WW&S 20th Anniversary Series: Ridge Zinfandel Masterclass - Madison

If Cabernet Sauvignon announced California’s arrival on the world stage, Zinfandel is the grape that tells America’s story. This seminar is a deep dive into that story through the singular lens of Ridge Vineyards—the producer more responsible than any other for elevating Zinfandel from rustic curiosity to one of the world’s most expressive, ageworthy wines.

Ridge did not invent Zinfandel, but it gave the grape dignity. By insisting on vineyard specificity, old-vine preservation, restrained alcohol, and transparent winemaking, Ridge revealed Zinfandel’s true character: not loud or sweet, but structured, savory, site-driven, and deeply reflective of the American landscape. In Ridge’s hands, Zin becomes a chronicler of place—of hillsides, benchlands, ancient soils, and the people who farmed them long before “heritage” became a marketing term.

This tasting explores Zinfandel not as a single style, but as a family of expressions, shaped by site, vine age, and subtle blending partners. Along the way, we’ll also taste the broader Ridge ecosystem—white varieties, historic field blends, and supporting grapes that frame and deepen the Zinfandel story.

The evening opens with 2024 Ridge Grenache Blanc, a reminder that Ridge’s philosophy extends beyond red wine alone: freshness, texture, and balance leading the way.

Flight One focuses on vineyard character and lineage, showcasing Zinfandel’s ability to translate site with precision:

• 2023 Ridge Dusi

• 2020 Manzone Home Ranch

• 2022 Ridge Evangelho

Flight Two widens the lens to include Ridge’s historic companions to Zinfandel—grapes that once shared the same vineyards and now help tell a fuller story of California’s past:

• 2024 Ridge Falaghina

• 2021 Ridge Buchignani Ranch Carignane

• 2021 Ridge Petite Sirah

Flight Three brings us to Ridge’s most iconic expressions of American field blends—wines that define the category and age with quiet authority:

• 2023 Ridge Lytton Springs

• 2023 Ridge Geyserville

• 2018 Ridge Geyserville

Guiding us through the evening is David Gates, Senior Vice President of Vineyard Operations at Ridge Vineyards, and one of the most respected viticulturists working in America today. With decades spent farming Ridge’s historic sites—from Sonoma to the Santa Cruz Mountains—David offers a rare, ground-level perspective on how vine age, soil, climate, and restraint in the vineyard shape these wines across decades, not just vintages.

This seminar is not about Zinfandel as a curiosity or a trend. It is about Zinfandel as heritage, as landscape, as living history—and why Ridge remains its most eloquent interpreter.

Come taste America’s grape, told vineyard by vineyard, glass by glass.

All prices listed reflect regular retail. Significant discounts will be offered on all wines tasted. Due to the highly allocated nature of some selections, wines may change without notice.