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Ridge Vineyards...
In the 1940s, William Short, a theologian, bought the abandoned winery and vineyard just below the Perrone property; he replanted several parcels to cabernet sauvignon in the late 1940s. From these vines—now the "middle vineyard"—new owners Dave Bennion and his three partners, all Stanford Research Institute engineers, made a quarter-barrel of "estate" Cabernet. That Monte Bello Cabernet was among California's finest wines of the era. Its quality and distinctive character, and the wines produced from these same vines in 1960 and '61, convinced the partners to re-bond the winery in time for the 1962 vintage. The first Zinfandel was made in 1964, from a small nineteenth-century vineyard farther down the ridge. This was followed in 1966 by the first Geyserville Zinfandel. The founding families reclaimed the Monte Bello terraces, increasing vineyard size from fifteen to forty-five acres. Working on weekends, they made wines of regional character and unprecedented intensity. By 1968, production had increased to just under three thousand cases per year, and in 1969, Paul Draper joined the partnership. A Stanford graduate in philosophy—recently returned from setting up a winery in Chile's coast range—he was a practical winemaker, not an enologist. His knowledge of fine wines and traditional methods complemented the straightforward "hands off" approach pioneered at Ridge. Under his guidance the old Perrone winery (acquired the previous year) was restored, the finest vineyard lands leased or purchased, the consistent quality and international reputation of the wines established. Cabernet and Zinfandel account for most of the production; Syrah, Grenache, Carignane, and Petite Sirah constitute a small percentage. Known primarily for its red wines, Ridge has also made limited amounts of Chardonnay since 1962.
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The history of Ridge Vineyards begins in
1885, when Osea Perrone, a doctor who became a prominent member
of San Francisco's Italian community, bought 180 acres near the
top of Monte Bello Ridge. He terraced the slopes and planted
vineyards; using native limestone, he constructed the Monte
Bello Winery, producing the first vintage under that name in
1892. This unique cellar, built into the mountainside on three
levels, is Ridge's production facility. At 2600', it is
surrounded by the "upper vineyard." 
Bud break came early,
but cold, wet weather in April and May delayed bloom. Summer
conditions varied more than usual among the lower, middle, and
highest vineyards. The first were often bathed in morning fog; the
second - above the fog - more sheltered, and the last most exposed
to the ocean's capricious influence. The vines ripened over the
first three weeks of October; for the first time in many years the
middle blocks dominate the selection, making up more than
three-quarters of the wine.
The 2005 growing season
was delayed by sustained spring rains and cool temperatures. Such
conditions can interfere with flowering and fruit formation, but to
our surprise the vines set a record crop. To assure intensity, they
dropped up to half the clusters on the young vines.