Ridge Wines from California – Episode #158

January 3, 2007

Wines tasted in this episode:

Ridge is a very famous winery in California and today Gary Vaynerchuk tastes a few examples because that’s what the fans want!

114 Responses

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  1. November 7, 2007

    Alos Diallo

    Awesome episode as always I love ridge

  2. July 1, 2007

    Texican

    Gary,
    Great show! I am a big zin fan and enjoy wines from Ridge.

    QOTD 1: Lamborn Family zin by Heidi Barrett. A great Howell Mountain wine. Also Howell Mountain 1999 Old Vine; we had this at a restaurant in Scottsdale and still talk about it!

    Gail

  3. February 22, 2007

    Robert Hickey

    Gary,

    I stumbled on this site while researching some Riojas. This episode particularly hits home as I visited a Ridge winery in Healdsburg, Lytton Springs, and bought the Three Valleys, Pagani Ranch and Ponzo after some intense tasting. Anyone in that area should take the beaten path to this vineyard. Anyway, I have to say that I found all three to be great and I always consider Ridge when I see them on the wine list. I think that you may have suffered through a bad bottle of the Lytton, but I am glad to see a site that has such a friendly venue for wine afficiandos.

    One more thing, do you guys deliver to Florida?

    Rob
    Altamonte Springs FL

  4. February 9, 2007

    Dan

    I am a big fan of Ridge. We visited the Healdsburg location in Sept. ‘06. The facility is very nice, and the wines excellent as well.

    I have to wonder, Gary, if maybe your bottle of Lytton Springs was a bit off. I recently had a bottle of the LS Zin which was very very nice. I’ll agree, maybe not a 95, but I would have given it a 92.

  5. February 1, 2007

    John Masters

    I’ll second what Comment 69: By Alaska1 said about Everett Ridge.. Neat place to visit too in Healdsburg California..

    They now are part of Esterlina Vineyards which has an awesome Riesling..

  6. January 30, 2007

    DJAAA

    Gary,

    I actually love The Ridge you tasted a few months back – and if it weren’t 3am, I’d have the gumption (sp???) to check the label out. I am ‘cellaring’ a bottle to drink in a year or so and I am curious to see the changes. Zins are my absolute favorite wine.

    AAA

  7. January 14, 2007

    Vinacull

    Gary,
    Excellent concept and thanks for taking the idea from the Forums. You mentioned two hours open, but I too wonder whether they were decanted and would have benefitted from being open longer because it seems unusual for the nose to be restrained on the Lytton. QOTD- Can’t list just one – 1) 91 Ridge Lytton Springs 2)’01 Turley Duarte (perhaps because it was excellent and yet smelled/tasted unlike a Zin) and 3) ‘01 Hartford Court Fanucchi Wood. I have a ‘99 Turley Howell Mountain Pringle that I’ll be drinking this year that may challenge this listing.

  8. January 11, 2007

    Miguelo DiMarco

    Why are you using a Syrah/Amarone/Malbec glass to taste Zinfandel?

    Favorite Zin: Earthquake Lodi Zin (Wine Library – $19.99); all kick, no filler. Wimpys need not apply.

  9. January 10, 2007

    Dave

    Favorite zin? 2002 Elyse A.K.A. Unbelievable juice.

  10. January 10, 2007

    Lawrence Leichtman

    Zindfandels fill up a lot of my wine cabinet. Many from Turly, Ravenswood and Rosenblum single vineyards. Great as always Gary.

  11. January 9, 2007

    Benji

    Hey Gary,

    Favorite Zin is the Brown Estate Zinfandel from Napa. Vintage was either the 03′ or 04′. Pretty tasty wine and the best zinfandel of the group from this varietal that I have tried.

    -Benji

  12. January 6, 2007

    Riezin

    Lytton Spring has long been a favorite – I havent had the 04. Storybook Mountain also makes several great, quite age-worthy wines. And the Hanna Bismark Ranch 00 from Sonoma was awesome when drank a year ago.

    How about seeing some verticals in the future?

  13. January 6, 2007

    zinman

    Best zin I every had was from “Storybook Mountain” in Napa. I think it was a 1998.

  14. January 5, 2007

    QueSeraSyrah

    QOD: Favorite zinfandel: 2004 Robert Biale Black Chicken Ranch Zinfandel

  15. January 5, 2007

    Jtk

    Gary good episode, I’m not a big fan of the zins though. Please taste these, or some of these wines sometime in the future. QOTD 2: Clone 5 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Library Code: 29687, Juslyn Vineyard Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 Library Code: 29689, Macarico Aglianico Del Vulture 2003 Library Code: 4992, Paternoster Aglianico Del Vulture Don Anselmo 2000 Library Code: 4845. Or maybe do different grapes with similarities to help get people “like me” out of the same grape ruts. “Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Sauvignon” Thanks ~ Jtk

  16. January 4, 2007

    anomynous

    Hi Everyone,

    I really like the Ridge wines, but are they old school? Are they new school? In the old days they were far ahead of the other winemakers, better than most Cabernet Sauvignons. Are they as good, or better than their competitors? I’m asking, ….

  17. January 4, 2007

    Sean

    Best Zin?… Wow. That’s tough… right now 2 words spring to mind: Robert Biale.

  18. January 4, 2007

    Sean

    Great stuff Gary!

    Mmmmm… Ridge wines. Some of the best Zins out there. I had a 1983 Geyserville a couple of years ago that was still GOOD.

    There’s a great tasting at the end of this month (I’m going!) in SF that focuses on Zinfandel producers – ZAP (http://www.zinfandel.org/festival/). If you’re a Zin fan, you should go!

  19. January 4, 2007

    Rich K

    Hi Gary,

    Actually, my favorite Zin happens to be one of the bottles you missed by Ridge, the Pagani Ranch. The 01 is great, dence, but a little more austere than the other bottles. And maybe its a trend, but I usually find most of their Zins to be a little hot on the finish. The Pagani has a similar profile on that note.

    J-E-T-S

  20. January 4, 2007

    Deedee

    god-darn hahahaha I had to laugh

  21. January 4, 2007

    Victoria

    We like Peachy Canyon Zin, and Starry Night.
    Nice episode Gary!

  22. January 4, 2007

    Joe Trdinich

    Favorite Zin for a “fruit bomb” is the Monster from Norman. I also really like the Carl and Sawyer Vineyard efforts from Wilson Winery in Sonoma. The 2004 vintage is outstanding.

  23. January 4, 2007

    Adrian

    Rafanelli Zin is my fav…I have always wondered about the Ridge wines but have never bought any of thier wines due to all the blends…Glad I have second opinion…

  24. January 4, 2007

    Matthew L

    Great show Gary. I saw the Ridge Gyserville at WL last Friday. I have always heard good things about the vineyard, but have never had any. As much as I love Zinfandel, I need to give them a try.

    The show was somewhat related to a question I asked a couple of times. That was: What vineyard do you think does the best job producing multiple varietals? I remember you having Hogue and St. Jean on early episodes and you liked some wines and not others.

    QOTD: The best Zin I’ve had was a Martinelli Jackass Vineyards 2002. HUGE!

  25. January 4, 2007

    Tony S.

    Nice. I’ve always liked Ridge. Ummm…I’ve had plenty of satisfying Zins, but I can’t really think of which single one I like the best. I’ve always been happy with Turley, and now that their prices are getting a little more reasonable, they’re even better. I definately think Zins should always be affordable though.

    A company called Outpost makes a pretty kick-butt Zin. I’ve only had it twice, but both times I was impressed. OK, have a blast in Bahston. Do those people tailgate with Lobster? Tell your defensive ends to sack Brady a whole bunch of times, cause I’m sick of my wife constantly telling me how hot he is.

    GO BEARS!!!
    T

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