Spring Wholesale Virtual Tasting

Our Spring Virtual Tasting will be hosted live via Zoom on Friday, April 24th at 10am PT. The tasting will be moderated by Michael Torino, President. The panelists will include John Olney, Head Winemaker & CEO, Michael Bairdsmith, Lytton Springs Assistant Winemaker, and David Gates, Senior VP of Vineyard Operations. We hope to see you there!

Tasting Mat

Wines & Tasting Order

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Our Panelists

Michael Torino, President

Michael Torino joined Ridge Vineyards in 2008 as the Eastern Regional Sales Manager and was promoted to Vice President of US Wholesale in 2016, joining the executive committee. In 2021, he was promoted to Senior Vice President of Global Sales, where he oversaw the global distributor network spanning over 55 countries, the sales managers, and the Wholesale Customer Service department. In 2026, he was promoted to President, overseeing the Global Sales Teams, Wholesale Customer Service, and Marketing teams.

John Olney, Head Winemaker & CEO

In 1996, John began work at Ridge’s Monte Bello Winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In 1999, he was put in charge of the Lytton Springs Winery where he oversaw the construction of the innovative 17,000 square foot straw bale winery. In 2021, John was promoted to Head Winemaker & COO. In 2026, he was promoted to Head Winemaker & CEO.

David Gates, Senior VP Vineyard Operations

After an obligatory stint in Napa Valley he made his way to Ridge in 1989. David’s duties include managing the historic Monte Bello vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Whitton Ranch at Geyserville, and the Lytton Estate vineyards at Healdsburg, as well as monitoring and helping all Ridge growers in Sonoma, Napa, Santa Clara, and San Luis Obispo Counties.

Michael Bairdsmith, Lytton Springs Assistant Winemaker

A Northern California native, Mike discovered his passion for wine after receiving his bachelor’s degree from UC Davis. Having chosen English Literature as his preferred field of study instead of Enology however, he came to the wine world the way most liberal arts majors do: working in the restaurant industry. The natural beauty and world-class restaurants of Sonoma County drew Mike to Healdsburg in 2000. By 2003, his fascination with wine and winemaking inspired him to take the plunge and he accepted a cellar intern position at a small Dry Creek Valley winery. He quickly moved up to Assistant Winemaker and returned to school to earn an associate’s degree in Enology. Mike joined the Ridge team at the Lytton Springs location in 2014. He lives in Healdsburg with his family.