Ridge Winery, June 30th, 2012

Winery - 7 / Wines - 8
Range:  1 to 9 (9 is best, 5 is average)
Mountain-top winery with panoramic views of Silicon Valley.  Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
www.ridgewine.com

I returned to Ridge Winery for a special event held for its wine club members.  The event featured tasty barbeque pairings with Ridge’s different Zinfandels.  Because they had limited the number of attendees (and sold out early), the crowd was a nice size.  There was room to move about, a place to be alone, and folks to talk with should you want to do so.  The weather was nearly perfect, and a brisk wind had swept the skies of any haze, so the views were especially crisp and clear.

The view from Ridge on a clear day

 The event started out with a taste of one of Ridge’s Chardonnay wines, built in a Burgundian style with prominent minerals.  From the registration table where you get your glass and your first pour, you walk up to the special events barn where there were four tables, each pairing a special barbeque item with a particular single-vineyard Zinfandel.  The first table paired barbecued chicken and mustard potato salad with the 2010 Paso Robles Zinfandel.  The second table had been depleted of food early, so I only tasted the wine, which was the 2010 Carmichael Zinfandel.  Next came table three with its pulled-pork and 2010 East Bench Zinfandel.  The fourth table featured barbecued brisket paired with the 2009 York Creek Zinfandel.  My favorite food was the pulled-pork, and my favorite wine … was a tie.  I liked the immediate appeal of the East Bench Zinfandel, but the York Creek shows more promise to those willing to let it rest for four or more years.

During the event, they offered a 20% discount to any club member purchasing a case or more of wine.  I seized the opportunity to stock up on some half-bottles for my collection.  These sales are so much harder to resist after you’ve enjoyed some tasty barbeque and Ridge wine.  I wonder if that was part of their plan.

(There are two other reviews here that describe my prior experiences at Ridge, along with rating information found in February 2012 and April 2012.)