John Olney
RIDGE VINEYARDS: GREAT RECENT RELEASES
For over 50 years Ridge Vineyard has been making some of the best wines in California. And since the 1960s I have been buying, drinking, and cellaring them each year. The result is that I have more wines from Ridge Vineyards in my cellar than I have from any other producer. The wines […]
Click here to read entire article »RIDGE VINEYARDS – SPRING 2019 RELEASES
The Ridge Vineyards Spring 2019 releases are out. They feature 4 red wines and 1 white wine. And, true to form, they are all delicious wines with the typical Ridge character, balance, and appeal (to read a recent Ridge Vineyards article with notes on some of the wines released last year as well as […]
Click here to read entire article »RIDGE VINEYARDS – SPRING 2018 RELEASES & MORE
The spring releases from Ridge Vineyards are now here. There are four red wines and one white wine with four wines from the 2016 vintage and one wine from the 2015 vintage. As usual, the wines are very impressive. Notes on these spring releases are listed below and are followed by information on […]
Click here to read entire article »RIDGE VINEYARDS – FALL 2017 RELEASES & MORE!
As usual, the new Ridge releases are terrific. I tasted the wines over a period of several days and found all of the wines to be very expressive. They are balanced and harmonious just as you would expect from Ridge. Below are notes on the 5 fall releases. Don’t miss them! Following the notes are […]
Click here to read entire article »RIDGE VINEYARDS – NEW RELEASES, A SPECIAL CHARITY EVENT FEATURING RIDGE WINES, & NOTES ON THREE GREAT OLD RIDGE WINES
New Ridge Releases New releases from Ridge are always a treat as this is one winery that only produces gorgeous balanced food friendly wines that can be consumed young and also can age effortlessly for many years. Here is the introduction from my last Ridge article on the fall 2016 releases and ingredient labeling […]
Click here to read entire article »RIDGE VINEYARDS: SUPERB NEW RELEASES & WINE INGREDIENT LABELING
NEW RELEASES When it comes to Ridge Vineyards it is easy to get carried away. For as long as I have been involved in wine, Ridge has been very special. For nearly 50 years I have been buying, drinking, and cellaring Ridge wines. I drink them often and have more Ridge wines in my […]
Click here to read entire article »A MONTE BELLO TOAST TO PAUL DRAPER
A LEGEND IN HIS TIME Paul Draper, the winemaker and CEO of Ridge Vineyards for nearly 50 years, recently announced his retirement. In my mind Paul was the California wine industry’s guiding force in continuing traditional wine making practices and making consistently great wines during his entire career at Ridge Vineyards. The history of Ridge […]
Click here to read entire article »RIDGE VINEYARDS & THE DROUGHT YEARS 2012-2015
A RECENT VISIT AND SOME REALLY STUNNING WINES I have been visiting Ridge Vineyards since the 60s and writing about them since just before the launch of The Underground Wineletter in 1979. During this entire period I have been buying, cellaring, and drinking Ridge Vineyards wines. They have always given me immense pleasure and […]
Click here to read entire article »RIDGE VINEYARDS
Without question, Ridge consistently produces some of the best red wines in California. They have been doing it for over 50 years and have a record that is unmatched by anyone in the state. Here is a history of Ridge taken from one of my earlier Ridge articles: The history of Ridge Vineyards begins in […]
Click here to read entire article »RIDGE VINEYARDS – UNCOMPROMISING QUALITY
The history of Ridge Vineyards begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a doctor who became a prominent member of San Francisco’s Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge. He terraced the slopes and planted vineyards; using native limestone, he constructed the Monte Bello Winery, producing the first vintage under that name in 1892.
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