Ridge Vineyards

Monte Bello

High atop the Santa Cruz Mountains lies a vineyard like no other. Monte Bello shines not only in its taste – it has often been called America’s First Growth, but also in its distinct and surprising history.

The modern history of Ridge Vineyards goes back to 1959, when four Stanford Research Institute engineers bought a small acreage at the Monte Bello Ridge, a site that had first been planted to grow vines in the late 19th century. With spectacular views of the Bay Area, the partners thought it would serve as an ideal place for private weekend retreats. During the first year, the partners privately made a tiny amount – a quarter barrel - of “estate” Cabernet. It was to everyone’s surprise when this Monte Bello Cabernet was spotted as one of California’s finest wines in that year. When the wines from these vines showed the same quality and distinctive character in 1960 and 1961, the partners decided to try a commercial production. One of the partners – Dave Bennion - left his role at Stanford to oversee winemaking duties full time.

Under Dave’s watch, production grew slowly and by the late 60s, production had reached three thousand cases per year. It was in 1969 that Paul Draper, now CEO of Ridge Vineyards, joined the partnership. A Stanford graduate in philosophy, Paul had recently returned from setting up a winery in Chile’s coast range. His knowledge of fine wines and traditional methods made him a practical winemaker. This new approach complemented the hands-off approach that the partners had implemented at the Ridge Vineyards since inception. Under his guidance, more acreage was purchased, adding to the staple of vineyards in addition to Monte Bello, and the reputation of the Ridge wines have continued to climb.

Today, Paul has handed off much of the winemaking responsibilities to Eric Baugher. Eric is a native Californian, having grown up on a small ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains where he raised animals, planted gardens and orchards, and having studied at UC Santa Cruz. His deep roots in the area and his expertise in winemaking – he first joined as a Chemist after degrees in chemistry and biology – makes him the ideal person to run this now celebrated vineyard.

Stylistically, Monte Bello has been known as the finest U.S. example of a classic Bordeaux blend. Each grape in the blend contributes to the flavor and structure – with the dominant cabernet sauvignon showing cassis and adding tannin, the merlot giving plum character and softness, the petit verdot contributing the dark color and earthiness, and cabernet franc adding fragrance and a hint of spice.

More broadly, Ridge Vineyard's cabernets and zinfandels consistently show great structure, complexity, and balance, year after year.The wines can age for decades.