Ridge Vineyards and Wineries date back to 1885, but the work of this winery really began to shine in the late 1960s. Ridge’s flagship Monte Bello has won countless awards. The Monte Bello is made from a blend of a number of different grapes all from a single vineyard in the Santa Cruz mountains and took shape when a Stanford philosophy graduate came back to the area after opening a winery in Chile in 1969 and instituted a “hands-off” policy for winemaking.
While you can visit this beautiful winery located at 2,300 feet in the Santa Cruz Mountains, navigating the Silicon Valley traffic from San Francisco to get there can be daunting. Enter Ridge’s property called Lytton Springs in Healdsburg, Calif., located just off Highway 101 in Sonoma County.
Beyond being easier to get to and not requiring a tasting or tour reservation, the 115-acre vineyard is spectacular in its own right and set up as a marvelous tasting room to sample offerings.
While quick tastings are available beginning at $5 if you’re in a hurry, I strongly suggest the personal tour for $30 that includes the “Full Monty” tasting, with all of the estate bottlings as well as the famous Monte Bello.
The tour takes you through the century-old vines before moving to the eco-sustainable winemaking facility built of straw bales and vineyard clay. While the $5 is done standing and a good time, this tour will end seated tasting in their private tasting room.
Ridge Vineyards, Lytton Springs
650 Lytton Springs Rd.
Healdsburg, Calif. 95448
707 433 7721
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