For a scenic Bay Area weekend activity, look no further than Ridge Vineyards. The Monte Bello Estate is just a short drive from Silicon Valley, but it feels worlds away. Sweeping, panoramic vistas of the Bay Area extend as far as the eye can see. Instead of the bustle of city life, the only sound you will hear is the breeze rustling past. It one of the most beautiful ways we can think of to explore Northern California’s rich history and culture.
The Monte Bello Estate is Ridge’s first winery, built into the mountainside in the late 1800s. Centuries ago, the original founders terraced these vineyards into the steep hillsides. Here’s a closer look at our Ridge Vineyards wine tasting experience.
Wine Tasting at Ridge Monte Bello
The tasting experience at Ridge Vineyards is just as beautiful as its views. Guests are led up a flagstone path to a terraced, tree-lined tasting area. There is space between each table for social distancing, and umbrellas to shade against the sun. Guests can enjoy the same panoramic scene as they did up front – but better yet, with a glass of wine in hand.
There are two tasting experiences: the Estate Tasting ($25 per person) and the Library Tasting ($75 per person). The estate tasting serves four single-vineyard wines from Santa Cruz and Sonoma County. The Library Tasting pours current and vintage Monte Bello wines side by side for comparison.
For staffing reasons, Ridge is only serving two groups per day for its Library Tasting. They were booked full at the time of our visit, so we did the Estate Tasting instead. Those interested in the Library Tasting should book it at least one month in advance. To note, the Library Tasting is indoors.
The Estate Tasting
The Estate Tasting is a sensory journey through Monte Bello’s Bordeaux-style wines. We tasted the 2020 Estate Chardonnay, 2018 Gonsalves Mataro, 2020 Geyserville Zinfandel, 2016 Hooker Creek Zinfandel, and 2019 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Each of these wines was distinctive in its aromatic profile, and demonstrated an excellent balance between fruit, acidity, and tannins. Below are our tasting notes.
2020 Estate Chardonnay
Despite its light straw color, the Estate Chardonnay is actually creamy and supple in body. It has a soft bouquet of golden apple, lemon, and pear, laced with underlying notes of butterscotch, biscuit and blossoms. This wine is grown entirely on the Monte Bello Estate. Its cool, Santa Cruz mountain terroir and limestone soil is perfect for growing Chardonnay. Fortunately for all of us, harvest for the 2020 vintage occurred just as the massive wildfires began, so there is no smoke taint.
2018 Gonsalves Mataro
The Gonsalves Mataro is a memorable wine. It is light-bodied like a Gamay, but packs a tart, vibrant punch of flavor. It has vivid aromatics of smoky cherry, raspberry, cedar, herbs, and earth. On the palate, black tea tannins lead to a dry finish, with a hint of florals. With its high acidity, this wine needs food. To note, the Mataro varietal is commonly known as Mourvedre. It is most often blended with Grenache and Syrah, rather than bottled standalone. This wine is produced from the Gonsalves Vineyard in Contra Costa County.
2020 Geyserville
The Geyserville Vineyard is home to Ridge Vineyard’s oldest vines, over 130 years old. The resulting wine is a field blend. Each vintage is unique, with the 2020 vintage including 69% Zinfandel, 20% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, and 1% Mataro. This is a smooth, rich Zinfandel filled with brambly berry, black cherry, spice, and a hint of florals. Its Alexander Valley terroir was once an ancient river bed, and its gravel-loam soil imparts a textured minerality to the wine. The Geyserville has a nice balance of dark fruit and structured tannins, with a dry finish.
2016 Hooker Creek Zinfandel
Hooker Creek is an old-vine Zinfandel vineyard just north of Sonoma’s Glen Ellen. The 2016 vintage is a blend of 94% Zinfandel, 4% Petite Sirah, and 2% Alicante Bouschet. It is a spicy, brambly wine with notes of pepper, boysenberry, and licorice. The wine is supple with bright acidity, and a dry, elegant finish.
2019 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
This is one of the top 10 most searched Cabernet Sauvignons on WineSearcher.com. It is powerful but refined; rich in dark fruit but completely dry on the finish. Peppery black cherry, black plum, and cedar spice are delineated by a frame of structured tannins and bold acidity. The Estate Cabernet will age beautifully, and we look forward to tasting it in a decade.
Sustainability and Philosophy
What we love most about Ridge is its philosophy of “pre-industrial winemaking”. This stems from a belief that the American wine industry has become too industrialized. Many large wineries use techniques to manipulate a wine’s alcohol level, acidity, or tannins. Instead, Ridge focuses on growing the healthiest grapes possible, and then hand-picking them. When the grapes are high quality to begin with, they need less intervention to become great wines.
Instead of spraying pesticides and herbicides, their vineyards are an ecosystem where every plant, bird, and insect has a role to play. In fact, Ridge is the largest farmer of organic vineyards in the Santa Cruz mountain appellation and Sonoma County. They often use old vines that have adapted well to the environment. With well-established roots, these vines can be dry-farmed with no irrigation.
A Few Notes
Ridge Vineyards is a beautiful experience – even if you’re the designated driver. And we do recommend a designated driver here, since the road to the vineyard gets quite narrow and winding towards the end. Another option is to take an Uber or Lyft.
Families should know that Ridge is only open to adults 21 and older. Additionally, if you’re visiting in the spring, fall, or winter, dress warmly. The weather changes quickly at such high altitudes.
The Final Sip
Ridge Vineyards is topping our list of places to take guests from out of town. The staff is friendly, attentive, and has deep knowledge about the vineyard and its wines. With its unparalleled views and distinctive wines, it represents some of the best of what the Bay Area has to offer. To learn more, visit RidgeWine.com.
For more local wines, check out our list of Bay Area wine shops here.