Back to the Supermarket: Looking for the Good

I’ve enjoyed Ridge since the 1980’s. Richly textured wines that drink better over the years of aging. What I would do for some Monte Bello from the early 1990’s. Juicy!

What can one say to Paul Draper at Ridge that gives us the Monto Bello and the Three Valleys other than thank you. Well crafted wines that make a meal a memory are a delight. A few years ago I visited his winery in Napa and what looked humble produced such classic wines only served to highlight the talent of the people at Ridge. Some are expensive and some not quite so but worth every penny. Thanks for pointing out this wine.

Glad you mentioned artiface, it is what first came to mind when we tried the Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red. We found a petrol aroma in its nose which I have not experienced since trying a Riesling. In a red, it is especially off-putting. The was a light hint of pepper but no fruit or vibrancy. When served with a sweet potato puree and chicken, both the wine and the food showed no harmony. I guess you can’t always hit it on the head. The Montinore Willamette Pinot showed a straightforward delicate nose of fruit but no earth. It showed a nice color but the follow thru was a little disappointing. It was served with a honey glazed salmon which did not work. A simple grilled salmon was probably the ticket. We all loved the Ridge Three Valleys. This varietal blend showed perfect harmony and when served with a grilled baby back rib and grilled scallions, we all said it brought out the zing in the Zinfandel. This wine was our favorite and this was our favorite pairing.

When stateside in CA, if I can't get up to any of my staple wineries in Sonoma right away, when food shopping I'll grab one of the three "R's" of Zinfandel-Ridge, Ravenswood and Rosenblum. Even at the low end these wines always please as they are well crafted, true to the varietal and don't try to be more than they are. Added bonus, they don't break the bank and I've even taken the Ridge Three Valleys home with me. I am lucky to have a barbecue outlet nearby run by an Aussie who stocks wines from his homeland (and will look for some the wines there that Eric just wrote about this week) and he has a few decent CA wines including the Ravenswood Old Vine Lodi Zin so...with a nice rack of spare ribs slow cooked in a sweet/sour sauce over my now fixed bbq I popped it open, put on some NCAA and settled in. I'm always surprised that I like this wine so much as it is not my style (must be the Zin) While being big and somewhat sweet (on the "grapey" side on opening) the fruit is pure and honest, ripe blueberry, perfectly cooked prune and dense strawberry with supple tannins added to by mineral earthiness. I don't stray from this formula much when in the supermarket, too much risk.

Good Afternoon: After recovering from the worst illness of my life (March is basically a total loss), decided to celebrate the ongoing slow improvement in health and a sudden explosion of beautiful SF spring weather with the Ridge 2016 Three Valleys. Lunch: my first homemade meat loaf, pan roasted garlic and herb potatoes, plus creamed spinach. Music: my San Fermin collection. Color: brilliant dark ruby. Nose: big hit of blackberry and black cherry, tobacco, cedar, white pepper, spicy. Taste: just like the nose, plus grenadine, a little peachy (that's a surprise!), plum, jammy, vaguely mineral, tamarind (thanks, Martin Schappelt), with a long finish. Moderate tannins, good acid and mouth feel. One flaw: tasted a little sweet at the very end of the glass. Ridge clearly creates the Three Valleys with the intention of accommodating a wide variety of dishes, for which they deserve a salute. The wine and meat loaf tasted much better together than separately (and the loaf was pretty darn good by itself). Also went well with the potatoes, but the big surprise consisted of the creamed spinach. Did not expect the two to get along so well--should that surprise me? Thank you, Mr. Asimov, for another good month.

It has become a recurring ritual for us after Oregon pinot noir wine school: The pilgrimage to Charlottesville through the colorful woods of the blue ridge to get ingredients for Florence Fabricant’s Mushroom Lasagne and a couple of bottles of the Montinore Pinot Noir. Now this autumn ritual turned into the rite of spring and we serve the wine with a roast chicken. Not only our tastebuds have evolved in all these years. The art of roasting a chicken has too. It seems like each time we roast one it turns out more flavorful and the crust crustier. This time the finishing touches in form of olive oil have been applied lovingly by my daughter Charlotte, toddler, connoisseur, and soon to be kindergartner with the help of her pink oil brush. The wine tasted to me first of all kinds of berries, very aromatic with a refreshing bitterness. This is one of the two Demeter certified biodynamically farmed Pinot Noirs we know and love. The other one is the Meinklang Blauburgunder. Both have this rustic earthiness to them (I wonder if the use of cow horn compost has something to do with it). We enjoyed the Montinore as an easygoing quaffer (I think the screw cap indicates it’s not meant for aging).

Just picked up all 3 bottles for less than $60. Let the fun begin!

The OVR 67 was the only true supermarket wine to us. I found it at my local Kroger a day or two after reading the wine school assignment. First we tried it with Melissa Clark’s “Classic Pressure Cooker Chili”. It wasn’t a planned pairing, but it was surprisingly good. We perceived the wine as a spectrum of fruit: Zinfandel-berry counterbalanced by a dark, almost astringent fruit, then finishing into something sweet and innocent like apple juice. No oak chips no vanillin. Later I thought this would be great with a Mexican chocolate infused mole-type chili. During the week (mislead by wine-searcher’s pairing suggestion) I tried it with broiled lamb chops (rubbed with salt, pepper, garlic and after broiling drizzled in lemon juice). I should have known from experience: No Californian wine pairs well with that. The food was great but the wine way too sweet. Then the first day of spring grilling: Steaks and Broccoli. With these medium rare steak chunks the wine developed a lush rose-cherry aroma. We both loved it.

By “aura of artificiality” are you referring to the discernible taste or the prejudice in one’s mind when they approach the wines? This was the main objection of many “connoisseurs” from the last round.

We are regular consumers of the Montinore Estate Pinot Noir, having tried it after reading Mr. Asimov's "12 Great American wines, $20 or less" in 2012. It is a good value, we can buy it at our grocery store, Wegman's and our guests have always liked it. In my comment about Meiomi in January I wrote that for the same price I would much prefer Montinore Estate. I got the Marietta Cellars OVR at Wegmans (lot number 68) but for the Ridge Three Valleys I had to drive to Glendale Liquors in Kendall Park. I would happily drink any of them again but the availability of the Marietta Cellars and the Montinore Estate increase their appeal. Yes, they seem direct and straightforward. My husband said that the harmony is expressed as comfortable, familiar, utility wines. With the Montinore Estate there is a continuous note, the blends have a number of little wrinkles. He also asked me not to buy a whole case of any of them. He likes more variety.

We enjoyed the Ridge Sonoma County Three Valleys 2016 with Florence Fabricant’s “Short Ribs in Broth With Squash and Shiitakes” ( https://www.instagram.com/p/BvIZdKWnlo5/ ). The wine was big, boozy, fruity, and spicy and the pairing with this earthy, fruity, exotic dish was exceptional. The big surprise here was the shiitakes soaking up flavors of ginger (I freeze my ginger and use a box grater), cardamom, soy sauce and sake. This was a kaleidoscope of Asian flavors: I thought tamarind, an exotic gummy bear, or candied ginger. The fruit was not an obstacle. It was almost like a chutney balanced with dark earthy soba noodles and beef. The wine in addition to the fruit brought oak spice and licorice to the table making it all complete.

I don't think I've ever been disappointed with a bottle from Rdige. Interested folks may want to consider joining the Z-list which focuses on Zinfandels or the ATP which also includes Rhone varietals. I have often recommended Marietta OVR to people new to wine.

Picture this, if you will: a warm and spacious post-and-beam construction log cottage set in the woods of Cape Cod, a group of very good friends, and late night philosophizing paired with this Ridge. This was 10 years ago, and I trace my spiritual wine awakening to this moment; the evening autumn breeze sweeping in the salty Atlantic air, the harmonies of Belle and Sebastian’s Arab Strap swimming around the room, and a meal to suit the season. This was before my culinary skills had fully matured; sous vide was an unheard of term. But the key ingredient existed for preparing any meal for close friends - love. Aaron of Ottawa (another contributor here, though back then he was ‘of Vancouver’) had suggested the Ridge. This was an expensive wine for four friends recently out of university. The Ridge will always hold a special place in my heart. In 2009, this was the very same wine which began my journey into loving and truly appreciating the nuances of wine. Looking back on that memorable bottle, I can now reflect that as much as certain foods and wines may pair well together, the very setting in which that wine is enjoyed can play a more influential role. Eric has often made this point in wine school - the food, the setting, the company, the emotion - all ingredients that modulate one’s reaction to a wine.

Tried the Ridge as it was the only one available in PA wine stores. First tried without food. Very pleasant and, as others have mentioned, smooth and balanced. A wine you would order at a bar. Since the blend had a majority of zinfandel I decided to have it with a simple meal of steak and broccoli. About halfway through the meal I noticed something that surprised me. The wine had totally disappeared into the background. Not that it was bad just that it did not enhance the meal at all. I might as well have been drinking water. Weird. To me the Ridge is a wine I would serve at a party that wasn't about wine. Pleasant and unlikely to offend anyone. I would like to try with a burger and fries. I wouldn't serve it at dinner of friends who were interested in wine. Just not engaging enough.

Do lay down a bottle or two of the Three Valleys for a few years. Your patience will be rewarded.

Tried the 2016 Montinore with a Thursday night dinner of tuna melts (“Oregon” tuna melts, had to be) and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, tinyurl.com/y5yurt4h tinyurl.com/y5j5ceqx . As Rob D predicted, the 3-y-o M was in far better shape than the 5-y-o ’14 I had a couple weeks ago. None of the cola that dominated in the older wine. Instead, fresh and juicy with the lightest tang. I like Martina’s “tastes like the 4th-of-July” description of the Ridge. It fits with the easygoing and comfortable attitude I got last week from that wine, and again last night from the young M. Not July 4 like fireworks. More like a holiday beach day with radios and seagulls. The M’s berry fruit, juicy-but-not-too, was just right with the rich, tangy, cheesy tuna. (With the earthy mushrooms, the fruit was a bit more prominent, a bit sweeter, than I’d have preferred. Not bad, though.) But I can’t shake the feeling that both the Ridge and the Montinore are more comfortable than they are exciting. Alongside the M Thursday night, I finished off a 7-nights-in-the-fridge, 3-times-opened red Burgundy (Marchand & Tawse, 2012). Well, that woke me up! The Bourgogne had a depth of character, a force, and some bitterness, that was totally lacking in the American wine. I guess each has its place. Turns out, with an Oregon tuna melt, you don’t really want cynical French hauteur. The Montinore’s glad-to-meet-ya, 4th of July ease went just fine.

I tasted the Ridge. I have been to Lytton Springs wine and was really impressed at the old vines, the ability to harmonize fruit that I don’t often gravitate to (Zinfandel) and the passion of the people. I spent two days tasting the wine and concluded that this wine tastes like the Fourth of July. Warm, bold, sweet fruit, yes but more a reflection of where it comes from. The wine is diverse- it has the sweet fruit, spicyness, oak, but also elegance, liberality and acidity. Much like the US, it’s beauty comes from the ability to balance such different characteristics. I also find it interesting that the blend is so diverse - 65% Zinfandel, 20% Petite Sirah, 9% Carignane, 3% Mataro, 2% Alicante Bouchet, 1% Grenache - you have Italian/Croatian, French and Spanish grapes from seven vineyards in Sonoma that instead of disjointedly doing their own thing are able to elegantly play off and balance each other. This harmony and elegance was what was missing for me in the January wines, which tasted like they studied the components of what a Pinot Noir or desirable red blend are, then threw these components together but were missing the glue - the terroir, the culture, the passion. Ridge had it. Maybe this goes to show that it’s not about numbers or production levels only but more about soul, passion, tradition, and culture.

I am a big fan of Ridge Three Valleys. I drink a couple bottles a year. I haven't had the other two, but I am putting them on my list now

The OVR was THE WORST red I've ever had. No redeeming things about it IMHO. Can't wait to find and try the Ridge....May just drive over there and buy it from their tasting room.

I drank the 2014 Ridge Sonoma County Three Valleys last May. The "fresh egg whites," presumably used as a fining agent to clarify the wine, dominated the grapes and overwhelmed the flavor. The Three Valleys omitted egg whites starting with the 2015.

Thank god for costco. Had their Rioja Reserva with my wifes' coq au vin this evening. Three years in oak, light and citrusy - $6.99.

Had the Ridge Monday night with store-bought, St. Louis style bbq pork ribs, some lovely sweet potatoes with cranberry glaze tinyurl.com/yyf6xngk , and an unexpectedly fortuitous corn muffin. The wine strikes me as squarely, carefully down the middle. Sweet, rich, juicy berry attack, followed by long, lightly drying—turning chalky—finish. It was an ok-but-not-great pairing with both of our dishes: a bit too serious for the fun-loving ribs; a bit too middle-of-the-road for the more intensely tart and sweet cranberry sweet potatoes (cooked with both Albariño and bourbon). It was a pleasant wine to drink. I liked the progression from sweet to lightly tart and dry. Didn’t get much mystery from it, each sip same as the sip before. To Eric’s question about harmony… can a wine be too harmonious? The Ridge was a blanket of sound, with no one note standing out. Pleasant, but a bit boring, too. At one point I felt I was tasting the good fairy twin of that evil witch of a wine, The Prisoner. Both seem intent on covering each and every base, or taste bud. The Ridge was polite, the Prisoner rude, but both left my palate feeling hemmed in, with no place to turn. Surprise of the night was the buttered corn muffin. It bridged the gap between mannered wine and wildly tart-sweet glazed cranberries. Without the muffin, they clashed; with, it was the night’s best pairing. Did much the same for some after-dinner, stinky old, creamy Diva cheese tinyurl.com/y58zgqkk .

Montinore is making a comeback to Wine School! As it already had been featured among two other Oregon Pinot Noir wines in September 2016. I wrote in my submission then “I enjoyed the fruit-forward and bright acidity of the Montinore. Its straightforwardness and simplicity was youthful and joyful.” I liked the Montinore ‘14 then and ordered a case as my go-to everyday table wine. Unfortunately I don’t have any ‘14 left to open and double-check :), but I wonder what I’m going to think of the ‘16 vintage and now 2.5 yrs later? I’m curious, as Eric often mentions, our taste preferences continue to evolve.

Just a quick thought There is literally nothing wrong with adding tartaric acid to wines. Now, I'm not saying Eric did here, but anyone who implies otherwise is simply ignorant. When done properly, even the most experienced wine taster would have zero clue that a tartaric acid addition was done. It's not harmful, it doesn't inhibit the exhibition of terroir, of flavor, etc. In FACT, tartaric additions can actually preserve these things. Think about it: spoilage yeasts thrive in high pH environments. That can completely ruin a wine's palate and aromatics. High pH wines in general have more disjointed structure, with no finesse. High pH wines generally do not age as gracefully. I have NO problem with tartaric additions in my wines, so long as they are done properly. What is properly? Properly is doing your acid additions "up front," aka at the beginning of the process, so during barrel aging, the wine can naturally marry up, and throw out excess tartaric (which it does) that it doesn't need. cheers.

Quick Thursday night dinner was our house staple soy-lime salmon and garlic sautéed broccoli. Not always the easiest meal to pair, but a cherried pinot noir with bright acidity and maybe some mineral can be just the thing. Tried a 2014 Montinore. Nope. Tart, unripe berry and cola, cola, cola, cola.

When I still lived in CA, I used to drink wines from Ridge on special occasions. This what the upper limit of my budget and their wines were consistently pleasing and yet also somewhat authentic. I had heard that they were actually pretty low intervention and just didn't toot their horn about it. As for the other two wines, maybe I can try them next time I'm in the states.

Have had all three of these red wines (though not these vintages--or Lot#) and always felt I was getting my money's worth, going back almost forty years with Ridge and Marietta (Lot 6 or 8, I think). They all do better with an hour in the refrigerator. Not sure if "simpler agricultural wines" are really the "usual focus" of The Pour, unless simple means something like "not manipulated by adding Mega Purple." The care that goes into producing the most interesting 21st-century wines (starting as low as $20 or $25) includes vineyard work and vinification decisions that are not at all easy or uncomplicated--with the occasional exception of "sundeck vintages" such as 2005 in several regions of France. That said I do like the phrase "a more ancient form of manipulation"! P.S. Some other Ridge wines do not have added tartaric acid; a Pagani Ranch Zinfandel, for example, lists grapes and "indigenous yeasts, naturally occurring malolactic bacteria, calcium carbonate, oak from barrel aging, minimum effective sulfur dioxide."