Ridge made its first Geyserville vintage in 1966, and we have made it in every year since. On this fiftieth anniversary of our first vintage, we are excited to announce that we have purchased Whitton Ranch—the thirty-six acres of vineyard land that, over the years, have provided the grapes for this wine.
In 1990, after buying the grapes for twenty-four years, we signed a thirty-two-year lease on Whitton Ranch with its owners, the Trentadue family. This allowed Ridge to take over farming, and to designate the Geyserville grapes as “estate grown.” However, the risk remained that when the lease ended, we could lose access to what we believe to be one of California’s greatest zinfandel sites.
The thirty-six acres of vineyard at Whitton include “Old Patch,” containing 4.5 acres of a field blend and additional 2.5 acres of old carignane vines planted in 1891; they are among the oldest vines in California. Old Patch still yields over two tons per acre, and provides an additional complex element to the wine. Another 9 acres of zinfandel are fifty years old. We replanted the remaining acres in 1990 and 1991. Now over twenty-five years old, these younger vines on Geyserville’s stony, clay soil contribute intense fruit with the same high quality and distinct character as the older vines.
We are relieved and pleased to know we will be able to make the Geyserville far into the future. We honestly believe it is one of the finest zinfandels in the world.
—David Amadia, Vice President of Sales and Marketing
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