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Buy Wine from Ridge Vineyards
Ridge Vineyards is a winery with a rich history dating back to the late 19th century. It is located in California, specifically at the top of Mount Bello Ridge. The story of Ridge Vineyards begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a physician who became a prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, purchased 72 hectares near the top of Monte Bello Ridge.
Using native limestone, he built the Monte Bello winery and produced the first wine under that name in 1892. This unique winery, built into the mountainside on three levels, remains the Ridge's production facility.History
In the 1940s, William Short, a theologian, purchased the abandoned winery and vineyard just below the Perrone property and replanted several parcels with Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1962, four Stanford scientists, Dave Bennion, Hew Crane, Charlie Rosen and Howard Ziedler, re-founded the winery, marking the beginning of Ridge's modern history. Dave Bennion left his role at S.R.I. to oversee winemaking full-time.
The current Ridge Vineyards winemaking team consists of head winemaker John Olney, Lytton Springs winemaker Shauna Rosenblum and Monte Bello winemaker Trester Goetting. John Olney joined Ridge in 1996 and worked at Monte Bello and Lytton Springs wineries before becoming Chief Winemaker and COO in 2021.
Vineyards
Ridge Vineyards is proud to be the largest grower of organically certified grapes in Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation. As of the 2021 harvest, a total of 153 acres of vineyards in Monte Bello, Lytton Springs, Geyserville and East Bench are certified organic. All of the vineyards they farm are certified by the Fish Friendly Agriculture Environmental Certification Program, which recognises agricultural properties that work to restore fish and wildlife habitats and improve water quality.
Philosophy
Ridge Vineyards is based on a "pre-industrial" approach to winemaking. They believe that for anyone trying to make fine wine, modern additives and industrial processing limit true quality. Their philosophy stems from the techniques used in the best 19th century California wineries and Bordeaux châteaux. They ferment their wines using native yeasts from the vineyard rather than cultivated yeast strains. This reliance on natural yeasts gives meaning to what they do, as they believe that natural yeast fermentations almost always result in a more complex and interesting wine. In addition, they extract colour, flavour and tannins from the grapes without the use of commercial enzymes or nutrients.
Ridge Vineyards also prides itself on its commitment to sustainability and organic farming. Sustainability is both a philosophy and a set of environmentally responsible practices designed to safeguard the land on which they grow their grapes. Organic farming builds on sustainability by avoiding the use of synthetic chemicals in the vineyard.
Buy Wine from Ridge Vineyards
Ridge Vineyards is a winery with a rich history dating back to the late 19th century. It is located in California, specifically at the top of Mount Bello Ridge. The story of Ridge Vineyards begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a physician who became a prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, purchased 72 hectares near the top of Monte Bello Ridge.
Using native limestone, he built the Monte Bello winery and produced the first wine under that name in 1892. This unique winery, built into the mountainside on three levels, remains the Ridge's production facility.History
In the 1940s, William Short, a theologian, purchased the abandoned winery and vineyard just below the Perrone property and replanted several parcels with Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1962, four Stanford scientists, Dave Bennion, Hew Crane, Charlie Rosen and Howard Ziedler, re-founded the winery, marking the beginning of Ridge's modern history. Dave Bennion left his role at S.R.I. to oversee winemaking full-time.
The current Ridge Vineyards winemaking team consists of head winemaker John Olney, Lytton Springs winemaker Shauna Rosenblum and Monte Bello winemaker Trester Goetting. John Olney joined Ridge in 1996 and worked at Monte Bello and Lytton Springs wineries before becoming Chief Winemaker and COO in 2021.
Vineyards
Ridge Vineyards is proud to be the largest grower of organically certified grapes in Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation. As of the 2021 harvest, a total of 153 acres of vineyards in Monte Bello, Lytton Springs, Geyserville and East Bench are certified organic. All of the vineyards they farm are certified by the Fish Friendly Agriculture Environmental Certification Program, which recognises agricultural properties that work to restore fish and wildlife habitats and improve water quality.
Philosophy
Ridge Vineyards is based on a "pre-industrial" approach to winemaking. They believe that for anyone trying to make fine wine, modern additives and industrial processing limit true quality. Their philosophy stems from the techniques used in the best 19th century California wineries and Bordeaux châteaux. They ferment their wines using native yeasts from the vineyard rather than cultivated yeast strains. This reliance on natural yeasts gives meaning to what they do, as they believe that natural yeast fermentations almost always result in a more complex and interesting wine. In addition, they extract colour, flavour and tannins from the grapes without the use of commercial enzymes or nutrients.
Ridge Vineyards also prides itself on its commitment to sustainability and organic farming. Sustainability is both a philosophy and a set of environmentally responsible practices designed to safeguard the land on which they grow their grapes. Organic farming builds on sustainability by avoiding the use of synthetic chemicals in the vineyard.