People who visit the Stags Leap district of Napa Valley often drive past Pine Ridge (www.pineridgevineyards.com). Maybe they’re looking for the eponymous vineyards or maybe they’re just hurrying back to Napa town, but they really ought to pull over and stop at Pine Ridge. We have been there many times and have had diverse experiences, all wonderful.
Another reason people may pass by Pine Ridge is that the building itself cannot compare with the Napa palaces up and down the Silverado Trail. To us, that’s a positive. The winery itself is a pleasing structure, in a sort of Spanish mission style. The tasting room is also attractive but low-key. It has a bar and some wine on the walls and that’s about it.
What makes a visit to Pine Ridge come alive is the wine. They are best known by far for their Cabernet Sauvignon. As you can see on their web site, they have Cab, better Cab (which they call Fortis) and Other Red Wine. Interestingly, Pine Ridge produces Cabernet Sauvignon from three AVAs other than Stags Leap (Howell Mountain, Rutherford, Oakville) as well as several blends from their properties. It is unusual for all of them to be offered for tasting but of those we have tried, each has distinctly different characteristics.
Don’t miss some of those “other” reds. There’s a very fine Merlot and although we’re just getting used to California Malbec, theirs is pretty good. We’re not as fond of white wine as red, but some of their white varietals are quite interesting. They have a Rhône blend of Chenin Blanc and Viognier that isn’t quite like anything else we’ve tried in Napa Valley.
These sad days, all the tastings at Pine Ridge are outdoors, but when the pandemic passes and you can taste inside once again, ask for a tour of their caves and their tasting lounge for wine club members. By itself, that lounge is enough to make us consider joining their club.
We must tell a few stories about the service we have received at Pine Ridge. On our most recent, and most impressive, visit on a cold December afternoon, we had a true educator who showed Pine Ridge’s wines to their best advantage and then led us on the aforementioned tour. In all our tastings there, this was the best.
But it was not the most memorable. We came there once near the end of a hot summer’s day. It was pleasant to sit out on their terrace and have the server bring us wine from inside. The fellow knew absolutely nothing about wine (when questioned, he brought us the book he was supposed to have already read) but he sure wanted us to have a good time. He was a host extraordinaire. There was a few other couples on the terrace at that time and we were treated to a real party.
By the way, when you pull into the parking lot, look to your left. There’s a hill with some rows of vines. At the ridge of the hill, there is a row of pine trees. Aha!