About Ridge Monte Bello
Monte Bello is one of the sacred sites of American wine: the high limestone ridge above Cupertino where Ridge Vineyards, guided for half a century by the legendary Paul Draper, makes the Cabernet-based estate wine that placed fifth at the 1976 Judgment of Paris and won the thirtieth-anniversary rematch outright. Vines here date to the 1880s-era Monte Bello Winery, whose stone cellars Ridge still uses.
Draper's pre-industrial philosophy, native yeasts, patient elevage, transparent labeling, made Monte Bello a benchmark of restraint and longevity, wines that age for decades and define mountain Cabernet. Tastings on the ridge, 2,300 feet over Silicon Valley, are pilgrimage material.
America's mountain grand cru: Draper-era Cabernet from 1880s stone cellars, Paris-proven and built for decades.
What Wino Notion Loved
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Judgment of Paris,fifth in 1976, first in the thirty-year rematch.
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Paul Draper's legacy,half a century of pre-industrial conviction shaped the wine.
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1880s bones,the historic Monte Bello Winery's stone cellars still serve.
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2,300-foot tastings,the ridge over Silicon Valley is pilgrimage ground.
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Built to age,decades of cellar life are the house promise.
"America's mountain grand cru: Draper-era Cabernet from 1880s stone cellars, Paris-proven and built for decades."
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Featured Wines
Current Releases
Wines change with each vintage
For an accurate list of current-release wines and library bottlings from Ridge Monte Bello, please check the winery's official website or contact the tasting room directly. Santa Cruz Mountains producers typically rotate vintages and offerings seasonally.
Tasting Experiences
Visit Website →Estate Tasting
A seated flight of four single-vineyard wines from the Santa Cruz Mountains and Sonoma estates, about 90 minutes. Daily by reservation, groups of six or fewer, and complimentary for club members.
$35 per person
Private Library Tasting
Current releases poured alongside older vintages to show how the wines age. Daily at 11 and 2, four to eight adults, about 90 minutes.
$90, or $72 for members
Summit Monte Bello
Member-exclusive guided run up to the Perrone vineyards near 2,700 feet, then the historic winery, closing on a seated estate flight including Monte Bello. Two hours, two to five adults. Involves travel over uneven terrain.
$150, members only
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