New: Pinot Noir from the Petaluma Gap

Blog Post

There are two things you can count on from RIDGE: old vines and new wines. Just above the town of Petaluma, about 25 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, you’ll find a 15-mile-wide opening in the coastal mountain range. It’s on this mountainside that we sourced the grapes for our latest wine: Petaluma Gap Pinot Noir.

A New Source for a Familiar Grape

The Petaluma Gap is a relatively new AVA, having been established in December 2017. The AVA lies entirely within the North Coast AVA and partially within the Sonoma Coast AVA. The persistent cooling breezes from the Pacific Ocean contribute to longer ripening times, giving wines from this region character and distinction.

Photo Credit: Robert Holmes Photography

John Olney, Head Winemaker & COO, elaborates on why we chose to explore the Petaluma Gap for our newest bottling of Pinot Noir:

“Because this region does not experience heat spikes encountered in warmer regions, it is ideal for growing pinot noir. When it comes to temperature, pinot noir is an unforgiving grape. In order to produce the aromas, fruit expression and texture that made Burgundy—and thus pinot noir—famous, slow ripening with mild weather conditions is essential. The Petaluma Gap is one of these special places and the primary reason we chose this area to explore pinot noir.”

For our first exploration of the AVA, we looked to the Nightwing Vineyard. Nightwing Vineyard was developed in 2017 and planted the following year as a mosaic of 35 blocks featuring 44 acres of pinot noir and 30 acres of chardonnay. The vines we harvested average 6-7 years old, and the grapes benefit from Western exposure, drinking in the sun and cooling breeze of the Pacific Ocean. The vineyard is CSWA Certified –  Certified California Sustainable and farmed using some of our favorite regenerative techniques, like alternate row cover crops and tilling between vines.

New Bottling for ATP Members

We’re pleased to introduce the first vintage of Pinot Noir from the Petaluma Gap as our 2025 Winter ATP optional offering.

“Only 15 barrels produced, this beautiful Pinot benefits from cool winds and summer fogs off the Pacific, bringing natural acidity and intense fruit flavor to the wine. Slow, cool whole berry fermentation and hand punch downs increased the wine’s complexity. Ten months of barrel age brought balance and added structure. This excellent wine will be most enjoyable over the next five years.” TG (04/2024)