A rich yet refreshing white, Ridge Grenache Blanc offers depth, texture and bright orchard-fruit purity. It’s the kind of white that feels perfectly at home on a cold evening: comforting enough for hearty dishes, but vibrant enough to lift the palate.
Ridge Vineyards Grenache Blanc, Producer
Ridge Vineyards is one of California’s most revered wineries, celebrated for its iconic Monte Bello Cabernet and pioneering work with old-vine Zinfandel blends. Founded in 1959 (with vineyard origins back to the 1880s), Ridge built its reputation on a unique blend of scientific precision and minimalist philosophy. Winemaker Paul Draper’s “pre-industrial” ethos remains at the heart of Ridge today: native yeasts, minimal additions, honest farming and the belief that great wine is made in the vineyard, not the laboratory.
Grenache Blanc is one of the estate’s more recent projects, part of Ridge’s exploration of Rhône varieties on its Lytton Springs property in Sonoma County. What began as a small experiment with white Rhône grapes has become one of the most compelling Californian expressions of Grenache Blanc, marrying Mediterranean warmth with Ridge’s hallmark clarity and restraint.
Ridge Vineyards Grenache Blanc, Terroir & Winemaking
The fruit comes primarily from the Lytton Estate in Dry Creek Valley, a site with varied gravel, clay and sandy loam soils that allow for excellent drainage and natural concentration. The warm, dry climate ripens Grenache Blanc fully, while cooling afternoon breezes help maintain brightness, essential for preserving freshness in this naturally generous grape.
Grapes are hand-picked, whole-cluster pressed and fermented with native yeasts. Ridge ferments Grenache Blanc at cool temperatures to highlight citrus and mineral notes, and a portion of the wine is aged in neutral oak to deepen texture without adding overt flavour. Regular lees stirring adds roundness and subtle complexity.
The result is a wine that is rich yet lifted, textured yet precise, distinctly Californian, but echoing the elegance of the Rhône.
Ridge Vineyards Grenache Blanc, Tasting Notes
Pale gold with a subtle green tint. Aromas of pear, white peach, lemon blossom and wet stone rise from the glass, followed by hints of savoury herbs and almond skin. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, offering flavours of ripe pear, melon, citrus peel and a touch of honeycomb. A mineral backbone and bright acidity give tension, while gentle lees texture adds creaminess. The finish is long, clean and quietly complex.
Food pairing suggestion: Chicken Fricassee with Lemon, Herbs & White Wine. Grenache Blanc’s citrus freshness and gentle creaminess mirror the dish’s flavours beautifully, lifting the richness and highlighting the herbs.
There are no reviews yet.