85% Grenache Blanc, 12% Picpoul, 3% Roussanne

Food pairings: Seared scallops, grilled shrimp, roasted chicken, creamy seafood pasta, soft cheeses and Mediterranean dishes.

Winemaking: The sustainably farmed, hand-harvested grapes went direct to press as whole clusters and fermented on their native yeasts, with full malolactic fermentation from naturally occurring bacteria. Most of the wine (58%) was fermented and aged for 10 months in stainless steel; part was barrel fermented in mostly older American oak with a little new French oak and new acacia, and small portions were fermented in concrete and Italian clay amphorae before finishing in neutral barrels. The wine was pad filtered at bottling, in keeping with Ridge's philosophy of minimal intervention.

Vineyards and terroir: Western Paso Robles is the epicenter of new Rhône plantings in California. Ridge first made a small amount of Grenache Blanc from the Adelaida vineyard in 2018, then added a bottling from Halter Ranch; both sit in the cooler climate and limestone soils of the Adelaida Hills District. When Mike Dusi planted Grenache Blanc at his nearby Fossil Creek Vineyard, the first grapes arrived in 2022, and a trial blend of all three vineyards proved superior to each on its own. Spring 2024 was cool and a little late, then a hot summer with typically cool nights accelerated ripening.

Family and history: Ridge is one of California's most historic wineries, with its home at the Monte Bello Estate in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Its roots in Paso Robles run deep: Ridge first made Zinfandel from Dusi Ranch in 1967 and was the first winery to put "Paso Robles" on a wine label, with its 1976 Paso Robles Zinfandel. In 2025 Ridge opened a tasting room in Paso Robles, bringing its story to one of California's most exciting wine regions.

In the pictures: Ridge's Monte Bello winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Dusi Ranch vineyard in Paso Robles (photos courtesy of Ridge Vineyards).