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Selected Press - Printable Version

You can download PDFs of select press articles right here.

2012

Fall 2012 Release Info - Get labels, backgrounders, bottle shots, and more for our upcoming Fall 2012 releases. For a Fall Release pre-sell sheet, click here.
In a retrospective tasting in the June 2012 issue of The Wine Advocate, Robert Parker gives the 2002 Monte Bello a superb 95+ points!
The 2009 Petite Sirah Lytton Estate received 92 points (2 puffs) in the June 2012 issue of Connoisseur's Guide to California Wines.
The editorial staff at Wine & Spirits magazine picked our 2010 Estate Chardonnay (93 pts.) as a Best Buy in their August 2012 issue.
Several of our zinfandels are reviewed in the June 2012 issue of California Grapevine: our 2010 Paso Robles Zinfandel (90 pts.), and our 2010 Geyserville (90 pts.) are both very highly recommended. Printable 2010 Paso Zin shelf talker (1.17MB PDF)
Our winemaking team has finalized the assemblage of the 2011 Monte Bello. Watch video (6:48) at YouTube.com | Read the 2011 Monte Bello harvest and assemblage report (445KB PDF)
Among the "Recommended Sonoma Zins" from the San Francisco Chronicle (4 May 2012) is our 2010 Geyserville.
Our 2010 Estate Chardonnay (91 pts.) is very highly recommended in the May 2012 issue of California Grapevine.

Ridge Monte Bello makes the May 2012 cover of Decanter Magazine which includes a 19.5 point score for the 2008 Monte Bello. Download full article (2.6MB PDF)
In the 23rd Annual Restaurant Poll issue of Wine & Spirits magazine, our East Bench Zinfandel was selected the #2 zinfandel on restaurant wine lists. We've been in the top two zinfandel slots for eight years in a row! Check out the downloadable sell sheet for the upcoming 2010 East Bench Zinfandel.
Click here to get labels, backgrounders, and sell sheets for our upcoming Spring Releases.
The February 2012 issue of Wine & Spirits magazine features two of our wines: 2008 Chardonnay Monte Bello (93 pts.) and 2009 Lytton Springs (92 pts.).

2011

On Day 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle's "12 Wines of Christmas", our 2008 Monte Bello and 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate are picked as top cabernets (12 December 2011). Read article at SFGate.com
Our 2009 Lytton Springs is one of the San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 Wines of 2011. Read article at SFGate.com . The 2009 Sonoma County Three Valleys made their list of Top Vintners Not At Top Dollar.
The October-November issue of California Grapevine highlights some of our wines including: 2008 Chardonnay Monte Bello (first place, 93 pts.), 2009 Pagani Ranch Zinfandel (first place, 90 pts.), and 2009 York Creek Zinfandel (second place, 90 pts.).
Tim Fish at The Wine Spectator gives 92 points (web-only review) to the 2009 Pagani Ranch Zinfandel in a short profile of the Pagani vineyard in a 23 September 2011 online article. Read article at WineSpectator.com (subscription required) | printable shelf talker (931KB PDF)
Get PDFs of some recent shelf talkers: 2008 Monte Bello (WA 97+ pts.) 2009 Lytton Springs (WA 95 pts.), 2008 Chardonnay Monte Bello (WA 95 pts.) 2009 Estate Chardonnay (WA 95 pts.), 2009 Geyserville (WA 94 pts.), 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (WA 94 pts.), 2009 East Bench Zinfandel (WA 91 pts.), and 2009 Paso Robles Zinfandel (WS 91 pts.). See recent POS materials
A bevy of great reviews from Antonio Galloni at The Wine Advocate (August 2011, Issue 196)! 2008 Monte Bello (97+ pts.) 2009 Lytton Springs (95 pts.), 2008 Chardonnay Monte Bello (95 pts.) 2009 Estate Chardonnay (95 pts.), 2009 Geyserville (94 pts.), 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (94 pts.), and 2009 East Bench Zinfandel (91 pts.). Read reviews | More info at eRobertParker.com (subscription required) | Download a printable version of the reviews (137KB PDF)
Fall Releases Virtual Tasting - We have archived footage from our virtual tasting that happened on Friday 26 August 2011 from our Lytton Springs winery right here. Our winemaking team of Paul Draper, John Olney, and Eric Baugher presented the Fall Releases at this virtual tasting. More info
Our 2009 East Bench Zinfandel (92 pts.) and 2009 Geyserville (90 pts.) are highlighted in the September 2011 issue of Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines. More info at CGCW.com (subscription required)
The September 2011 issue of Wine Enthusiast magazine features some of our wines including 2009 Ponzo Zinfandel (91 pts.), 2009 Paso Robles Zinfandel (91 pts.), 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (90 pts.) as well as the previously reviewed 2009 East Bench Zinfandel (92 pts.).
Our 2009 Paso Robles Zinfandel receives 91 points from Tim Fish in the 31 August 2011 issue of The Wine Spectator.
In the ten-year 2001 California Cabernet retrospective in Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (30 June 2011, Issue 195), the 2001 Monte Bello walked away with a 99-point score.
Our 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (94 pts.) and upcoming 2008 Monte Bello (95 pts., September 1 release) were amongst the best 2008 California Cabernets in the 15 June 2011 post at JamesSuckling.com. Read full article at JamesSuckling.com (subscription required)
In the June-July 2011 issue of California Grapevine, a number of our Spring Releases are reviewed including: 2009 Zinfandel Paso Robles (92 pts.), 2009 Ponzo Zinfandel (91 pts.), 2009 Zinfandel East Bench (89 pts.) and 2009 Geyserville (89 pts.).
Our 2008 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch (91 pts., 15 Jun 2011) and 2008 Zinfandel East Bench (91 pts., 15 Jun 2011) are two wines highlighted in Tim Fish's article on 2008 Zinfandels in the 30 June 2011 issue of Wine Spectator which also includes a retrospective tasting including 2001 Geyserville (91 pts.), 2001 Lytton Springs (90 pts.), and 1991 Geyserville (89 pts.).
On 4 June 2011, Alder Yarrow at Vinography.com blogged about Ridge and highlighed our 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (9-9.5 pts.) as a "serious and seriously good" wine. Read full blog entry at Vinography.com
The SF Examimer profiles Ridge Vineyards and winemaker Paul Draper in their 2 June 2011 issue. Read full article at SFExaminer.com .
Our 2009 Zinfandel East Bench (92 pts.) is one of the top-rated zinfandels for barbecue, in a recent web article at Wine Enthusiast magazine (posted 1 June 2011) Read full article at Winemag.com .
Gary Vaynerchuk of DailyGrape.com reviews our 2009 Zinfandel East Bench in a videocast (31 May 2011) and gives it 90 points. Watch video at DailyGrape.com .
The May-June 2011 issue of Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar reviews our 2008 Lytton Springs (92 pts.), 2008 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch (91 pts.), and 2009 Ponzo Zinfandel (90 pts.). View more at WineAccess.com (subscription required)
In the Summer 2011 issue of the Quarterly Review of Wines, our 2007 Monte Bello is one of the Best California Proprietary Red Blends in their annual Best of the Best roundup. Download a printable version (1.6MB PDF)
In a video recorded on Thursday 19 May 2011 at the Monte Bello winery, Paul Draper talks about the 2010 Monte Bello assemblage.
In the Wine & Spirits 22nd Annual Restaurant Poll (May 2011 issue), Ridge was voted one of the Top 50 brands, focusing our 2009 East Bench Zinfandel and 2008 Lytton Springs.
Download a printable sheet (2.5MB PDF)
We now have sell sheets for the re-release of the 2007 Monte Bello and our new 2009 Petite Sirah Lytton Estate.
Download 2007 Monte Bello re-release sheet (1.5MB PDF) | Download 2009 Petite Sirah Lytton Estate sell sheet (3.5MB PDF)
Our 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate received a nice review and a 92 point score from Gary Vaynerchuk in the May 2011 issue of his newsletter from DailyGrape.com. View more at DailyGrape.com (subscription required)
Several of our recent releases have been featured in the 4 May 2011 issue of the electronic Wine Spectator Insider newsletter including the 2009 Estate Chardonnay (90 pts.), the 2007 Chardonnay Monte Bello (91 pts.), and the 2008 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch (92 pts.).
Our 2009 Estate Chardonnay (90 pts.) was very highly rated by the California Grapevine (April-May 2011 issue).
Three of our spring release wines were reviewed by Gary Vaynerchuk in the April 2011 issue of his newsletter from DailyGrape.com including 2009 Estate Chardonnay (90+ pts.), 2009 Geyserville (90 pts.), and 2009 Zinfandel Paso Robles (89 pts.). View more at DailyGrape.com (subscription required)
We broadcasted a live interactive video tasting of our Spring 2011 wholesale releases at 10am PDT on Friday 8 April 2011. For more info and to view the archived footage of the Ridge winemakers talking about the wines, click here.
David Amadia (Vice President of Sales & Marketing) was interviewed at Prowein 2011 (Duesseldorf, Germany) for VinVino Live magazine. Watch video
Huzzah! Robert Parker reviewed our Fall 2010 releases for The Wine Advocate (Issue 193, 28 February 2011) and all five wines received ninety points or higher: 2007 Monte Bello (92+), 2007 Chardonnay Monte Bello (92+), 2008 Lytton Springs (93), 2008 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch (94).
In his 19 February 2011 recap of ZAP Festival in January, Alder Yarrow at Vinography.com rated the 2009 Geyserville (April release) at 9.5-10 points, the top-rated wine of all the zinfandel's he tried. Read full blog entry at Vinography.com
On 17 February 2011, James Suckling announced that he rated the 2007 Monte Bello at 97 points on his new website, JamesSuckling.com. (subscription required)
The Washington Post has a great article by Dave McIntyre (14 February 2011) about the state of American zinfandel today and our 2008 Geyserville is the top-rated wine (3 of 3 stars, Exceptional)! Read review at WashingtonPost.com
Decanter magazine awards the 2007 Monte Bello as one of their Five Star wines in the February 2011 issue.
Our 2008 Geyserville is one of SF Chronicle wine editor Jon Bonné's six favorite recent Zinfandels (23 January 2011). Read article at SFGate.com
In his Zinfandel article from 15 January 2011, Wall Street Journal wine writer Jay McInerney reveals that he poured 2003 Geyserville at his wedding a few years ago and goes on to tout the 2009 Sonoma County Three Valleys. Read article at WSJ.com (subscription may be required) or download a printable PDF (88KB PDF)
Download the By-The-Glass sell sheet for the 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate cab/merlot right here. Download By-The-Glass sell sheet (4.6MB PDF)
The 2008 Lytton Springs rings in the new year with 93 points (two puffs) in the January 2011 issue of the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine.

2010

In her article "California's charming 2007 cabs" (8 December 2010) at Jancis Robinson's Purple Pages, Linda Murphy touts the 2007 Monte Bello (18.5 points). Read article at JancisRobinson.com (subscription required)
The San Francisco Chronicle has announced their Top 100 Wines of 2010 (December 5 issue) and the 2007 Monte Bello is one of the best. Read article at SFGate.com
Wine blogger Dr. Vino has a nice writeup about Geyserville: both the vineyard and wine including the current release, 2008 Geyserville in his entry from 4 December 2010. Read blog entry at DrVino.com
Writing for the November-December 2010 issue of Sommelier India, Bob Ecker calls the 2006 Chardonnay Monte Bello the classic Killer California Chardonnay.
In the December 2010 issue of Wine & Spirits, the 2007 Monte Bello is one of the Year's Best Cabernets (94 pts.).
The November-December 2010 issue of Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar reviews our 2007 Monte Bello (94 pts.), 2007 Chardonnay Monte Bello (92 pts.), 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate cab/merlot (91 pts.), and 2008 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains Estate (90 pts.). View more at WineAccess.com (subscription required)
Harvest is over! - We picked our last grapes at Monte Bello on Friday 5 November 2010. The last tank was pressed a week later, on Friday the 12th. Congratulations to our tireless production team for weathering an extremely challenging harvest! Photos and video from harvest 2010
Our 2008 Zinfandel East Bench is "lively, balanced and pleasing" according to Eric Asimov of the New York Times (12 October 2010). Read full article at NYTimes.com
The 2007 Monte Bello receives 92 points from James Laube in the 29 September 2010 issue of Wine Spectator Insider bonus newsletter (Vol. 6, No. 40).
All five of our Fall Release wines scored over ninety points in the October 2010 issue of The Tasting Panel magazine: 2007 Monte Bello (96 pts.), 2007 Chardonnay Monte Bello (92 pts.), 2008 Lytton Springs (94 pts.), 2008 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch (91 pts.), and 2008 Zinfandel York Creek (92 pts.). The 2008 Geyserville (90 pts.) and 2008 Zinfandel East Bench (89 pts.) showed well too. Download printable article (1MB PDF)
Mike Steinberger reviews verticals of Monte Bello, Geyserville, and Lytton Springs in issue 28 of British quarterly The World of Fine Wine (electronic version not available).
In the October-November issue of California Grapevine, our 2008 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch (91 pts.) is very highly recommended.
Archived footage from our live video tasting (22 September 2010) is now available to view. Winemakers Paul Draper, Eric Baugher, and John Olney presented our Fall Release wines. Watch video
Two of our wines, 2008 Zinfandel East Bench (92 pts., Best Buy) and 2008 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard (90 pts.) were well received in the October 2010 issue of Wine & Spirits magazine.
Harvest has started! - We picked our first grapes at Lytton Springs on Friday 3 September 2010, zinfandel from Block 25. On Saturday received Geyserville zinfandel from the Whitten Ranch. On Sunday Paso Robles zinfandel grapes arrived at the Monte Bello winery. Come back soon and we'll have photos and video of this year's harvest. Photos and video from harvest 2010
Fall Release wines shipping now! Learn more about our Fall Releases (backgrounders, labels, pre-sell sheets with tasting notes, wholesale newsletter, and video tasting notes).
Gunnar Tietz wrote about his visit to the winery in the German Sommelier magazine's Aug-Sep 2010 issue. Download German language article (3MB PDF)
HERS Magazine in Japan (August 2010 issue) has a nice article that includes Ridge Vineyards. Download Japanese language article (4.8MB PDF)
We have an app for that! Now available: a free Ridge Vineyards app for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Download free app (3.8MB)
A recent tasting for California wines by Wine Review Magazine of Korea picked the 2006 Geyserville as one of the top wines. Download article (translated from Korean) (17KB PDF)
Ridge Vineyards and Paul Draper are profiled in the Summer 2010 issue of Quarterly Review of Wines by Eleanor and Ray Heald. Download two-page article (11MB PDF)
In their Insider newsletter from 5 May 2010 (subscription required), Wine Spectator praises the 2008 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Chardonnay (92 pts.).
The Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines reviews a number of our recent zinfandels in the May 2010 issue (Volume 34, Issue 7) including 2008 Geyserville (94 pts.), 2008 Zinfandel Paso Robles (90 pts.), 2008 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard (89 pts.), and 2008 Sonoma County Three Valleys (88 pts.).
A number of our 2008 vintage zinfandels were highly recommended in the April-May 2010 issue of California Grapevine (Vol. 36, No. 2), including 2008 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard (90 pts.), 2008 Zinfandel Paso Robles (90 pts.), 2008 Geyserville (90 pts.), 2008 Zinfandel East Bench (89 pts.), and 2008 Sonoma County Three Valleys (88 pts.).
Spring Release wines now available! Learn more about our Spring Releases (backgrounders, labels, newsletter, and pre-sell sheet with tasting notes). Also, winemaker notes for the 2008 vintage zinfandels from Eric Baugher and John Olney are now available. Download printable PDF (290KB)
Our 2008 Zinfandel East Bench is picked by Lettie Teague as an exceptional wine in The Wall Street Journal (Friday 16 April 2010). Read article at WSJ.com
On Friday 16 April 2010, Jay McInerney blogs about pairing 2008 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard with pork chops in The Wall Street Journal. Read blog entry at WSJ.com
Jancis Robinson writes about the recent retrospective tasting in The Financial Times (12 March 2010). Read article at FT.com
On 11 March 2010, Jancis Robinson published tasting notes of the big Monte Bello vertical from last week's retrospective tasting. Read article at JancisRobinson.com (subscription required)
Dr. Vino blogs about Ridge, Paul Draper, Monte Bello and the recent retrospective tasting (9 March 2010). Read article at DrVino.com
Our 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate cab/merlot is Jancis Robinson's Wine of the Week (9 March 2010). Read article at JancisRobinson.com
San Francisco Chronicle wine editor Jon Bonné provides Monte Bello tasting notes (9 March 2010) after summarizing our recent retrospective tasting (8 March 2010) in his blog "The Cellarist." Blog entry (tasting notes) | Blog entry (event summary)
In The Wine Advocate issue #187 (27 February 2010), Robert Parker reviewed a number of current and previous vintages of our wines including: 2003 Monte Bello (95+ pts.), 2004 Monte Bello (91 pts.), 2005 Monte Bello (97+ pts.), 2006 Monte Bello (94+ pts.), 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate cab/merlot (92 pts.), 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate cab/merlot (91 pts.), 2007 Geyserville (91 pts.), 2007 Lytton Springs (92 pts.), and 2007 Zinfandel East Bench (90+ pts.). He also reviewed some upcoming wines including: 2007 Monte Bello (92 pts.), 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate cab/merlot (88 pts.), 2008 Geyserville (90-92 pts.), 2008 Lytton Springs (91-93 pts.), and 2008 Zinfandel East Bench (90-92 pts.). Download one-page summary with scores (483KB PDF) | Download full reviews (4 pages) (740KB PDF) | Download printable shelf talkers (406KB PDF)
On the eve of a retrospective tasting at Monte Bello celebrating fifty years of Ridge, Eric Asimov has penned a wonderful profile of the winery in his column "The Pour" for the New York Times (1 March 2010) and then continued blogging a little more the following day. Read full article at NYTimes.com (1 March) | Read additional blog entry (2 March)
The winery is covered in an in-depth article about the Santa Cruz Mountains Jon Bonné, wine editor of the San Francisco Chronicle; the 2006 Monte Bello is also reviewed in this article from 28 February 2010. Read full article at SFGate.com
The 2007 Lytton Springs garners more kudos with another 91 point score, this time from Wine & Spirits (February 2010 issue).
We ring in the new decade with a 91-point score for our 2007 Lytton Springs from Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines (January 2010 issue).

2009

The 2007 Zinfandel Paso Robles received 91 points from the Wine Spectator's Tim Fish in a web-only review.
Our 2007 Geyserville is one of the San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 Wines of 2009 (6 December 2009 food & wine section). Read full article at SFGate.com
Steve Heimoff at Wine Enthusiast magazine (1 December 2009) gives 92 points to our 2007 Sonoma County Three Valleys. Read review at WineEnthusiast.com
Jon Bonné at the San Francisco Chronicle (29 November 2009) picks our 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Chardonnay as a great gift wine for the holidays. Read full article at SFGate.com
In the 25 November 2009 issue of the Insider newsletter, Wine Spectator's James Laube awards 95 points to our 2006 Chardonnay Monte Bello.
In their December 2009 issue, Wine & Spirits selects the 2006 Monte Bello as one of the Year's Best Cabernets & Blends.
Our 2007 Geyserville is one of the San Francisco Chronicle's Good Wines for Thanksgiving (15 November 2009 food & wine section). Read full article at SFGate.com
The New York Times declares the 2007 Sonoma County Three Valleys as their top-rated red wine for Thanksgiving (11 November 2009 issue). Read full article at NYTimes.com (may require free registration)
The November-December 2009 issue of Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar reviews our 2006 Monte Bello (93 pts.), 2007 Lytton Springs (90 pts.), and 2007 Zinfandel York Creek (90 pts.). View more at WineAccess.com (subscription required)
Our 2006 Chardonnay Monte Bello is the winner of the "Deep Pocket White Wine" category in the Sunset Wine Awards 2009 (November 2009 issue). Read full article at Sunset.com

Ridge Vineyards is one of Wine & Spirits magazine's Top Wineries of 2009 in their 23rd annual buying guide (Winter 2009 issue). 3MB PDF
Tim Fish rates the 2007 Geyserville 91 points in the October 15 issue of Wine Spectator. Read review at WineSpectator.com (registration required)
The San Francisco Chronicle's Lynne Char Bennett lists our 2007 Zinfandel Paso Robles as one of the best Paso Robles zinfandels (11 October 2009). Read full article at SFGate.com
Harvest is over! Our first grapes arrived on Friday 3 September 2009 - zinfandel from Paso Robles. We concluded harvest on Monday 12 October. Check out pictures of our new grape sorting system currently being installed at Monte Bello or harvest pictures and videos.
The California Grapevine rates our 2005 Syrah Lytton West 91 points in their August-September 2009 issue (Vol. 35, No. 4).
Our 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Chardonnay is one of the Year's Best Chardonnays (90 points) the October 2009 issue of Wine & Spirits.
Canadian daily Edmonton Journal (2 September 2009) selected the 2006 Lytton Springs as one of their wine picks Read article at EdmontonJournal.com
The Tennessean (8 July 2009) picked the 2006 Lytton Springs as the best wine in a recent blind tasting of zinfandels. Read article at Tennessean.com
The California Grapevine reviews a number of our zinfandels including 2007 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard (91 pts.), 2007 Zinfandel East Bench (90 pts.), 2007 Zinfandel Paso Robles (90 pts.), and 2007 Geyserville (89 pts.) plus our 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Chardonnay (90 pts.) in their June-July 2009 issue (Vol. 35, No. 3).
Three of our wines garner the five-star rating from Quarterly Review of Wines (Summer 2009): 2007 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard, 2007 Zinfandel East Bench, and 2005 Monte Bello.
Printable shelf talkers for 2006 Lytton Springs (91 pts.), 2007 Geyserville (91 pts.), 2007 Zinfandel East Bench (92 pts.), 2007 Zinfandel Paso Robles (90 pts.), and 2005 Syrah Lytton West (95 pts.) are available right here: Download 892K PDF file
In their May 2009 issue, the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine reviews a number of our zinfandels including 2007 Zinfandel East Bench (92 pts.), 2007 Geyserville (91 pts.), 2007 Zinfandel Paso Robles (90 pts.), and 2007 Sonoma County Three Valleys (90 pts.).
Our 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Chardonnay is Highly Recommended (93 points) in Wine Spectator's Advance, the sneak preview of their June 30th Buying Guide.
Our 2005 Syrah Lytton West has received a wonderful review, three "puffs" and a 95-point score from the March 2009 issue of the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines.
More accolades from Wine & Spirits magazine (February 2009 issue), this time for our zinfandels: 2006 Zinfandel York Creek (93 pts.), 2006 Sonoma County Three Valleys (93 pts.), 2006 Geyserville (92 pts.), and 2006 Lytton Springs (91 pts.). We are also the top zinfandel winery in their 20th annual restaurant poll. Printable sell sheet (340KB PDF)
We kick off the new year with a bunch of great zinfandel reviews from the January 2009 issue of the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine: 2006 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch (95 pts., Connoisseurs' Choice), 2006 Lytton Springs (89 pts.), and 2006 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard (89 pts.).

2008

With a 97-point score, our 2005 Monte Bello is one of the Year's Best Cabernets in the December 2008 issue of Wine & Spirits magazine.
Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine has reviewed our 2005 Monte Bello (93 pts.) in their December 2008 issue.
Four zinfandels are reviewed by Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar in the November-December 2008 issue (#141): 2006 Zinfandel Paso Robles (90 pts.), 2006 Zinfandel York Creek (90 pts.), 2006 Geyserville (91 pts.), and 2006 Lytton Springs (92 pts.).
Harvest is over! Our 2008 harvest wrapped up on Wednesday, 22 October. Harvest videos and photos
Paul Draper poured the 1978 Monte Bello at the Grand Tastings of the Wine Spectator's California Wine Experience in New York City (16-17 October 2008). He also presented the 2005 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains Estate at the Top Ten tasting (18 October 2008). Paul Draper video | Grand Tastings blog entry | Top Ten Tasting blog entry
Our 2006 Zinfandel Paso Robles was one of the standout wines in a recent tasting of Paso Robles zinfandels by the New York Times wine staff (15 October 2008). More at NYTimes.com (including audio tasting note)
On 3 October 2008, an in-depth article about Ridge Vineyards by Anthony Gismondi was published by The Vancouver Sun and featured a number of Ridge wines including: 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate Chardonnay (90 pts.), 2005 Sonoma County Three Valleys (89 pts.), 2006 Geyserville (91 pts.), 2006 Lytton Springs (90 pts.), 2005 Santa Cruz Mountains Estate cab/merlot (90 pts.), and 2005 Monte Bello (94 pts.) Read full article at Canada.com
The Wine Spectator published Tim Fish's tasting hignlights of California Zinfandels (29 September 2008) with includes 2006 Geyserville (90 pts.), 2006 Sonoma County Three Valleys (89 pts.), plus 2006 Lytton Springs, 2006 Zinfandel East Bench, and 2006 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard. Read article at WineSpectator.com (may require registration/subscription)
Ridge is mentioned in San Francisco Chronicle wine editor Jon Bonné's article about chardonnay (Friday 26 September 2008). Read article at SFGate.com
Learn more about our Fall Releases (now shipping) by viewing the labels, backgrounders, fall newsletter and pre-sell sheets.
Our spring release zinfandels were reviewed in the August-September issue of California Grapevine, including the top-ranked 2006 Geyserville, the second-place 2006 Zinfandel Paso Robles, as well as 2006 Zinfandel East Bench, and 2006 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard.
Our sustainable agriculture practices are mentioned in Deborah Grossman's article in the San Francisco Chronicle (Wednesday 27 August 2008). Read article at SFGate.com
Harvest 2008 underway! Zinfandel grapes from Paso Robles and the Whitten Ranch (Geyserville) arrived at the Monte Bello winery on Saturday, 23 August. More harvest videos and photos
On the last day of July, Stefan Blicker at the St. Helena Star selects the 2006 Geyserville as the Wine of the Week. "This marks only the third time Iâ€™ve recommended a wine outside of Napa Valley in this column." Read the full review at the St. Helena Star
Decanter magazine picks the 2004 Monte Bello as one of the "New World Greats To Lay Down" in their July 2008 issue. Download tearsheet (4.1MB PDF)

Our 2005 Lytton Springs was selected Best of Show in the zinfandel category in the Quarterly Review of Wines tasting of over 800 wines (Summer 2008) while the 2005 Geyserville garnered four stars. Read full story at QRW.com
The June 2008 issue of Wine & Spirits magazine recommends our 2006 Sonoma County Three Valleys zin blend.
The 2006 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains Estate is featured in the 7 May 2008 issue of Wine Spectator Insider.
Several of our spring release zinfandels were reviewed in the May 2008 issue of the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines, including the 2006 Zinfandel Paso Robles and the 2006 Geyserville.
Paul Draper is profiled in a video interview by The Wine Spectator (3 April 2008). Watch video at WineSpectator.com
Wine blog Vinography covers Paul Draper, Ridge, and the 2004 Monte Bello in Alder Yarrow's posting from 27 March 2008. Read blog entry at Vinography.com
On Friday 14 March 2008, Paul Draper was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame at CIA Greystone. Read the article at SFGate.com
Our 2004 Geyserville was the featured wine in the 30 Second Wine Advisor column at the WineLoversPage.com on 25 February 2008. Read the article at WineLoversPage.com
In a San Francisco Chronicle article about finding wines that both red and white wine drinkers would find interesting, our 2004 Chardonnay Monte Bello is mentioned as a white wine with all the complexities of a red wine (8 February 2008). Read the article at SFGate.com
On Thursday, 17 January 2008, CIA Greystone announces that Paul Draper has been elected into the Vintners Hall of Fame. Read the article at SFGate.com
In their January 2008 issue, the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wines has selected 2005 Geyserville as a Connoisseurs' Choice (***, 95 pts). Our 2005 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch (**, 93 pts.) and 2005 Zinfandel York Creek (*, 90 pts.) were also picked as outstanding wines.

2007

The 2004 Lytton Springs leads the list of zinfandels in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Selection Stars of 2007 (28 Dec 2007). Read the article at SFGate.com
The Los Angeles Times' picks the 2005 Lytton Springs as Wine of the Week (28 Nov 2007). Read full review at LATimes.com
Our 2003 Monte Bello tops the Holiday Gift Guide (23 November 2007) in the San Francisco Chronicle's wine section. Read the article at SFGate.com
Our environmentally friendly Lytton Springs Winery is profiled in a San Francisco Chronicle article about Sonoma County winery architecture (16 November 2007). Read the article at SFGate.com
On 15 November 2007, the 2005 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountain Estate is ranked #2 in the Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2007. Read the article at WineSpectator.com or watch the video at WineSpectator.com .
In his November 14th New York Times blog entry, wine writer Eric Asimov describes a recent tasting of various Ridge wines. Read the article at NYTimes.com
The Dow Jones Classic Cabernet Index (Wall Street Journal, 9 November 2007) lists the 2003 Monte Bello.
Harvest is over! (8 November 2007) - Our Monte Bello vineyard crew finishes the harvest with the last of the old-vine cabernet sauvignon. Photos
Ridge is highlighted in a Wine Spectator article (by Tim Fish) about the Santa Cruz Mountains region (31 Oct 2007). Read the article at WineSpectator.com
Palo Alto Online (30 October 2007) has an article about this year's harvest in the Santa Cruz Mountains that mentions Ridge Vineyards. Read the article at PaloAltoOnline.com
Linda Murphy leads with Ridge in Decanter magazine's (September 2007) article "New World Icons of Today... & Tomorrow."
The September 2007 issue of Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine reviews some of our spring wines including the 2005 Lytton Springs.
Harvest has begun! (22 August 2007) - We started this year's harvest with the experimental zinfandel/primitivo block at Lytton West. A day later, the first grapes from Geyserville arrived at the Monte Bello winery. Photos
Ridge is selected the Top Santa Cruz Mountains Producer and one of the Top 25 Cabernet Producers in the Special Fall 2007 issue of Wine & Spirits magazine.
In the August 2007 issue of Sunset magazine, Ridge Vineyards is the featured winery in the article about visiting the Santa Cruz Mountains. Read the article at Sunset.com
The Canadian daily Calgary Herald has a nice writeup of the 2005 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountain Estate in an article written by Geoff Last (published 22 July 2007). Read the article at Canada.com
Ridge Vineyards and Paul Draper are profiled by Patrick Comiskey in the June 27th issue of the Los Angeles Times. A number of our wines are also reviewed. Read the article at latimes.com
In the May 16th edition of the Wine Spectator Insider, the 2005 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountain Estate is one of the Hot Wines by James Laube (rated: 95 pts).

Paul Draper is the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Wine and Spirits Professional (8 May 2007). Read press release at JamesBeard.org
Our 2005 Three Valleys is well-regarded in the May 2007 issue of the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine.
The April-May 2007 issue of California Grapevine reviews our spring wines: 2005 Lytton Springs, 2005 Zinfandel Paso Robles, 2005 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyard, 2004 Santa Cruz Mountains (cab/merlot), and 2005 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountain Estate.
In Forbes Magazine (23 April 2007), Richard Nalley touts the 2004 Geyserville as one of the great California wines. Read original article at Forbes.com (may require free registration)
Jay McInerney profiles Ridge Vineyards and Paul Draper in House and Garden magazine's Uncorked (10 April 2007). Read original article at House and Garden
In an interview with The Wine Spectator (8 Mar 2007), Thomas Keller, chef/owner of Yountville's French Laundry picks Monte Bello as one of his favorite wines, as well as zinfandels from Ridge. Read original article at WineSpectator.com
The 2004 Lytton Springs is one of the top Dry Creek Valley zins of 45 tasted by the San Francisco Chronicle (12 Jan 2007). Read original article at SFGate.com
The 2003 Monte Bello is one of the highly regarded wines in Patrick Comiskey's article "Where have all the honest Cabs gone?" in the Los Angeles Times (3 Jan 2007). Read article
In the January 2007 issue of Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine, three of our zinfandels are reviewed: 2004 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch (95 pts. ***, sold out at winery), 2004 Geyserville (94 pts. **), and 2004 Zinfandel York Creek (89 pts. *).

2006

Paul Draper is the San Francisco Chronicle's Winemaker of the Year (8 Dec 2006). Read original article at SFGate.com
The San Francisco Chronicle Top 100 Wines of 2006 includes the 2004 Lytton Springs and 2003 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains. Read original article at SFGate.com
Paul Draper is profiled by Mike Steinberger at Slate (21 Nov 2006). Read original article at Slate.com
On November 15, Laurie Daniel writes about Santa Cruz Mountains cabernets in the San Jose Mercury News and mentions the 2003 Monte Bello. Read original article at MercuryNews.com (requires free registration)
Paul Draper and Ridge Vineyards are profiled by Kim Pierce in the November 14th issue of the Dallas Morning News. Read original article at DallasNews.com
One of our 2005 releases, the 2003 Zinfandel Independence School is highly rated by the Wall Street Journal (10 Nov 2006).
Harvest 2006 is over! - Photos from Oct 11, Oct 9, Oct 2, Sept 18, Sept 9 plus pictorials on pressing cabernet sauvignon (48 photos) and pressing zinfandel (32 photos).
The September/October 2006 issue of Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar reviews a number of our wines including 2003 Monte Bello, 2004 Lytton Springs, 2004 Zinfandel Paso Robles, and 2003 Lytton West Syrah.
Robert Parker reviews syrahs in Issue 166 (28 Aug 2006) of The Wine Advocate, including our 2003 Lytton West Syrah (91 pts).

Paul Draper is named Winemaker of the Year in the September 2006 issue of Sunset magazine. Read original article at Sunset.com
An article about zinfandel field blends by Tim Teichgraeber in the San Francisco Chronicle Wine section (24 Aug 2006) mentions Ridge and Paul Draper. Read original article at SFGate.com
In the August 2006 issue of the Sunset magazine, wine editor Sara Schneider covers the Judgment of Paris anniversary tasting. Read original article at Sunset.com
Robert Parker reviews a number of our Zinfandels in the 30 June 2006 issue of The Wine Advocate, including our spring releases: 2004 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyards, 2004 Lytton Springs, 2004 Zinfandel Paso Robles, and 2004 Three Valleys.
On 29 June 2006, the 2004 Lytton Springs is poured at a White House dinner honoring Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. Official White House press release
W. Blake Gray from the San Francisco Chronicle picks the 2003 Geyserville as the Wine of the Week (audio podcast, 1 Jun 2006). Hear audio at SFGate.com

The 1971 Monte Bello won the re-enactment (24 May 2006) of the famous "Judgment of Paris" tasting from 1976. Both the UK and US panels selected the Monte Bello as the hands-down winner. Also taking first place in the recent reds tasting was the 2000 Monte Bello. Read more
The June 2006 issue of Wine & Spirits lists the Year's Best Zinfandel which includes the 2004 Lytton Springs.
The four Spring Release zinfandels were favorably reviewed by the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine (May 2006 issue): 2004 Lytton Springs, 2004 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyards, 2004 Zinfandel Paso Robles, and 2004 Three Valleys.
In the February-March 2006 issue of the California Grapevine, several of our new zinfandel releases were highly recommended, including the 2004 Zinfandel Paso Robles (which took first place), 2004 Lytton Springs, and 2004 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyards.
In the 26 January 2006 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle, 2003 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains is one of the best of their tasting of Santa Cruz Mountains chardonnays.
The January 2006 issue of the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine features zinfandel and includes reviews on 2003 Lytton Springs, 2003 Geyserville, 2003 Zinfandel Paso Robles, and 2003 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch.

2005

In the 26 December 2005 issue of The Wine Advocate, Robert Parker reviews Monte Bellos, including the upcoming 2003 Monte Bello (94+ pts.), 2002 Monte Bello (94 pts.), and 2001 Monte Bello (95+ pts.).
In the Best of Year 2005 issue of Wine Enthusiast, the 2001 Monte Bello is selected as one of the Top 100 Wines of 2005.
The 2003 Geyserville is one of the Top 100 Wines of 2005 according to the San Francisco Chronicle (late December 2005).
On 7 December 2005, the Dallas Star-Telegram suggested the 2003 Lytton Springs as a great wine for a holiday gift.
The November 3rd Food & Wine section of the San Francisco Chronicle selects the 2003 Lytton Springs as one of the top Dry Creek Valley zinfandels.
Shelf talkers for the following wines have been added: 2003 Lytton Springs, 2002 Geyserville, 2002 Monte Bello, 2002 Santa Cruz Mountains cab/merlot, 2003 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch, and 2003 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyards.
In the Wine & Spirits Buying Guide 2006 (Winter 2005), Ridge is recognized as one of the best Multi-Source Wineries of the Year.
The October 2005 issue of Wine & Spirits features an article about old-vine zinfandel and the 2003 Lytton Springs was well received.
Ridge zins are reviewed in the August 31st issue of Wine Spectator, including 2003 Lytton Springs and 2003 Zinfandel Paso Robles.
The Wine section of the July 27th issue of the San Francisco Chronicle features an article about old-vine zinfandel and reviews the upcoming 2003 Geyserville and 2003 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch. In a separate tasting of non-Napa/Sonoma meritage-type blends, our 2002 Santa Cruz Mountains is highly regarded. Read Zin article
Beverley Blanning MW covers California Zinfandels in the July 2005 issue of Wine International. Read article

In the Summer 2005 issue of the Quarterly Review of Wines, our 2003 Zinfandel Paso Robles wins Best of Show (out of 87 zinfandels tasted blind). The 2002 Lytton Springs came up as a 5-Star Wine. Other highly recommended wines include 2002 Geyserville and 2002 Zinfandel Late Picked Pagani Ranch. Read original article
A Video Profile of Ridge is now available. Narrated by Paul Draper, chapters include a general profile of Ridge, our three principal vineyards (Monte Bello, Lytton Springs, and Geyserville), and a segment on the winegrowers of Ridge. (Broadband Internet connection highly recommended.) Watch video
In The World of Fine Wine (Issue 4, 2005), there is an in-depth article by Michael Schuster about Ridge featuring a ten vintage tasting of Monte Bello (and nine of Santa Cruz Mountains). All of the wines in the Monte Bello Vintage Pack are covered. Read article
The Wine Enthusiast Buying Guide (April 2005) has a feature on Monte Bello, which includes reviews on various vintages including 2001 Monte Bello and the 1991 Monte Bello which is part of the Monte Bello Vintage Pack.
The 10 March 2005 issue of the San Francisco Chronicle features two articles on Ridge Vineyards and Paul Draper: a general article about Ridge Vineyards and another about Paul in Chile in the 1960s. The general article includes reviews on 2003 Geyserville, 2002 Lytton Springs, and 2001 Monte Bello.
In The Wine Advocate (28 Feb 2005), Robert Parker covers a number of Ridge wines including: 2002 Zinfandel Spring Mountain, 2002 Sonoma County Three Valleys, 2002 Lytton Springs, 2002 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyards, 2002 Geyserville, 2001 Monte Bello, and 2002 Monte Bello.
Wine Enthusiast Magazine proclaims the 2001 Santa Cruz Mountains Home Ranch (cab/merlot) a Cellar Selection (rated 93) in the February 2005 issue.
Portland-based wine critic Matt Kramer (who also writes for The Wine Spectator) raves about the 2002 Zinfandel Paso Robles in The Oregonian (23 Jan 2005): "Their "Paso Robles" zinfandel comes from Dusi Ranch, a repository of ancient zinfandel vines. What it displays is characteristic of Paso Robles-zone zinfandel: deep, rich, surprisingly soft fruit with whiffs of bitter chocolate."

2004

One of the Top 100 Wines of 2004 according to Wine Enthusiast is the 2001 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains (rated 94).
2002 Lytton Springs is one of the Top 100 Wines of 2004 according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The 2001 Monte Bello is one of the Top Fifteen California Cabernets in the December 2004 issue of Wine & Spirits magazine.
The October-November 2004 issue of California Grapevine highly recommends the 2002 Geyserville and 2002 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch.
The Wine & Spirits Buying Guide 2005 issue (Winter 2004) names Ridge as Multi-Source Winery of the Year! Read article
The 2002 Lytton Springs is one of the "Year's Best Zinfandel & Syrah" according to Wine & Spirits magazine (October 2004). Also recommended is the 2002 Sonoma County Three Valleys (zin blend).
Food & Wine magazine's October 2004 issue includes the 2002 Lytton Springs as one of the "Best Wines Over $20."
On October 27, the Oakland Tribune published an edited version of Charles Olken's articles published in the September 2004 issue of Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine (cover article | Collectors' Corner)
The October 2004 issue of the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine rates 2002 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains highly.
The September 23rd issue of Wine Spectator Weekly (Internet only) includes the 2002 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains (Rated: 91 by James Laube)
The September 2004 issue of the Connoisseurs' Guide to California Wine features Ridge zinfandel, including 2002 Lytton Springs, 2002 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyards, 2002 Geyserville, and 2002 Zinfandel Paso Robles. There's also a section on older vintages of both Geyserville and Lytton Springs.
1991 Monte Bello, part of the Monte Bello Vintage Pack is one of Decanter magazine's "100 Wines to Try Before You Die" (August 2004).
Harvest 2004 underway! The first grapes arrived at the Monte Bello winery around 2:30pm on Tuesday, 17 August and more arrived at the Lytton Springs winery a couple of hours later. Photo

The 2000 Monte Bello Chardonnay is rated one of California's great wines by La Revue Du Vin De France (July/August 2004). Read review
The 2002 Lytton Springs is rated one of the best in a recent New York Times (21 July 2004) article about Dry Creek Valley zinfandels. Read article
Stephen Tanzer reviews several wines in International Wine Cellar (July/August 2004) including 2001 Monte Bello, 2002 Lytton Springs, 2002 Zinfandel Paso Robles, and 2002 Zinfandel Ponzo Vineyards.
The July 2004 issue of Sunset magazine discusses winemaking in the Santa Cruz Mountains; Ridge Vineyards and Paul Draper are featured. Read article
Frank Prial of the New York Times (30 June 2004) writes: "Ridge Vineyards long ago mastered the knack of making fine zinfandels but continues to reinvent itself with new versions of the wine made from grapes from all over California." Read article
In the Summer 2004 issue of The Quarterly Review of Wines, 2001 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch (sold through) took Best of the Best. And in second place was the 2001 Zinfandel York Creek (available now)! Read article

Paul Draper is on the cover of Wine Spectator (15 May 2004) which includes an article about Ridge by Daniel Sogg.
Ridge is amongst the world's best wineries according to La Revue Du Vin De France (April 2004). Read article
In the March 2004 issue of Sunset, Karen MacNeil-Fife reviews wines made from blends of Rhône varietals, including the 2001 Sonoma County Three Valleys (sold through).
James Laube reviews the 1993 Monte Bello (part of the Monte Bello Vintage Pack) in his 1993 California Cabernet Retrospective (Wine Spectator, 16 Feb 2004).
Chardonnay Monte Bello is one of Matt Kramer's Wines of the Year (Wine Spectator, 29 Jan 2004).
Stephen Tanzer reviews the 2001 Zinfandel Pagani Ranch and 2001 Zinfandel York Creek in International Wine Cellar (Jan/Feb 2004).

2003

Robert Parker's recent reviews in The Wine Advocate (23 Dec 2003) covers some of our 2003 release wines from the Monte Bello estate vineyards, including: 2000 Monte Bello, 2000 Santa Cruz Mountains (cab/merlot blend), 2000 Chardonnay Monte Bello, and 2001 Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains.
The Wine & Spirits Buying Guide 2004 names Ridge Vineyards "Multi-Source Winery of the Year."
The Wine Spectator's Smart Buys Holiday Compendium (24 Dec 2003) includes the 2001 Sonoma County Three Valleys.
In Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung (14 Dec 2003), Stuart Piggott writes: "None of the top wines from Bordeaux in France achieve such a consistently high quality as the Californian Monte Bello during the 1990s." Read article
2001 Zinfandel Paso Robles and 2001 Sonoma County Three Valleys are two of the Wine Spectator's "Eight Spicy California Reds for $25 or Less" Smart Buys (Dec 2003).
The 2001 Lytton Springs is a Top 10 selection in the San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 Wines of 2003 (Dec 2003). "A panel favorite. Focused in its generous, well-ripened fruit laced with bramble and earth notes, with good length, balance and a minerally finish."
The 2000 Monte Bello is reviewed in the December 2003 issue of Wine & Spirits magazine. Read review
New website goes live on October 15!