Ridge Vineyards Celebrates their 50th Anniversary Vintage from the Historic Lytton Springs Vineyard
This September, Ridge Vineyards proudly unveils the 2022 vintage of Lytton Springs, commemorating 50 years since Paul Draper first crafted wine from the historic Dry Creek Valley vineyard in 1972. To mark this milestone, the new vintage features a specially designed commemorative label. RIDGE has also produced a short film featuring an in-depth interview with Board Chairman, Paul Draper, and COO & Head Winemaker, John Olney. Additionally, RIDGE hosted a memorable library tasting at Lytton Springs on August 8th, showcasing vintages dating back to 1974, paired with a curated lunch from Chef Kyle Connaughton's Single Thread Restaurant & Farm.
In the film, Paul Draper recounts meeting the vineyard's owner, Richard Sherwin, in Dry Creek Valley in the winter of 1971, while he was searching for old vines for RIDGE's zinfandel program. Draper was so impressed by the vineyard and the wines made from it that he agreed to purchase the fruit on the spot and made the first vintage of RIDGE Lytton Springs in 1972. The ongoing relationship between Sherwin and Draper was based on a handshake agreement, which Draper explains "was more important than a contract in those days."
Throughout the 70's and 80's, RIDGE remained impressed with the consistent quality of the wines produced from the vineyard. When Sherwin decided to sell the property in 1990, RIDGE wasted no time acquiring it. Soon after, Draper brought John Olney on board as an assistant winemaker in 1996. By 1999, Draper had promoted Olney to Head Winemaker and General Manager at Lytton Springs.
"In 1994, I first visited Lytton Springs. There, I tasted the 1991 Lytton Springs--the aroma, texture, complexity, and length of the wine immediately told me this was something special," John Olney explained. "It was the wine that convinced me that great wine can be made in California and inspired me to become a winemaker."
Shortly after John was promoted to Winemaker and General Manager at Lytton Springs, Draper tasked him with building a new winery on the property in 1999. The goal was to incorporate as many environmentally friendly techniques as possible. Completed in 2003, the straw bale-insulated winery with a solar array became the primary site for producing most of RIDGE's zinfandel wines.
In 2021, John Olney was appointed RIDGE Head Winemaker & COO, taking charge of winemaking operations at both Monte Bello and Lytton Springs. Soon after, Olney brought Shauna Rosenblum on board as the Lytton Springs Winemaker. Together, Olney and Rosenblum oversee winemaking at the Lytton Springs winery, continuing RIDGE's 62-year tradition of crafting site-specific wines through pre-industrial winemaking methods.
"While we are truly blessed to work with such a wonderful vineyard as Lytton Springs, the consistent quality of our wines would not be possible without the outstanding work of our vineyard and winery teams, especially Winemaker Shauna Rosenblum, Assistant Winemaker Michael Bairdsmith, and Viticulturist Mauro Maldonado," explained Olney.
Both Draper and Olney highlight Lytton Springs wines as among the most age-worthy zinfandels in California. They attribute this remarkable quality to the historic vines dating back to the early 1900's and the field blend that features a significant amount of petite sirah and carignane. To celebrate their 50th anniversary release, RIDGE seized the opportunity to demonstrate Lytton Springs' aging potential by hosting a historic tasting at the winery.
"On August 8, 2024, we invited a group of journalists to join us for lunch, catered by Single Thread Farm, at the Lytton Springs winery to help us celebrate the release of our 50th anniversary vintage of Lytton Springs. We served a Lytton Springs from each decade--2022, 2013, 2009, 1999, 1984, 1974. This tasting demonstrated the incredible aging potential of wines made from this truly unique vineyard. For many, the 1984 was the wine of the tasting, while the 1974 demonstrated that a 50-year-old zinfandel-based wine can still have great fruit and life in the glass," said Mark Vernon, RIDGE President & CEO.
At the end of the 50th anniversary film interview, Olney takes a moment to acknowledge the special 50th anniversary label on the 2022 vintage of Lytton Springs, sharing some thoughtful reflections.
"For RIDGE, the success of Lytton Springs over 50 years is an affirmation of the core value we place in identifying unique sites where grape varietal, soil, and microclimate are perfectly matched. Lytton Springs is one of those places," said Olney. "When I see that 50th anniversary logo on a bottle of Lytton Springs, it reminds me of all of the vintages, all of the hard work, all of the effort that's gone into all of the wines at RIDGE, and the teamwork, the energy, and the passion for great wine."
