Monte Bello
Ridge
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
The history of Ridge goes back to 1885 when Osea Perrone bought 180 acres on Montebello Ridge, including a limestone winery at 2600 feet in altitude that is still in use today. Eventually abandoned until the 1940s, William Short bought the Perrone property and the adjacent vineyard that would eventually become Ridge Estate.
The wines of Ridge are defined by unique terroir and the guiding hand of Paul Draper who joined the partnership in 1969 and led the winery until his retirement in 2016. Paul knew that the best way to showcase terroir was through organic and sustainable practices in both the vineyard and winery. The Montebello is one of the most storied cabernets in California.
Ridge makes powerful yet nuanced and layered wines that are both structured and expressive of the historic terroir from which they grow.