Ridge Vineyards
In 1962, Ridge Vineyards made its first Monte Bello, and two years later its first Zinfandel. Since that time, the winery has championed low-intervention, single-vineyard winemaking, searching California for those rare and exceptional vineyards where climate, soil, and variety are ideally matched.
Led by head winemaker John Olney, Ridge calls its approach to winemaking “pre-industrial.” Olney believes that for anyone attempting to make fine wine, modern additives and industrial processing limit true quality. Relying on the natural yeast, he lets the terroir and taste define the wine. Ridge believes in transparency, and was one of the first producers to include a list of ingredients on every wine. It is one of the largest growers of organically certified grapes in Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation.
