In 1962, Ridge made its first Monte Bello, and two years later its first zinfandel. Since that time, Ridge has championed single-vineyard winemaking, searching California for those rare and exceptional vineyards where climate, soil, and variety are ideally matched. At Ridge, we call our approach to winemaking “pre-industrial.” We believe that for anyone attempting to make fine wine, modern additives and industrial processing limit true quality. Relying on the natural yeast, we let the terroir define the wine and make our winemaking decisions based upon taste, not a recipe. We believe in transparency and as a result, we include a list of ingredients on every wine we make. We are committed to sustainability and organic farming and we are the largest grower of organically certified grapes in Sonoma County and the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation.

While you may already include our Sonoma Coast and Monterey wines on your list of favorites, at our contemporary tasting lounge we pour a variety of limited-production releases only available directly from the winery that you may not have tasted before.

A family owned wine business in the Russian River Valley creating multiple varietals of high quality, artisan wines, from the finest vineyards.

Beginning History of Chalk Hill Winery & Estate      On a spring day in 1972, while piloting his plane over the Russian River, Chalk Hill's founder, Fredrick P. Furth, caught his first view of a natural amphitheatre carved into the hills of eastern Sonoma. His intuition told him the land had the potential to support a world-class vineyard. A subsequent tour confirmed that the spectacular property indeed had the climate and soils to grow World-Class wine grapes. Chalking up the years in the wine industry Furth has made a name among wine enthusiast as being in a class of his own. Being a family winery from the beginning days when it was "Donna Maria Ranch" it will always remain as a winery of integery and pride, when only the best of everything matters.