Ridge Vineyards & Winery
- Hours:
Sat-Sun 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Good for Kids: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
20 reviews
Saratoga, CA
"I came across uncorked when I was looking for a venue for my engagement party. I looked at several wine bars in the area including Joseph…" read more »
27 Reviews for Ridge Vineyards & Winery
The view. Seriously, who cares about the wines, go for the view.
With that being said, the wines were actually pretty good. They are a pricy bunch, but if you are into mid-priced earthy reds, Ridge is your place.
But really, go for the view.
I'm noticing that I tend towards reviewing wine....hmmm.
This is one of my favorite secret spots in the South Bay. The view alone is worth the drive, but their wines are equally impressive. Their reds are lovely, but I have to admit I don't always like what they are tasting. They do switch around their tasting menu so if you go repeatedly, you'll get to try some different stuff.
It's a trek up to this winery, so allow some time. But if you're looking for a nice afternoon, bring a blanket, some food, and buy a bottle of wine and enjoy the picnic area.
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Ridge is a hidden jewel of the South Bay. If you appreciate wine, you need to come here to try their Zins. The $5 tasting (first two complimentary) give you their variety. I came here with Liz L and two other friends -- it made our Sunday! Views + great wine + friends was the winning combo.
One surprise was they didn't serve any wines with grapes grown on that mountaintop property, even though I knew they didn't serve the Monte Bello's going in. They told us the grapes on that estate either went into their Monte Bello or their Santa Cruz bottles. All the ones we tasted were from their Lytton Springs estate up in Healdsburg. But despite that, and despite their crowdedness, I would come back. The views are stunning and I had the most wonderful picnic here with friends. They let you borrow their wine glasses, and with a bottle of their zin, some bread, meats, and cheeses, and good company.. you've made yourself a wonderful weekend.
The drive is not as scary as some of the other yelpers put it to be. It is windy and it does become a one-lane road towards the latter half. If you drive at safe speeds and honk your horn around blind corners, you'll be fine. But DO NOT drive down drunk! :-)
I got a bottle of their 1998 Lytton Springs Zin (http://www.flickr.com/...). Totally in love with it!
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It's really a trek to get up to this mountain winery/vineyard. Make sure your car is up to the challenge of a making the climb and be careful of the narrow roads and sharp turns too.
If you do eventually make it up you won't be disappointed. You'll be greeted with gorgeous views of the south bay and some great scenery.
For those not in the know, Ridge is world famous. No need for any Napa or Sonoma recognition, the wines speak for themselves.
One of the coolest things about the tastings here, they are free. Granted it's for 2 tastings, you can pay $5 and upgrade it to a total of 6 tastings. Added bonus? You sample some of the older vintages which you don't get a chance to do at any other wineries that I know of.
The staff is extremely informative and friendly, which you may not get at some wineries.
Buy lunch or some meats and cheeses and have a picnic outside at one of the many tables. Remember they are only open on the weekends from 11-4pm. Enjoy.
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I really enjoy this winery. They pour two wines for free, and then charge 5 dollars for another 4, so overall it is 5$ for 6 wines of good quality (or you can just taste two and not pay a thing!). And if you compare this in value to say, Cinnabar down the road, Ridge wins hands down in all categories: value, beauty, and quality of wine.
Now, if you are not a red wine lover, this is not the place for you. They do not pour their Chardonnay, but since I hate Chard that actually makes me love this place even more.
There are some reviews on here complaining that they do not pour their Montebello-- I think that is a completely unjustified criticism. How many places just come out and pour a 150$ bottle of wine, and that is just for the most recent vintage.
Ridge has some of the most beautiful scenery in the area and it also has a really lovely pick nick area. Stop in Saratoga, pick up some sandwiches, enjoy some wine and have a pick nick.
The reason that I docked a star is that they come across as so dog unfriendly that I didn't even feel comfortable letting her out of the car to have a drink of water.
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This is probably the best winery in the area. Ridge has a well deserved reputation for great Cab and Zin blends. If you like RED wines you won't be disapointed. Plus the winery itself, with it's gardens and incredible views, is quite nice even if you aren't drinking their wines.
The first two tastes are free and the two offered are quite nice, not just the low end wines that some places will pour for free. In fact, one was one of their best Zins, the Lytton Estate, available only at the winery. After that it's an additional $5 for another 4 wines. My wife and I were trying to decide between two and they gave us each second tastes of both of these. So, for $5 we had 8 tastes of top quaility wine. Not too shabby in my book.
Some folks are down on this place because they don't taste their Monte Bello. True it would have been nice but, come on folks, to give the place a two star rating is just whining because you didn't get a chance to taste a wine that is most likely too expensive for you to ever buy yourself. And that's the reason they don't offer it for tatsting. It's simple economics. The Monte Bellos start at $135 a bottle. When you do the math it would work out to about $10 a taste. Their not going to include it in the $5 charge when 99% of the people who taste it probably won't buy it.
Oh yeah, one more thing: if you only like white wine (rolls eyes)..nevermind.
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Ridge Vineyards occupies a prominent place in the history of modern day winemaking in California. It also occupies a prominent place atop Monte Bello. The current incarnation of Ridge began in the early 1960s and it is a very interesting story. They were one of the first premier wineries in California and they still are today. Their 2005 Chardonnay was ranked #2 on the Wine Spectator's Top 100 List for 2007.
The road up to Ridge winds for 4.6 miles (according to Google Maps) up the mountain from the Stevens Creek Reservoir. The drive is not for the feint of heart. For these 4.6 miles are up a very curvy, very narrow mountain road. Both times I have been up there, I have been the driver. And both trips have given me a glimpse into the old Jewish man I am destined to become. Each time upon arriving at Ridge, I have turned to my boyfriend and said "You owe me for this!" (After driving us through a blizzard in Iowa, he says we are now tied.).
The tasting room is small and often crowded. But, you will find that the staff is both knowledgeable and patient. The views from the winery are incredible. On a clear day you can see all of the Silicon Valley, up to Mount Diablo and up all the way to San Francisco. It is truly a special place in that regard. They have a picnic area which makes a great place to relax in the sun in the summertime.
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Tasting: Free (3 wines); $10 extra to try their Zinfandels.
Famous for: Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandels.
Worth another visit? Yes.
NOTE: This review is for visiting their winery and not for their wine, since I have never tasted their Monte Bello.
From Cupertino, you go up and up a curvy mountain road and you'll find Ridge winery and vineyard. Whether you like or dislike their wine, if you have any interest in wine, you need to visit here once. Ridge makes Monte Bello, which was one of the wines represented at The Judgment of Paris 1976 (Fifth place), historical blind tasting event which changed the way the world viewed California wine.
(http://en.wikipedia.or...)
Ridge then won first place at The Judgment of Paris 30th Anniversary in 2006. With that said, do not come here expecting to get a taste of their famous Monte Bello, which I was told becomes completely sold out to their wine club members immediately after each release. They did sell vintage Monte Bello 1977-1999, but nothing newer than 1999.
They have a nice picnic area. How cool is it to picnic with a bottle of Ridge wine next to grape vines at the top of mountain over looking Silicon Valley?
Their tasting room had a display honoring a famous baseball player. Who do you think it is? A Giants player? Yes, but Yomiuri Giants. Pitcher Kuwata. He is the one who many people believe betrayed his PL high school teammate Kiyohara. They have two bottles of Monte Carlos with his autograph. I found this quite random, because I am sure many famous people drink Ridge Monte Bello. If anyone knows the history on why they honor him, please let me know.
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C'mon, make it clear in your tasting room description that you are not pouring the Monte Bello Cabernet. That's what you're known for, so at least make that available for tasting even if you need to charge some big fee. And you say 1999 ~ 2003 vintages are sold out (in fact, the next release will most likely be gone before becoming available to non-members). Then pour the 1998!!
It was quite a work going up the narrow, winding road for 20 min. All that went to waste -- although the view was quite gorgeous.
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It is a crapshoot when you go to a winery whether or not they are tasting their best wines, but we seemed to go on a good day! We went this last Sunday.
After driving up the very windy 1 lane road, I was surprised to see so many cars in their parking lot, considering we passed only insane bike riders going up the hill! (one of which I happened to know as she walked into the tasting room covered in sweat! It's a small world!)
There were some good Zins from 2003 and 2004, one with a little more Sirah and some different blends, but 2 wines are free and then the other 4 they offer to taste are only $5 per person. Our favorite was the Carignane (did I spell that right?) of which we brought 2 bottles home and drank the 3rd one there. My friend checked it out before we went and he surprised me with a cooler full of cheeses, apples, pears and crackers. There are about 6 large shaded picnic benches there but if you walk through the garden up to the crest of the hill away from everyone, there is a decent sized area where you can put out your picnic! So cliche yet so much fun, and the weather was gorgeous, a small breeze and incredbile views made for a wonderful Sunday afternoon for wine and cheese!
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The first time my wife and I tasted their wine was in 2004 at Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino, CA. It was a 2001 Lytton Springs and it paired well w/ our steak. Since then a visit to their winery was long overdue. Today we decided to head out and sample their wines. The tasting consisted of the following:
2004 Santa Cruz Mountains blend- 51% cab., 47% merlot, 1% petit verdot and 1% cab. franc.
2003 Zinfandel York Creek - 84% zin and 16% petite sirah (our favorite, so we bought a bottle to take home and add to our wine collection).
2004 York Creek blend - 87% zin, 13% petite sirah.
2005 York Creek
2002 Petite Sirah Lytton Estate
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It's a long drive up the mountain, but the view from the winery is breathtaking.
Only open for tasting on weekends, but I did manage to taste during the week. The person pouring for Cinnabar called Ridge and arranged a private tasting. I went up the hill with two young ladies I met while tasting @ Cinnabar. One can meet very nice people when tasting wine...
The only other time I tasted @ Ridge was on a weekend with my sis and unbelievably I ran into a guy named Dave who hangs out @ Kokkari in the City. Small world!
I swear the first time I drove up to Ridge, I thought I was going on a wild goose chase... I couldn't imagine something being in such a remote area.
What a windy, yet gorgeous drive up to Ridge. Came here today with coworkers to do a Sunday wine tasting trip. The wine tasting room here is very simple, yet clean and set up efficiently. Outside of the wine tasting room, there are picnic tables and an area to walk around and see the view of most of the South Bay Area, and you can also see San Francisco from up there.
We went in a group of 8 people, and we were able to try an entire list of wine for $5.00 a person. ($5.00 a person for larger groups). Compared to the other wineries we visited, Ridge didn't really have their "nicest or best" wines to try. However, the wine was all still very good and the staff here was very helpful and nice.
Just like many other Yelpers mentioned, this is a place for red wines.. and maybe that's why I didn't necessarily enjoy it to the max since I LOVE white wines.
Also, I wish I knew to bring some of my own snacks along (like Angela C. mentioned that she did). Ridge only had crackers to offer, when I was hoping to get some cheese too.
Overall, this is a nice winery and it's in a gorgeous location too.
Some friends, (who LOVE red wine) wanted to visit this place.
I was less than thrilled, because they had ZERO whites to taste.
Our friends were crazy about some of their reds, (and bought quite a few bottles.)
The only good thing I can say about this place, is- the crackers they had out were really good.
Although, I don't want to give them too low of a rating, since red wine isn't my thing.
This place has a reputation for awesome Zins, wines that age well, and a world-class Bordeaux blend. They deserve much of this praise. The bad part is that they may or may not pour you those fantastic wines you lust for. After driving up some long narrow mountain road, there's no guarantee you'll be tasting any fantastic wine at all. It's a total crapshoot!
The view is magnificent, bring a picnic.
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Bit of a drive to get to (45 minutes south of SF, including some really windy roads) but definitely worth it. You're not going to find it as crowded as some of the wineries up in Napa/Sonoma, even for a weekend, and for $5 (2 tastings are free but the $5 includes an additional 4 wines), not too bad.
Ridge is known for their reds so if you like white, this may not be the place for you. But the view at the top is fantastic, not to mention peaceful. We brought some cheese, bread & fruit, and popped open a bottle of the York Creek Zin that we purchased there, hiked up past the garden and sat under this olive tree. Not many people knew about this spot so it was quiet peaceful. They do have several picnic tables set up if you're not up for sitting on the ground. And if you happen to forget to bring your own wine glasses, they'll let you borrow some. :)
Fantastic view, fantastic wines.
Ridge have been repteadly rated best in the world (even above French Bordeaux) in blindfod tests.
This is a Cupertino gem.
This is a picnic place only, so you bring your own food and buy some wines from Ridge (they will provide glasses).
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I can't thank Amy D. enough for taking me to Ridge. She is an ATP member and had given me a bottle from one of her monthly shipments. It was so good, I literally begged her to go to the winery.
We packed a picnic lunch and zipped down 280. The tasting room setting is so beautiful. We had the tasting and ended up buying a bottle of York Creek to enjoy with lunch....along with a few other bottles to take home.
Now that I joined their wine membership, I have a nice little stockpile of their amazing wines. I never considered myself to be a wine horder, but, damn if i don't keep these to myself for a bit... My all time favorite is the 2003 Ducey Ranch Late Harvest Zin... if you can get your hands on this juicy gem -- DO EET!!!
Cheers!!
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One of the better wineries if your not in Napa. Easy to get to if you are in the Peninsula (reasonably, its WAY up in the Saratoga hills).
The Monte Bello is a great bordeaux style blend, worth a taste year after year, but not a value wine.
If you stop by, say Hello to Cindy. She is super friendly and very knowledgable about wine. Enjoy the drive, the view and the wine.
This Cupertino site is nicer than a lot of Napa or Sonoma wineries. Less crowded, less commercialized, free samples, and the wine itself is probably better than 95% of Napa. Seriously.
Their red blends are very unique, running from the $15 Friday-night-at-home bottle to the $150.00 98-pts-on-Wine-Curmudgeon Magazine type. The winery here is not just for show either, their prize Monte Bello reserve is grown right here. This is the same Monte Bello Hills which is partly a nature preserve for Bay Area hikers.
You can have a picnic at the first-come first-served tables and there is no obligation to buy anything. Walk around between sips and check out the beautiful views, you will be shocked you are in Cupertino.
Edit update: Holy shit, look at this: http://www.copia.org/c...
Would you have thought that the greatest red in the world was from.... Cupertino?
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4.5 stars
I have to say I have always been a huge fan -- and when you say CA Zinfandel it is probably the first place that comes to mind....I admit that I now also covet other places especially for Zin (Rosenblum, Elyse, Seghesio, etc) -- but Ridge is always a pretty sure bet and sets a standard....and for a very special occasion -- or to make an occasion special -- Monte Bello.
5 or 6 years ago they made a grenache that was only sold at the tasting room -- as well as a barbera -- and both were exceptional.
I think production has increased quite a bit -- and they may have had some resulting growing pains....but this is still one of my favorites.
This is a superb winery that specializes in zinfandels. They also make a Bordeaux blend that is fabulous, though pricey, called Montebello. All their wines are pretty widely available.
The 1971 Montebello beat out a bunch of first growths in a blind tasting,(http://en.wikipedia.or... and many other articles)
The tasting room in the Santa Cruz Mountains has a fabulous view (the drive up is....exciting. The drive down after the vino is....) and they always have something decent open.
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Great place to check out on a Sunday. Its hard to beat a free wine tasting. Especially since most wineries in Napa now charge. Though you can purchase wine at their tasting room, you can usually buy their bottles at Bev Mo for a couple dollars cheaper.
Pack a lunch and enjoy it on their picnic tables that provide you a view of the South Bay.
I went on a hike w/ Greenbelt Alliance and the leader loves Ridge Winery, we did 11 miles RT, you can drive to the winery if you're not crazy like us. So about 20 ppl went with him in the Spring and we saw lots of wildflowers at Montebello Ridge Open Space and hiked to Ridge Winery.
When we went 4/29/05 we got free tastings of 3 wines and crackers. It's still FREE. Check out their website: http://www.ridgewine.com/
Open for tasting and sales Saturday and Sunday from 11 to 4.
Plenty of picnic tables outside, check for rattlesnakes under the table before sitting down, cuz there are rattlesnakes at wineries, there is a sign that says it too. Nice bathrooms in a separate building outside, flush toilets and all.
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Now this winery is at the end of a long winding road and it is well worth it (on a nice day) to make this the mid-point of a wine tasting journey. The wines are decent enough but the picnic facilities and the view that go with them are superb. Be sure to also hit Picchetti (which is on the road but down in elevation) on the way to or after this place.
I would advise having several drinks before making the arduous drive up to this place. Sometimes I just let my cat Kashani take the wheel. That way, I'm much more relaxed, and can really enjoy the view, which is spectacular! Ok, I'm kidding...not really. The view is fantastic, but you should never drive drunk, and cats can't even (legally) get their licenses (and it's especially hard, since I drive a stick shift, and my cat doesn't have OPposable thumbs - complications!) . Hitchhike. Oops, you're not supposed to do that either.... Anyway, in whatever manner you choose to travel, once you get there they've got free wine tasting, good, reasonably-priced wine (they are known for their Zinfandel), and the staff is friendly and seem to know more than anyone should ever know about wine... We bought a chardonnay there that was out-of-this-world fantastic. I made the mistake of opening a bottle at a Christmas / Yalda party I hosted, and only had one glass!
I agree with the previous reviewer who suggested that Ridge is probably better than 95% of the wineries in Napa Valley; I would also say that it is the best winery in the Santa Cruz mountains region. The wines here are outstanding. The Montebello is out of my price range, but the zinfandels are fantastic; they also make a syrah that is blended with 9% viognier that is out of this world and very unique for California. (rhone-style) The wines taste more expensive than they are, if that makes sense. Free tasting too!
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