When we relocated here in 2021, we came from Danville CA which is east of San Francisco in the Bay Area. We were an hour’s drive to Napa and about 30 minutes to Livermore wine country. Napa is always lovely of course, but the smaller Livermore winery scene delighted us.
I’m reminded of that general atmosphere in Ridgefield, where there are quite a few wineries and even closer to home for me. We first discovered Bethany, which is one of the larger venues and has a lovely setting with a pond and lots of seating with views of the water.
Not far from Bethany, and similar in size, is 14 Acres which also has lovely grounds and serves some nice food. You can visit their website and see the event calendar as well; they have a fun selection of live music to enjoy.
More recently we discovered Stavalaura Vineyard, where Joe and Beverly Leadingham treated us less like customers and more like old friends who had just dropped by for a visit. We loved hearing their stories almost as much as we enjoyed the wine. And there is a great story behind Stavalaura: the first vines were planted in 2003 as a high-school horticulture project for Joe’s daughter, Laura. What began as a school assignment eventually grew into a family vineyard and winery.
We also really enjoyed Columbia Ridge Winery, another family-owned winery tucked into the rural hills outside Ridgefield. The winery sits on 10 acres, and its story is another good example of how these little local businesses come about: Tom and Angela Sanchez originally bought the property to build their home, planted a small vineyard because they thought it would be pretty, and eventually found themselves dreaming about opening a winery. Today, Columbia Ridge has a relaxed tasting room, food and plenty of reasons to linger.
I can’t leave out Windy Hills, a winery I particularly appreciate as they host the quarterly meeting for a charity I’m passionate about: 100 Women Who Care. Centrally located in Ridgefield, this is a lovely venue for our meeting and a chance to enjoy their great wine selection.
Ridgefield’s wineries are close enough for an afternoon outing, but far enough away to make you feel as though you’ve gone somewhere. Bring a friend, leave the schedule at home, and plan on taking your time. You might discover a new favorite wine — or, like us at Stavalaura, you might leave with a new favorite story.