ray Winery: Story
- Mount Eden Vineyards historical materials
- Wikipedia: Paul Masson
- 1936 purchase of Paul Masson Mountain Winery
- 1940 fire at Mountain Winery
- 1942 sale to Seagrams
- 1945 founding of Mount Eden
- 1976 death
- Partnership dispute losing most of Mount Eden property
- Quality-first winemaking philosophy
- Relationship with Paul Masson, Eleanor Ray, David Bruce
- Exact circumstances of 1936 purchase (financial details)
- Full details of partnership dispute
- Production volumes and specific vintages
- Exact grape sources beyond estate
- Birth month/day (year 1904 seems solid)
- Early life before wine career
- Specific interactions with David Bruce (known but details sparse)
See Also:
- Eleanor Ray — Wife and business partner
- Paul Masson — Mentor
- Mount Eden — Winery founded 1945
- Peter Martin Ray — Stepson
- Peter Martin Ray Vineyard — Final 5 acres
- David Bruce — Influenced by Ray
- Mountain Winery — Paul Masson Mountain Winery
- 1960s Wine Revival — Topic page