Podcasts about zinfandels

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Dan Berger and Rick Davis. Rick Davis, winemaker and owner Cal Star Cellars, joins Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country. This is Rick's first time on CWC although we have taked about his wines before. Dan Berger says that Rick is not personally well-known because he does not promote himself. He is too busy in the winery. Rick tells his story of starting in the industry on the east coast in 1988 before coming to California in 1992. He became cellarmaster and assistant winemaker at Flower, then in 1997 he worked three vintages on the central coast. He started his own brand in 2001 with 160 cases of Zinfandel. Flowers began as a project under the auspices of Greg La Follette and it became one of the most important brands in Sonoma County history. Dan says that the Cal Star wines are some of the best wines that nobody has ever heard about. The Cal Star Lineup Cal Star makes a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, a red and a rosé from Pinot Meunier, six different Pinot Noirs (three vineyard designates and three and three AVA blends) and two Zinfandels. He only does 1200 cases per year total volume, and he works with 11 different SKUs. Dan says its virtue is that this is how to keep track of all the different vineyards. The Sauvignon Blanc has a lot of varietal character, in Dan's opinion. He also gets varietal character from his Lodi Zinfandels. Rick is not interested in what he calls “cocktail wine” or what Dan calls a “sipping wine.” Rick got interested in wine because he likes to cook and wanted to make wine that would match the food he cooks. That sounds like the way to end up making wines that Dan Berger will like. Then they taste a 2023 Rosé of Pinot Meunier which Dan says is has strong cherry flavors. His account in Georgia called it a “porch pounder that will go with food.” This rosé is made direct to press, not by the bleeding-off process. Dan agrees that this method makes better Rosés. The red Pinot Meunier is next. It is rarely made as a red wine because it is already light in color. It's just darker than a Rosé, but it is a red. Rick describes it as Cru Beujolais without the funk factor.

Zinfandel has been in America since the early to mid 1800s and was once the most popular wine grape in California. It is known for its old vine wines.In fact, in the past it was a victim of its own popularity, and became known as a common cheaper wine. A lot of Zinfandel juice kits were sold during prohibition which also hurt its reputation.However, in the 1980s and 1990s it gained in sales and acreage because of the popularity of White Zinfandel. Currently Zinfandel is the third most planted wine grape in California behind Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir and just ahead of the fourth most planted wine grape Merlot. California is the world leader in Zinfandel. Most popular regions in California are Sonoma, Napa, Paso Robles, and the Sierra Foothills. Many old vine Zinfandels are also found in Lodi. Other regions includes the Languedoc, South Africa, and Australia. Additionally, Puglia, Italy, grows the same grape, where it is called Primitivo., and in Croatia it is called Tribidrag.Zinfandel is known as a medium-body, higher-alcohol wine. According to “Wine Folly,” it is commonly produced into two types of red wine: a lighter style with lower alcohol and flavors of raspberry, rose petal, spice cake, sage, and black pepper, and a richer style with higher alcohol and flavors of blackberry, cinnamon, caramel, jam, chocolate, and smoky tobacco. Tonight, we are enjoying two California Zinfandels including: 2019 Kirkland Signature Old Vine Zinfandel. Purchased at Costco for $9.99. This wine comes from Sonoma, CA. 2019 Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel. This wine was purchased at Costco for $16.99. The wine comes from Sonoma County, CA. Next week we will learn about Fume Blanc.2023 Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc. This wine was purchase from Costco for $10.99.

Doug Nalle, co-founder of Nalle Winery, is our guest today on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. The last time Doug was on the show was this episode of April 19, 2023. Doug Nalle and Dan Berger have been friends for fifty years. They have three Chardonnays to taste. First, a 2021 Chardonnay from Hopkins Ranch. Doug and his wife Lee founded the winery in 1984 and they just finished their 41st harvest. They produce about 2000 cases per year. Mostly they make Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel. Their Chardonnay is about 200 cases. Doug's son Andrew is the winemaker now. He got a degree in enology from Fresno State. His wife April is a viticulturalist who went to Australia for training and works with the winery. They have roughly 24 acres of grapes and they use some and sell some. His wife's family bought property in Dry Creek Valley 95 years ago and it is still in the family. Visit Chigazola Merchants online to shop their unique selection of fine Italian wines. Doug has brought two 2021 Zinfandels. Dan describes the Nalle property as “spectacular.” They have an above-ground cave. It is grade level with retaining walls on two sides. There are 6 feet of dirt stacked inside the walls, so the interior is naturally cool like an underground space. Back in the 80s and 90s Zinfandel was a moderate alcohol wine, between 13 and 14 % ABV. Then the trend was for higher ABV but Doug did not follow that trend. Vertical tasting of 3 Chardonnays They are tasting the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Chardonnays from Bob and Tony Hopkins' vineyard in Russian River Valley. The 2021 is smooth and pure fruit. The 2022 has an extra layer of something. Nalle Winery is open Friday Saturday and Sunday and maybe other days too at 2383 Dry Creek Road. Exit in Healdsburg and go west about 2.1 miles to their sign. The 2023 is young, obviously and has barely been bottled. It is interesting to taste one that is so young just to know where the wines start out. Then the starting point for aging is five years, in Dan Berger's opinion. Doug Nalle give credit to his son Andrew for the quality of the 2023. Andrew just finished a Masters degree in Enology at Fresno State. He studied particular strains of yeast and ways to use them. Zinot Noir Zinot Noir is something Doug and Andrew came up with by blending 60% Zinfandel and 40% Pinot Noir. They liked it for the forward fruit of Zin plus some "mysterious Pinot Noir thing going on." It is a modest 13.65 ABV and they made only 280 cases of it.  

We're back with a brand-new episode of our podcast and this one is bursting with flavor and fun! Join Chef Cal and Christa as they delve into the world of unique culinary experiences in food and wine. Discovering a crispy melon called a HamiComparison between homemade and store-bought butternut squash soupCal's hunting family background for eclectic meatsPar cooking vegetables and finishing in the oven for roasted flavorPaso Robles as a food and wine destination00:00 Excited chat about food, reach out online.04:27 Homemade soup saves money and tastes better.08:33 Tracking fruit origin and impact of climate.11:50 Father's upbringing in scarcity and hunting food.15:23 Caring for wild meat is crucial for taste.18:37 Grandpa's canyon, hunting, and cooking memories.21:07 Mom's stew was tough, even dog refused.24:02 Cook vegetables carefully to preserve nutritional value.26:36 Preserve vegetable flavor by quick cooking and shocking.31:43 Test oil heat before adding vegetables carefully.34:15 Tips for cooking vegetables evenly and perfectly.37:17 Zinfandels from Paso Robles are preferred.41:07 Exceptional wine, enjoyable with great food pairings.42:54 Elevate wine experience with barbecue duck.46:25 Embrace life, savor food, enjoy every moment.48:38 Grateful for your time, see you soon!Send us a Text Message.We love FAN MAIL!

Tessa Gorsuch, 5th Generation Estate Director of Martinelli Vineyards and Winery, joins us for a fascinating conversation about their incredible Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays, Zinfandels, as well as their meticulous farming and winemaking practices! Give it a listen and visit https://martinelliwinery.com/ to learn more about them, purchase some of their delicious wines, and sign up for their mailing list! And sign up at Patreon.com/Corktaint for a full list of tasting notes from the wines we drank this episode, plus bonus episodes! Thanks everybody

WBZ's Jordan Rich talks with Ken Hoggins of Ken's Wine Guide about great choices in zinfandel. 

Yes it's that time of year!I love it! Today we have a great new feature with Don Wallace and plenty of single vineyard Zinfandels really and opened.First let's look at their website,and the tasting notes on our featured Zinfandels from Dry Creek Vineyard. 2020 Wallace Ranch Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Winemaker Notes: Our Wallace Ranch Zinfandel is a shining example of the preservation of iconic old vine Zinfandel. This incredible vineyard is on the home property of Proprietors Kim and Don Wallace, and it was the first to be planted using the Heritage Clone in 1994. To develop this clone, we grafted budwood from a pre-Prohibition vineyard onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock in our estate Wallace Ranch vineyard, forever preserving the heritage of the old vines and crafting a "young vine" wine with "old vine" characteristics. Initially, the aromas express fruit-forward tones of black cherry, blackberry and raspberry. In the background, subtle notes of coriander, white pepper and cumin emerge after several minutes of airing. On the palate, flavors of cranberry and boysenberry pie mix with soft undertones of cardamom, nutmeg and mocha. The wine is supple with tremendous complexity and symmetry between fruit, alcohol, tannin and acid. yes I did say three.....our second wine today is 2020 Vogensen Ranch Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Winemaker Notes: Rising more than 800 feet off the valley floor, Vogensen Ranch is located on the back of Bradford Mountain and is one of the more extreme growing sites in all of Dry Creek Valley. We have isolated a steeply sloped, well-draining area of the vineyard called “Barn Block” to create this bottling for our single vineyard series. The undulating nature of the terrain and east-facing sun exposure provide grapes that are beautifully ripened and lead to a wine that is silky, textured and well-balanced. Aromas of blueberry, blackberry and black cherry jump from the glass and intermix with spicy nuances of nutmeg, cinnamon and white pepper. Juicy, rich dark flavors of brambleberries and plum come forward, combined with deeper notes of black pepper and marzipan. The silky, seamless tannins flesh out the vibrant finish of black and white pepper, all framed by refreshing acidity and superb roundness. Tasting these wines reminds me ...I like to eat!!... Our third wine today is 2020 Farmhouse Vineyard Zinfandel Russian River Valley Winemaker Notes: This delicious bottling is the sixth vintage of Zinfandel produced from our Farmhouse Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. The vines in our Farmhouse Vineyard were among the first to be planted using the Heritage budwood concept to preserve the heritage of iconic old vine Zinfandel vineyards! Cuttings from a pre-Prohibition era vineyard were grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock to create a “young vine” wine with “old vine” Zinfandel characteristics. Initially, the aromas show fruit-forward tones of black and red cherries, cranberry and blackberry. Subtle notes of mocha, rose and earthy nuances come forward after several minutes of airing. On the palate, flavors of plum and strawberry mix with soft undertones of coriander, toffee, toasty cedar and roasted almonds. The wine is supple with tremendous complexity and silky tannins. The finish is pure with a slight spiciness and refined elegance. The stage is set! Please click on the link,at the bottom of this feature.please enjoy this great new audio feature with Don Wallace.all music is my original music...performed by...Yours truly.Enjoy.Cheers! Click here and join us as we enjoy great food and wine .

We're setting sail on a wine-tasting adventure. Join us as we uncork and explore the complex flavors of Vigilance Cabernet Sauvignon, Bodegas Aragonesas Mosen Cleto Crianza, and the Brick Shake Zinfandel. It's a journey into uncharted wine territory, where we form our first genuine opinions about these exquisite vintages. From rich Cabernets to smooth Crianzas and vibrant Zinfandels, we're breaking down the barriers of wine stereotypes. So, let's "wine" about it and dive headfirst into a world of unique wine experiences. Chandler: Instagram.com/chandlerdoesjokes Bumblebearcomedy.com Twitter.com/jokesfortrees James: Twitter.com/WhatFunnyFriend Tiktok.com/Living_Dad_Joke Instagram.com/theartofgivingup Facebook.com/wasthatingoodtaste --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/was-that-in-good-taste/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/was-that-in-good-taste/support

It's fall and time for Al to go on the hunt for tasty zinfandels with a lot of character.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dan Berger is in the studio today with Steve Jaxon on California Wine Country to talk about the Sonoma County Harvest Fair 2023 winners. Dan Berger is in the studio today with Steve Jaxon on California Wine Country to talk about the Sonoma County Harvest Fair 2023 winners. The winners have been announced at the Harvest Fair website and in the PD. Dan explains that it is a competition all for wines made from grapes grown in Sonoma County. It is also an opportunity to examine the differences present in the county's different regions like Petaluma Gap. Click the logo to visit our sponsor Bottle Barn online for the coolest bargains on wine, beer and spirits. Family-Owned Winery Winners Some family-owned wineries won big. Wilson Winery of Healdsburg won the red category and Fritz Underground Winery in Cloverdale has won in the white category. Clay Fritz who owns Fritz Underground Winery is the brother of Jay Fritz who owns Lynmar Estate. He was on this show the week before last. A 2021 Russian River Valley Chardonnay from Fritz winery was the big winner. Wilson is on Dry Creek Road; their winemaker is Antoine Favero who makes intense and deeply flavored Zinfandels. It was a 2021 Zinfandel that won the red category. Dry Creek is cool enough to capture the black berry fruits but warm enough to produce some of the exotic notes. 2021 was a relatively warm year but not hot, which is ideal. 2021 was a very good vintage, says Dan, and the 2021 and 2022 are worth comparing to see the difference. Dan likes to buy a 2020 and a 2021 Pinot Gris from the same producer, to compare them. Click the logo to visit our sponsor Rodney Strong for up-to-date info on concerts and other events. Healdsburg's De La Montanya Vineyards & Winery won the Specialty category with its 2020 Twisted Jill Blanc de Blanc from Russian River Valley, made by winemaker Andrew Schwendeman. Dan Berger also runs The Dan Berger International Wine Competition every year, and this will be his 42nd consecutive year, on December 8, this year. All of the judges in his competition are winemakers. Visit our sponsor Davis Bynum Wines for news from the vineyard and the cellar. Harvest Fair had 964 entries this year. The judges at the Sonoma County Harvest Fair like to award Zinfandel for excellence, because of its importance in the county's overall wine production.

California Cabernet Sauvignon gets all the attention, but a good California Zinfandel is a thing of beauty! Often overlooked and definitely underrated, when done well, Zinfandel is a velvety, rich, complex, juicy, food friendly wine. All that being said, there are some California Zinfandels that give their brothers and sisters a bad name, and we want to help you find the good ones and avoid the bad ones. Zinfandel is one of the oldest wine grape varietals grown in California, and many of the old vine Zinfandels are more than 100 years old! In this episode, we put a couple of reasonably priced and easy to find California old vine Zinfandels head-to-head with a Turley wine that is also reasonably priced to see how they stack up. If you don't know Turley wine, they are definitely a winemaker that anyone who considers themselves a wine fan should seek out. Known as a cult wine, they make stunning wines that will impress you, and your friends. For a bit of a sneak peek, one of the ones we tasted compared well to the Turley, and one of them should be off of your wine list forever! Listen to our brutally honest reviews, and learn a bit more about California Zin. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2019 Turley Juvenile Zinfandel, 2021 Gnarly Head Old Vine Zin, and 2019 7 Deadly Zins Old Vine Zinfandel.Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we'd love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: www.thewinepairpodcast.comFollow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

We have reached for the stars with this wine! The 2019 Endeavour is our feature today,and how lucky we are! We will look at the tasting notes and other pieces of the puzzle to give you a great insight into the making of this incredible wine.please go to their website....drycreekvineyard.com Winemaker Notes: Located in the Lytton Springs district of Dry Creek Valley, our estate Endeavour Vineyard is the vision of the second generation to grow Cabernet Sauvignon that equals the finest of any in California. Strategically planted to take advantage of the diverse soil conditions on property, it contains its own sustainable ecosystem, complete with a natural pond to collect rainwater. This vineyard is a labor of love and continues to drive our family winery forward in producing world-class wines. At first swirl, notes of black currant, black cherry and cranberry come forward, followed by deeper aromatics of clove and orange zest. Additional airing reveals nuances of cardamom and mocha. On the palate, elegant flavors of boysenberry and plum mingle with complex notes of cinnamon, toasty cedar and bay leaf. The refined tannins are well-integrated, providing a rich and luxurious mouthfeel with a long, lingering finish. Tim Bell Winemaker Tim Bell, winemaker at Dry Creek Vineyard, has worked with a wide range of grape varieties and wine styles in Napa Valley, Sonoma, and the Central Coast: still wine, sparkling, dessert, even Kosher. Tim's creativity in blending and extensive experience shaping wine quality in the vineyard made him a great choice for the winemaking team at Dry Creek Vineyard starting in 2011. He graduated with honors in winemaking at UC Davis, learning the intricacies of wine chemistry and microbiology that inform his stylistic choices in creating delicious blends. With this education, and formative experiences in a previous career selling wine, Tim arrived at a balanced, complex winemaking style shaped by his precise palate and preference for wines that define their varietal character. Early in his career, Tim worked at Freemark Abbey, helping to shape the wine style and vineyard program. Later, he became the Director of Winemaking at Kunde, gaining critical acclaim for his Sauvignon Blancs, Zinfandels and Cabernet Sauvignons. All of this experience has prepared Tim for what he has called “his best winemaking job.” Away from the winery, Tim spends time outdoors with his family as much as he can, usually somewhere involving bodies of water. His other interests include music of all kinds and good food (and wine!). Weekends often find him grilling the tastiest burgers on the west coast. A greatdeal fo work went into this beautiful wine,and we will be featuring this wine with local chefs in the very near future. Please click on the link at the bottom of this page ,and join us as Don wallace and I discuss this incredible wine! Cheers! Click here and join us as we enjoy great food and wine .

To go along with today's April 26, 2023 episode with Julie Pedroncelli, here is an encore presentation of a 6-year-old episode, also featuring Julie Pedroncelli and her husband Ed St. John. As Dan Berger ages wines in his cellar, we can also dig a well-aged podcast episode.  From Pedroncelli Wines, Julie Pedroncelli and her husband Ed St. John, join Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country. Also with us in studio are Sajive, owner of Bottle Barn, and Barry Herbst, their wine buyer. The first tasting is a Rosé that Dan Berger has brought. It comes from Mount Beautiful, North Canterbury, in New Zealand. Dan says this region will become very well known in the next few years. He says this wine is “soft and sweet” and everyone enjoyed it. Julie briefly tells the story of Pedronceli, which started with her grandparents, Giovanni and Giulia Pedroncelli, who bought a shuttered winery during Prohibition and made a living selling grapes at first. Then after Repeal, they returned to production. Her father Jim was the head of wine making. Now the second, third and fourth generation are all working in the business in different roles. For everything you'll ever need to know about Pedroncelli Winery, visit their website http://www.pedroncelli.com/ Dry Creek AVA They are located in Dry Creek, which Ed describes with great affection, saying they have been in Dry Creek before it became famous as the Dry Creek Valley. They just promoted Montse Reece to Winemaker last year. She is only the third winemaker they have had in their 90 year history and the first who is not a family member. They have had only three winemakers in the 90-year history of the company. Click the logo to visit our sponsor Bottle Barn online for the coolest bargains on wine, beer and spirits. Dan Berger describes the iconic wines of Pedroncelli, starting with Zinfandel, which Julie says is their flagship varietry. They brought in a Saugvignon Blanc 2016, their flagship wine Mother Clone Zin, and their Three-Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. The tasting begins with their Sauvignon Blanc is made without any oak. Dan says that it would go very well with some spicy Thai food. “The structure is gorgeous,” he says, and suggests it would bear 3 or 4 years of aging. The next tasting is a 2014 “Mother Clone Zinfandel.” Ed explains how it got its name from the old Italian practice of “borrowing wood” when growers would give cuttings to others. Once, a grower was asked where a clone came from and he replied that it was the “mother clone” meaning it was his best original source. They then trademarked the term. Dan says it shows flavors of violets, black cherries and a little trace of pepper. There is almost a subtle taste of nutmeg in the aftertaste, a gorgeous wine…. Just stunning, gives you the real character of Dry Creek Valley.” He suggests it would go very well with some lamb. Ed adds that this is wine is what they are striving for at Pedroncelli and adds, “My favorite thing to pair with this wine is a glass.” Kinds of Zinfandel Ed says that today many Zinfandels are “fruit bombs” and Dan and Steve agree, they slap you in the face, you're tired of it halfway through the glass. This Zin lets you enjoy a second and third glass without losing focus. Ed tells how he was recently tasting their 2017 vintage, with winemaker Montse Reece. It is her first at the winery as winemaker. She said, “We don't make fruit bombs, we make spice bombs.” She Julie agreed that they strive for spice over fruit flavors. Sajive asks them to describe the Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel style and Julie replies that it is the spicy berry flavor. Dan adds the wild strawberry flavors are also present which comes from harvesting the grape when it is not over-ripe. Dan calls it an exotic wine that will age as well as you want it to. Steve says that he got tired of Zinfandel when it was too fruity, but this is totally different,

Christi & Alex are going in blind! Alex has reached deep into the cellar to pull out two wines from his Master The Wine blind wine kits! Christi has to pick  a wine for them to try from these two & neither of them know where this is going to go!So grab a glass, pop in the earbuds, and join them as they Drink Something Amazing!(Oh, and just so you know, it DID have 10% new oak on it!)Alex has also added a cool link below the wine description where you can go straight to Wine.com to buy the wine! If you haven't got a local wineshop, just click the link " Buy This Wine! "!...........Ridge East Bench Zinfandel 2018100% ZinfandelDry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, CaliforniaJD93 W&S93 WS92 RP9114.9% ABVBuy This Wine!Winemaker NotesRaspberry, fig with notes of vanilla on the nose. Flavors of plum and black olive give way to well coated tannins and black olive in the lingering finish.Pairs well with roasted pork tenderloin with blue cheese potatoes or a wine country tri tip.Ridge Vineyards | An OverviewRidge's history begins in 1885, when Osea Perrone, a doctor and prominent member of San Francisco's Italian community, bought 180 acres near the top of Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains. He planted vineyards and constructed a winery of redwood and native limestone in time to produce the first vintage of Monte Bello in 1892. The historic building now serves as the Ridge production facility.Though Ridge began as a Cabernet winery, by the mid-60s, it had produced several Zinfandels including the Geyserville. In 1972, Lytton Springs joined the line-up and the two came to represent an important part of Ridge production. Known primarily for its red wines, Ridge has also made limited amounts of Chardonnay since 1962.The Ridge approach is straightforward: find the most intense and flavorful grapes, guide the natural process, draw all the fruit's richness into the wine. Decisions on when to pick, when to press, when to rack, what varietals and what parcels to include and when to bottle, are based on taste. To retain the nuances that increase complexity, Ridge winemakers handle the grapes and wine as gently as possible. There are no recipes, only attention and sensitivity.Support the showLike the Show? Every Coffee Helps!https://www.buymeacoffee.com/DrinkSomething

In todays episode, Shelley and Phil are reminded of how much MORE Sommelier's know about wine than the rest of us! Sam Lange, the Sommelier at Beverly's Restaurant at The Coeur d'Alene Resort, is our guest, this week and he nails a blind taste of a surprise wine we brought for him. He also brings three incredible Zinfandel's in honor of International Zinfandel Day, describes how they needed to pivot during a recent wine dinner and lobs up a perfect opportunity for us to mention the upcoming Apple Cup episode. Oh, and we added one more level to our Wine Time Fridays rating system!#HappyFriday! #ItsWineTime! #Cheersing #AmberFauxPasWines this episode: - - 2019 Chappellet Grower Collection Pinot Noir, Apple Lane Vineyard

What could be better than combining a love of wine with philanthropy?!? In this episode, we talk with Dr. Robert Hollander who does that very thing! Diagnosed with Prostate cancer, Dr. Bob decided he would do his part to make a difference, and brought together his love of wine and wine making with supporting cancer researchers through his Robert & Susan Hollander Foundation. Just in time for Father's Day, we discuss this very important topic - so make sure you tell the men in your life to listen in! In honor of one of the wines Dr. Bob makes - his Zinpiphany - we taste and review three Zinfandels we bought at Trader Joe's to see if any of them are worth your time and money. Hint, hint, two are, but one is definitely not! Learn more about the foundation and Zinfandel (also known as Primitivo) in this episode and in our show notes. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2019 Bogle Family Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel, 2020 Trader Joe's Reserve Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel Lot #233, and 2020 Epicuro Primitivo.

Last week I shared part one of my interview with Richie Allen, the talented VP of Winemaking and Viticulture at Rombauer Vineyards.  We discussed the story of how Koerner and Joan Rombauer came to Napa Valley and established Rombauer Vineyards, made wine in their garage before the winery was built, and about what makes Rombauer such a special place for Richie.  This week I am sharing part 2 of my interview with Richie.  In this part of the interview we focus on Rombauer's winemaking philosophy, why their wines are always sold out, and we talk in detail about some of their most popular wines, the Carneros Chardonnay, their wonderful lineup of Zinfandels made in the Sierra Foothills, and their award-winning Cabernet Sauvignons.  So, grab a glass of your favorite wine, it's time for Obsessed with Wine I want to thank Richie Allen for dedicating so much time to this interview and giving us such great insight into what makes Rombauer wines so great!  If you haven't experienced some of the great Zinfandels or Cabernet Sauvignons, we talked about tonight, I encourage you to go to Rombauer.com or visit one of their beautiful tasting rooms.  You better hurry though, the wine does sell out. As most of you know, I had the opportunity to work with Richie and the Rombauer team for harvest 2021 and it was awesome!  If you love wine, I encourage you to try to get involved with a winery during harvest, it's something you will never forget!  Finally, tonight, I want to encourage you to visit the all-new show website at www.obsessedwithwine.net for everything related to the show.  Also, don't forget to sign up for the Obsessed with Wine Newsletter.  Please join me next week for another new episode of Obsessed with Wine podcast, thank you for listening, cheers!  

Wine Road Podcast Episode 150 Sponsored by Ron Rubin Winery Episode 150 | Kathy Harsbarger, Director DTC, Jeff Cohn Cellars Kathy Harsbarger, Director DTC, Jeff Cohn Cellars tells about the history of Jeff Cohn Cellars, the tasting room experience and what types of wine you may enjoy there. Our Wine of the Day is 2002 Jeff Cohn Cellars 2018 Maggie's Vineyard Zinfandel. Fast Five Recipe, Spätzle from Chef Tom Mulligan at Spoonbar in Healdsburg. Wine of the Day: Jeff Cohn Cellars 2018 Maggie's Vineyard Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley Book of the Day: On California: Napa to Nebbiolo—Wine Tales from the Golden State Fast Five: Spätzle from Chef Tom Mulligan at Spoonbar in Healdsburg. Podcast Sponsor: Ron Rubin Winery SHOW NOTES 0:55 Wine of the day--Jeff Cohn Cellars 2018 Maggie's Vineyard Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley, a special wine from a special vieyard. 2:51 New tasting room in Healdsburg opened a year ago across from Hotel Les Mars and Little Saint. 6:37 Tasting experience at Jeff Cohn Cellars, small production winery with Rhone centric portfolio and select Zinfandels. It's a “Yummy experience.” And you will often meet the winemaker himself on the weekends. 11:25 Tasting room hours 11-6 Friday Saturday and Sunday. Tasting by appointment and walk-ins, options and experience include red and white wine flights or by the glass. 16:30 Fast Five Recipe – Spätzle from Chef Tom Mulligan at Spoonbar in Healdsburg. Ingredients:4 Cups all purpose Flour, ¾ cup Milk, 8 Eggs, 2 Teaspoons Salt & Nutmeg Directions: Gather dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another. Add the 4 cups flour and two teaspoons of salt and grind a piece of nutmeg over a micro plane in one bowl. In other bowl whisk together the eight eggs and ¾ milk till frothy. Then make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the milk and egg mixture and gently stir with a wooden spoon. Let it rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes before making the noodles. The using a Spätzle maker pour in the batted and move over a pot of boiling water, then scoop out with a slotted spoon and enjoy! Pair with Riesling. 21:50 Book of the Day— On California: Napa to Nebbiolo—Wine Tales from the Golden State. The extraordinary story of Californian wine told in essays by celebrated wine writers and winemakers. 23:45 New on the website, the shopping cart is back in business for all sorts of wine road merchandise. Details on the new Wine Road Insider club is also live on the website. Check it out! 26:45 SPECIAL OFFER – WRD10 Promo Code for 10% off wine! Tell ‘em you heard it on the Wine Road Podcast or use the promo code on the website. Links Jeff Cohn Cellars Email: Reservations@jeffchoncellars.com Spoon Bar Podcast Sponsor: Ron Rubin Winery -- https://ronrubinwinery.com/ Wine Road https://www.wineroad.com Wine Road Podcast Instagram -- @wineroadpodcast Credits: The Wine Road podcast is mixed and mastered at Threshold Studios Sebastopol, CA. http://thresholdstudios.info/

Vinene i dette afsnit er skænket af Anker Vinimport, Rema1000 og Haller Vine https://ankervinimport.dk/ https://rema1000.dk/ https://hallervine.dk/ ............................... Hulk Hogan, He-Man og faren fra The Incredibles… Hvilken vin skal der til for at klare den danske julemad? Hvordan udtrykker druen Petite Sirah sig og hvor kommer den fra? Denne gang skal vi ikke på motorvej for at finde vej, men vi tager den på satellit i området Lodi i Californien og smider også den gule google mand på vejen, så vi med egne øjne kan se områdets klima. Hvad er Zinfandels genetiske historie Hvad er det Zinfandel-druen kan til den danske julemad? Er den amerikansk, italiensk eller noget helt tredje? Hvad er feno- og genotyper? Til slut snakker vi hyperdekantering og fortæller endnu anekdote om trespassing fra Italien. Vi smager på 1) Mettler Family Vineyards, Petite Sirah 2018https://ankervinimport.dk/ 2) Lange Twins - Old Wine - Zinfandel 2018 https://rema1000.dk/wines/langetwins-old-vine-zinfandel-lodi-californien/ 3) Old Ghost - Zinfandel 2017 https://hallervine.dk/product/old-ghost-old-vine-zinfandel/ ............................... Som lytter kan du hjælpe os med at lave flere sær-afsnit. Tilmeld dig her: https://www.zetland.dk/kampagne/vfb og få adgang til Zetland i 2 måneder for kun 50 kr. Når du får adgang støtter du samtidig Vin for begyndere, så vi kan lave endnu flere sær-afsnit. ………………………….. Besøg os på Facebook og Instagram, hvor man kan vinde vin og se billeder og andet godt. https://www.facebook.com/vinforbegyndere https://www.instagram.com/vinforbegyndere Web: https://www.radioteket.dk/ Kontakt: radioteket@radioteket.dk Musik: Jonas Landin

We love Thanksgiving, the food, the football, the wine...all of it! We wanted to give you our favorite tips for having a successful Thanksgiving. Enjoy this light-hearted bonus episode and Happy Thanksgiving, friends!OUR TOP DRINKS PICKSBubbles are always a good pick.White wine is a winner - pick a white Cotes du Rhone, dry Riesling, or French Sauvignon Blanc.Rosé wines are fine if you want something that's not white but isn't red either.If you'd like to go red wine, think dried berry flavors and plenty of acidity. Oregon and French Pinot Noirs are particularly good picks for Thanksgiving, Cotes du Rhone red wines, Barbera from Italy, old-school Zinfandels, and Cabernet Franc!You can get more tips here.OUR TURKEY COOKING TIPSCheck out Nick's spatchcocked turkey recipe here.Or try this smoked turkey recipe.Finally, if you want to do a traditional roast turkey, these are the tips we perfected last year.If you like what we're doing here on the Dinner Plus Drinks podcast,  here's how you can follow along and get in touch with us:Watch on YouTubeVisit our websiteLike us on FacebookFollow us on InstagramGet links to follow the podcast in your favorite appOr email us at: hello /at/ dinnerlusdrinks /dot/ comThanks for listening, we hope you have a great week!~ Bridget and Nick

In this episode, Shelley and Phil reminisce about their recent trip to Walla Walla. While they go in depth about the wineries they visited and the wines they tasted they honor Zinfandel Day, which is this Wednesday November 17, with two Zins from California. Grab one of these or one of your favorites and taste through with them while pondering the thought of visiting Walla Walla before it gets too crazy. *Note: Izzie slept at the legs of Shelley during this recording and her breathing is VERY loud! #HappyFriday! #ItsWineTime! #CheersingWines tasted this episode:2019 Old Zin Vines Zinfandel ($10.99 at Fred Meyer)2015 Beran Zinfandel  ($18.99 at Fred Meyer)For more information on Old Zin Vines, please visit http://oldzinvines.comFor more information on Beran Wines, please visit https://beranwines.comThanks to our sponsor:   Elsom Cellars,  Coeur D'alene FreshElsom Cellars. Good times are meant to be shared and so are great grapes and great wines! Since 2006, Elsom Cellars has been producing brilliant Washington wines. For more information about Elsom Wines, please visit http://www.elsomcellars.com or call them at 425-298-3082.Coeur D'alene FRESH: Located in downtown Coeur d'Alene, FRESH wine bar is a place to meet friends, relax and just be Coeur d'Alene. Stop by for a fun time every Wednesday around 5:30 for WINO Wednesday. Consider FRESH wine bar for your next event. Stop by or visit http://www.Coeurdalenefresh.com/And of course, a HUGE thank you to Tod Hornby who wrote and recorded our official Wine Time Fridays theme music (as well as The Social Web sponsorship music!) which is ANYthing but average.  Please contact him at veryaveragemusic@gmail.com Mentions: Izzie (breathing), Lucie (growling), Culinary Stone, Noble Rottens, Trevor Treller, Eternal Wine, Hoquetus Wine Company, Itä Wines, Oprah, Gary Vaynerchuck, Adam Glassman, Tom at Studio 107, El Corazon, Kontos Cellars, Kontos Alatus Red Blend, Seven Hills Cellars, Bobby Richards, Woodward Canyon, Doubleback Winery, Passing Time Winery, Wines we enjoyed this week:  Caoba Sauvignon Blanc, Arca Nova Vinho Verde Branco, L'Arco Principe del Sole Sangiovese, Oyster Bay Pinot Noir, Airfield Estates Runway Red Blend, Canoe Ridge The Expedition Chardonnay.Please find us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WineTimeFridays), Twitter (@VintageTweets) and Instagram (@WineTimeFridays). You can also “Follow” Phil on Vivino. His profile name is Phil Anderson and will probably “Follow” you back!

Cline Lodi Old Vines Zinfandel Beran Sonoma County Zinfandel In this episode, Rob, Scott, and Becky revisit 2 Zinfandels from Season 1 as they review the Cline Lodi Old Vines Zin and Beran's Sonoma County Zin.  Will both wines shine once again, or are their glory days behind them? We shall see... on The Wine Vault.

Our guest is Agent Cru (aka Addison Rex) CEO of Wine Spies, an online retailer. Their team  goes deep undercover to find the best deals on the best wines. These deals run as much as 65 percent off. If you see something you like, hurry and buy it that day, because the next day there will be another for you to choose from. Deals last just 24 hours. From Red Blends to Zinfandels, Cabs to Rieslings, to Pinot Noir to Pinot Grigio, they are sure to have something to soothe your palate.They operate from their spy headquarters, in the heart of California's Wine Country. They only accept the mission if it's a wine that they love. Their Agents work up a detailed dossier, compiling a top secret file that only our Wine Spies Operatives (that's you) have clearance for.They've cultivated relationships with wineries and vintners from all over the world. The deals they secure are exclusive to Wine Spies. CLICK HERE to get your favorite wines at a great price delivered to your home.

Josh and John pop open some delicious Zinfandels. Josh pours an Italian, 2016 Antico Sigillo Primativo Di Manduria and shares Memphis style ribs, a cheeseburger with onion straws on top, and a wood-fired pizza. John open the 2017 Ridge Pagani Ranch Zinfandel. His pairings are gjetost (a Norwegian goats cheese), spaghetti with sausage red sauce, and carrot cake. They enjoy a good time seeing the differences between the types of Zinfandel.

We love Zinfandels!And today we discuss three vintages of a great Zinfandel from Rodney Strong Vineyards and winery.We will take a look at the tasting notes and the sheets on these wines...straight from their website. The Dry Creek Valley is legendary for producing great Zinfandel, and we were fortunate to discover an excellent vineyard there in 2007 that has been enhancing our Knotty Vines Zin ever since. In recent years, that vineyard has truly begun to shine, and we decided to bottle a small amount separately to highlight its unique character that reflects the briary, peppery nature of Dry Creek Zinfandel. Ruby red colored, with fresh aromas of ripe blackberries, black cherry, wild raspberries, black pepper and dusty earth, this full bodied wine was aged for 15 months in primarily French oak barrels, which added layers of toast and baking spices. Elegant and silky, this wine has refined tannins and is extremely well balanced. Enjoy this 2015 Zinfandel now with Southwestern style pork, spice-rubbed duck breast, grilled sausages, or cellar for enjoyment over the next few years. The 2016 growing season was about as close to ideal as we can get. We received about an average amount of rain over Winter, with only one big storm coming through in early March that topped off soil moisture. Spring was very pleasant, so the vines got off to a great, albeit early, start. Average temperatures continued through summer, with the occasional heat spike. Warm temperatures continued into the Fall, so the Zinfandel harvest started earlier than normal. Dry Creek Valley harvest kicked off in mid-September. Ruby red colored, with fresh aromas of ripe blackberries, cherry pie, black pepper and dusty earth, this full bodied wine was aged for 18 months in primarily French oak barrels, which added layers of toast and baking spices. Elegant and silky, this wine has refined tannins and is extremely well balanced. Enjoy this Zinfandel now with Manchego cheese, bacon wrapped dates or spiced barbecue dishes, or cellar for enjoyment over the next two to four years. We now move onto the 2017 Dry Creek Zinfandel. Although 2017 proved to be an inconsistent year for weather, what started as somewhat challenging quickly turned into a very rewarding harvest. We saw both heavy rain early on and heat spikes in August and September, some reaching past 100F. Heat this late in the season in Dry Creek Valley means rich flavor development with lower sugars, exactly what we like to see for our Zinfandel. Satisfied with the quality and balance of the fruit, we harvested on September 28. Ruby red colored, with fresh aromas of ripe blackberries, cherry pie, black pepper and dusty earth, this full bodied wine was aged for 18 months in primarily French oak barrels, which added layers of toast and baking spices. Elegant and silky, this wine has refined tannins and is extremely well balanced. Enjoy this Zinfandel now with Manchego cheese, bacon wrapped dates or spiced barbecue dishes, or cellar for enjoyment over the next two to four years. So we have three Zinfandels and lots of suggestions for food.I'm still sticking with the idea of Chinese Food from 8Dragons Restaurant in Healdsburg. Ill make the order and the food will be here in 45 minutes.PERFECT! We must adapt in these times and this works perfectly!Please click on the link below and join us as Greg Morthole tells us of these great wines!Cheers! Click here and join us as we enjoy three vintages of the Dry Crek Zinfandel from Rodney Strong .

We discuss the history of Volleyball, The Dodgers "longest running infield", How Steph Curry has changed the game and the History of the Catcher's mask. We also discuss Tom Brady's 7th Super Bowl win, and review a couple of Zinfandels. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/twishpod/support

Do you know the rich and royal history behind Zinfandel? How does the air in a vineyard affect the flavours you taste in its wine? Why did Zinfandel become such a sensation in North America? What does mythology have to do with Ravenswood wine? In this episode of the Unreserved Wine Talk podcast, I'm chatting with the Godfather of Zin, Joel Peterson, founder and winemaker of Ravenswood Winery.   Highlights Why did Joel's father involve him in wine tastings as a child? What sort of colourful tasting notes would you read in Joel's father's wine club newsletters? What's the less-than-catchy name you'd use for the Zinfandel grape in it's home country of Croatia? When would you find the first historical reference to the Zinfandel grape? How is Zinfandel connected to Old World royalty? What makes Croatia a great grape-growing region? What do you need to know about "founder grapes"? How did Zinfandel come to the United States? What history can you taste in Ravenswood Vinters Blend Zinfandel? What unbelievable raven encounter led to Joel's connection to them as a totem? How did an opera inspire the name Ravenswood? In which areas of mythology would you find references to ravens? Why you will love a pairing of baby back ribs and Ravenswood Zinfandel blends? Which climatic features make Lodi an ideal grape-growing area? How does your tasting experience differ between Ravenswood Vintners Blend and Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel? Why do you often find higher alcohol content in Zinfandels? How do you find the "sweet spot" for wine which has the perfect balance? What do you taste differently with wines made with the punch down versus pump over techniques? How does "airroir" impact your experience with wine? What makes a field blend different from single grape wines? Which annual charity event will you find Joel at without fail? What influence does growing up with two superstar chemists as your parents have on you?   Key Takeaways The historical roots of Zinfandel and its links to Croatia when it was part of the Austria-Hungarian empire as well as Venetian courts is fascinating, as is the detective work to establish the grape’s true heritage and parentage. Zinfandel's history goes back to 1488, and it’s one of the 12 founding grapes of all wine grapes. Why Lodi makes such great Zinfandel with its deep, sandy soils that were once part of an ancient ocean bed. This produces larger grape clusters with smaller skin to flesh rations resulting in less harsh tannins, and a smoother, juicier, fruitier wine. How wine achieves sweet spots of different alcohol levels, where everything is in balance i.e. the fruit and acidity say at 13.8% alcohol but maybe not at 13.9%. The concept of "airroir" is fascinating and something I want to explore more in the wines I taste in terms of their influences. Joel’s story about tasting wines as a child and learning to identify aromas, not just apples, but the type of apples by smelling and eating them. That’s how we all can learn to be better sniffers and tasters. The story of Ravenswood name, including all of the raven folklore in Poe and Odin.   About Joel Peterson In 1976 Joel founded Ravenswood in partnership with fellow wine lover Reed Foster, a Harvard MBA who handled the green stuff while Joel oversaw the red stuff. In the ensuing years, Joel had dual careers, working nights and weekends in the lab as he built the winery during the daylight hours. In 1977, he’d left his job in San Francisco and moved to Sonoma to work in the clinical lab at Sonoma Valley Hospital. He didn’t quit that job until 1992, a few years after the winery turned its first profit and Robert Parker pronounced Ravenswood wines “first class – bold, dramatic and complex.” Today, Joel works with 100+ northern California growers who provide grapes for Ravenswood, consulting on irrigation methods, cultivation practices, cropping levels, and a slew of other vineyard management issues. This attention in the field, coupled with the fact that Ravenswood is one of the few wineries that has had the philosophical and winemaking skill of one winemaker for over 30 years, contributes to a consistency of quality and style rarely found in California. Joel is a current member and former president of the Sonoma Valley Vintners and Growers Alliance (S.V.V.G.A.) and is on the Board of Directors for the Sonoma County Vintners. He is a founding Board member and former two-time President of Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (Z.A.P.). Joel is also a Senior Vice President with Constellation Wines US. A rakish raconteur (and provocateur) whose erudition and down-to-earth enthusiasm make him an articulate spokesman for the winery (and sometime-heckler of the wine industry), Joel is a stylistic trendsetter who helped make Zinfandel the runaway phenomenon it is today. Along the way, the raven maven (dubbed “the Godfather of Zin” by one media wag) has built a legacy of enjoying wine with grins and gusto.           To learn more about the resources mentioned in this episode, visit the https://www.nataliemaclean.com/104.

Der Fingernagelknipser, die Wüste, der Plattenspieler … und (wahrscheinlich) Ich. == Burger Records 1. Go Cactus – Just For Fun (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 2. The Exbats – I Got The Hots For Charlie Watts (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 3. The Rifle – Are You Having Fun Yet? (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 4. Oatmealion – Gurl (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 5. Johnny & The Rotten – Art Is Dead (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 6. Shadow Show – Charades (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 7. Luby Sparks – Birthday (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 8. The Flytraps – Female Of The Species (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 9. Tenement Rats – Crime Pays (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 10. Da Crime-Click – U Hoez Gone Get Kidnapped (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 11. Sufis – Yr OK (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 12. Sufis – IGT (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 13. The High Curbs – I Know (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 14. Caglar Juan Singletary (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 15. Dream Cars – Myth Of The Cat (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 16. Kontrol – White Walls (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 17. Dead Ghosts – Swiping Hubcaps (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 18. Green Sahara – Set 2 Expire (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 19. Dream Cars – Pissing In A Funeral Home (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) 20. The Zinfandels – 4 O'clock (Burger Records Rock & Roll Radio Show) == Topshelf Records 1. Girlpool – Cut Your Bangs (Topshelf Records - porch) 2. Water From Your Eyes – The Girl (Topshelf Records - porch) 3. Field Medic – ur the 1 v1 (Topshelf Records - porch) 4. Broken Social Scene – Sweetest Kill: POLARGHST Remix (Topshelf Records - porch) 5. KhruangBin – So We Won't Forget (Topshelf Records - porch) 6. Emily Yacina – Funky Girl (Topshelf Records - porch) 7. LVL UP – Hidden Driver (Topshelf Records - porch) 8. Fog Lake – Farther Reaches (Topshelf Records - porch) 9. Lomelda – Ya With Me¿ (Topshelf Records - porch) 10. Snail Mail – Thinning (Topshelf Records - porch) 11. Vagabon – Fear & Force (Topshelf Records - porch) 12. Beirut – Scenic World (Topshelf Records - porch) 13. Alien Boy – Somewhere Without Me (Topshelf Records - porch) as wichita falls so falls wichita falls. == Sand FM Sandmusik und vieles mehr, ausgesucht von Paul Orange.

Five minutes of real-life American English to train your listening while you have fun! In this episode we visit a private wine cellar in an exclusive beach community near Los Angeles. Transcription here --> *** [INTRO] *** OK so I'm here with my friend Mike at his house in Manhattan Beach and… could you tell us where we are standing right now? We are standing in a prime wine cellar. This is a wine cellar, I want to tell you, I am in a wine cellar. How many bottles of wine have we got in this wine cellar? We’ve got about seven hundred on the rack and there's another, probably, three hundred sitting in cases. So we're talking about a thousand bottles. A thousand bottles. All right, and can you give us just an idea what kind of wine you've got here? Well I’ve got the two racks of Kurt’s (his son) and then I’ve got 3 - 4 racks here which are Pinot Noir, no, no Zinfandels and I’ve got two racks of Pinot Noir and I’ve got all the rest are Cabernet. I’m a big Cabernet guy.** So we're talking a couple hundred bottles of Cabernet. Easily. Probably 500. Where do you, where do you acquire this wine? Well, I work with Kurt. He’ll order a bottle of wine, and we’ll taste it when it comes in, and if it tastes good, he’ll order me a case of it. OK, so you, so you research the wine, you read, you read about the wine and then you get yourself a bottle…. Preferably Napa Valley, Sonoma… So what percentage of your wines in here are California wines? Probably seventy percent. 70% are California, and the rest? The rest are right behind here they are Bordeaux and they're drinking OK, they are “2000”, so that's 20 years old and it, uh, it taste OK, but it's nothing compared to our red wines from Napa. Tell me this, what is the most, let's call it the most valuable bottle you’ve got in here. Not very expensive, the most expensive one is on the top. Those are probably $250 bottles, two hundred and fifty bucks a bottle. About $250 per bottle, and how long will they be sitting here? Probably I'll be dead by the time they are ripe. (laughter Oh, the son will be drinking the, because.. (hahha) OK well, thanks for the tour and thanks for listening. *** [OUTRO} Thank you for supporting the podcast by telling friends and sharing this link--> https://linktr.ee/unexpectedenglish * Idiom note: You can say a person is "big on" something (or an activity) to mean they enjoy it a lot or promote it. Here we see a variation. Mike is "a big Cabernet guy" - he loves Cabernet!

THE ZINFANDELS "4 O'Clock" Like It Was Burger Records (2020) The Zinfandels are an American Rock'n'Roll band from Garden Grove, California. The band was formed by best friends Rafael Farias and Steven Salazar. They were later joined by high school classmates Jairo Estrada and Patrick Palomo. Together they developed a sound which they describe as having one foot in the past and one foot in the future. After Steven's untimely death they were left with a collection of songs in various stages of completion. The remaining members finished the songs for their debut album "Like It Was" using Steven's drum tracks that had been recorded when he was still alive. Left with a hole to fill The Zinfandels enlisted a revolving list of close friends to sit behind the drum kit as they continue to create and do what they do.

California Wine Country continues with its series of repeat podcast episodes featuring women in the wine business, since there is no new show due to continuing Coronavirus coverage on home station KSRO. This episode with Rebecca Robinson from ZAP was originally recorded and aired on January 10, 2018.  Rebecca Robinson is today’s featured guest on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. Rebecca is the Executive Director of ZAP, Zinfandel Advocates and Producers. ZAP will be holding ZIN EX, the Zinfandel Experience, in San Francisco, January 18-20, 2019, dedicated to Zinfandel. Robert Larsen is also back in the studio today. He spent many years at Robert Strong and now runs The Larsen Projekt. (He was last on California Wine Country in September of last year. Here is a link to the podcast of that show.) Recap of Wines Tasted Today: 2014 Acorn Zinfandel, Heritage Vines, Alegría Vineyards, Russian River Valley. 2015 Robert Biale Vineyards Zinfandel, Black Chicken, Napa Valley. 2015 Ledson Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley Reserve, Estate Ancient Vine. 2015 Armida Zinfandel, Maple Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County. First, Steve asks Dan Berger about his wine column published today in the Press Democrat. Dan tells that it is about the large number of 2017 white wines that will start to appear in the stores over the next two months. They will be very fresh and young but they would benefit from at least another 6 months in the bottle. Read the whole article here. Dan introduces Zinfandel as a natural grape for the United States because it doesn't grow anywhere else. It was a variety that came from Europe around the turn of the previous century. It has a lot of fruit and not a lot of other places grow it. (It is grown in Italy and known by its Italian name, Primitivo.) It has a long growing season and phenomenal flavors. It can make many different styles. Rebecca Robinson's experience in Zinfandel goes back to when she was a student at Sonoma State University. She worked in the wine industry for a while before starting as Executive Director of ZAP about 20 years ago. Rebecca Robinson on ZIN EX She describes the Zinfandel Experience, which they have been producing since 1991. They are at 3 locations this year; Thursday January 18, there is a farm to table dinner at One Market. The next day there is an educational session about growing the grape and making the wine. Then on Friday night there is a winemakers' dinner and auction to support their educational foundation. On Saturday they finish with the grand tasting at Pier 27 on the Embarcadero in San Francisco. Some events are sold out, see the websites prior to the event for all updated information. Rebecca Robinson talks about how they are telling their story of how the California winemaking business has evolved and how they were successful at promoting big tasting events early on. Dan points out that Zinfandel has become one of the most interesting varietals in terms of vineyard designations. Joel Peterson at Ravenswood was a pioneer at this. You don't just look for the brands, you look for the vineyards. Some of the vines are over 100 years old and the flavors are consistent from year to year. He mentions that it can be made into everything from white wine to port, and you will see (and taste) all of those and everything in between at the event. The Flights event on Friday is about carrying Zinfandel into the future. They celebrate the living treasures of the old vineyards, but the young winemakers are in a unique position to carry it forward. Dan discusses Zinfandel as a food wine. They all had lunch today and talked about how they go with food. Lamb goes well with Zinfandel, says Steve. The 2014 Acorn Russian River Zinfandel that they are tasting is a good example. It should be decanted at least, or left in the cellar for several years. They thought that other dishes would be better with other Zinfandels that are not...

The StoryThe Federalist Lodi Zinfandel 2016 is 100% Zinfandel sourced from three different sub-AVAs of the Lodi AVA which is inside the Central Valley AVA. Most of the California wine you drink comes from the Central Coast AVA (Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, and others) and the North Coast AVA (Sonoma, Napa, etc..) and they are all coastal or mountain growing regions. Lodi is south and east of Napa and would be too far inland to grow grapes, the Bays to the east of San Fransico extend far enough inland that the resulting delta and river valleys allow cool ocean air to reach the vineyards.There are many wineries inside the Central Valley but most are small, boutique size, while Lodi has the weather and the terrain to mass-produce wine. Lodi is warmer than most of the coastal growing regions and their wines tend to be produced in a ripe, fruit-forward style, but nothing too out of place with the rest of California wine. Lodi is well known for the Zinfandel grape (though Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are quickly becoming favorites), especially with many "old vine" vineyards. The Federalist Lodi Zinfandel 2016 is one of the few ZIns you will find without "old vine" on the label.The Federalist line of wines, they have 3 Zinfandels, a couple of Cabs, 2 Red blends and a Chardonnay are part of Terlato Wines. Terlato is the folks who brought you Pinot Grigio with Santa Margarita. Before they broke Pinot Grigio in the United States, it was just another one of Italy's 100s of White grape varietals. So if you are a Pinot Grigio fan, say "Thank you Terlato".I am a fan of Lodi Zinfandel, it's my go-to AVA, Sonoma, Napa Valley, and Paso Robles all make great Zins, but dollar for dollar I will take Lodi. The blocks of grapes from the different vineyards were fermented separately to allow the final blending to be performed with precision. This Zinfandel was aged in American oak barrels for 12 months with 25% new barrels the rest used. With Red wine, you can get some information on how the wine is produced with how long the wine is barrel-aged and how much new oak is used. A wine that is aged for a full year with a significant amount of new oak has to have the body and the forceful flavor to match up with the oak influence. That would indicate that the winemaker did the techniques to fully extract the tannins, flavors, and aromas from the grapes. A lighter-bodied wine with an extended oak aging period will take a long time to meld the flavors, so the winemaker has to match the grape extraction with the oak aging. Inexpensive Red wines typically have short oak aging periods, if it is oak-aged at all, so a less complicated winemaking style can be used. It keeps costs down and allows the wine to be released for sale sooner. But that is not the case with the Federalist Zinfandel and most of my other favorite Zins. These Zinfandels tend to be made in the same style as expensive wines, but since Zinfandel is popular and Lodi is a less costly growing region and many of these wines are mass-produced the cost is reasonable, a quick check of the web showed prices from $12 to $16. The alcohol content is a stout 14.5%.Federalist Lodi Zinfandel 2016 Tasting NotesThe color a clean, clear and still see-through cherry jelly red. The nose is ripe and spicey, there is jammy black cherry, oak spice, herbs, smoke from the BBQ grill, black pepper, faint chocolate, and plum. This is a Zinfandel that evolves on your palate, it starts off simple, then blossoms.  It tastes of strawberry and candy spice, followed by milk chocolate, pepper, tea, and ripe plum. The mid-palate shows licorice, sour cherry, and a salty sensation and adds to along finish. The mouthfeel is smooth and the tannins are sweet. The acidity is hidden by the body of the wine but does give the flavors ample space to unfold.The Summary With George Washington on the label, I should have showcased this Zinfandel on Presidents Day.

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! In this episode of Major Crush, Lou and Meredith talk about wine and love. There's just something about the way a bottle of wine connects people -- no matter how you'll be spending time together on this special day! As promised in the episode, we've added a couple of varietal picks to help you zero in on some "sure things" to share with someone special this year! Lou's Picks: If you're spending a cozy evening in, and you really want a red wine that pairs well with just about every yummy food you can think of, Lou's top pick is a Zinfandel. They call Zinfandel "the winemaker's wine" because it is so food-friendly, and it expresses so many things to so many people in every sip. If you're up for trying a Zin, you don't have to spend a lot to get a good one. Right now, 2013 and 2014 California Zinfandels are drinking pretty darn well, so if you're dining out this year, keep an eye out for Zinfandels of those vintages. And one more tip: One of Lou's all-time favorite Zin brands is Ravenswood! Meredith's Pick: You'll never go wrong if you pick an Italian varietal! Meredith's biggest crush right now is on the Italian varietal called Dolcetto -- which, in Italian means, "little sweet one." (How could that be a bad pick for your sweetheart on Valentine's Day?!) But this wine pairs so well with Italian foods -- as well as roasted meats and vegetarian dishes, too. But the best part about a Dolcetto is the price. You really don't have to spend a lot of money to get an amazingly drinkable wine that will truly elevate the mood and add a whole bunch of love! However, if you're dining out and specifically if you're eating Italian, you might also consider a traditional Chianti. It's usually one of the better choices on an Italian wine list because it is such an every-day part of the way Italian people express the love baked into their favorite dishes! By the way, we were SO LUCKY to get a quick "guided interview" with Christian Parks of EARTH & SKY CHOCOLATES, located in Calistoga, CA! As one of the premiere Wine Country chocolatiers, it was so kind of Christian to take time out of his demanding schedule to offer up a few tips about how to pair wine and chocolate. We hope to treat you to a full-length episode this season about the art of pairing wine with chocolate, but if you liked what you heard in Christian's "pop-in," feel free to check out his website: https://www.earthandskychocolates.com/ or directly contact Earth & Sky at 707-227-6116 to place a custom wholesale order. CONTACT US: If you have questions or comments for Meredith and Lou, and you're listening on the Anchor App, you can send them to us directly. If you're listening to this podcast on any other platform, and you want to reach out, you can email us at majorcrushpodcast@gmail.com // Follow us on Instagram: @majorcrushwinecast. // Be sure to check out the entire first season of Major Crush on Spotify, or wherever you access your favorite podcasts! Episodes of Season Two drop every Thursday.

According to Al, few grapes reflect their origins better than zinfandel. Here's a look at a pair of fabulous regions.

This week we are taking the show on the road to a “hidden gem” in the Dry Creek Valley. Nalle Winery has been making beautiful, low-alcohol Zinfandels that have been compared to some great wines from Burgundy. Doug and Lee have passed the torch to Andrew and April, it is Read more... The post The Wine Makers – Nalle Winery appeared first on Radio Misfits.

Third and final installment in my interview with Clay Mauritson. In this episode, we talk about three single-vineyard Zinfandels which all come from the Rockpile AVA. All different expressions of Zinfandel, we talk about how the variety expresses the terroir of California so well.

The “KR” on our barn is a well-known landmark of old time Paso Robles. The Kentucky Ranch- our home, winery, vineyard and gardens was part of a 4,000 acre Spanish Land Grant until 1869 after which it became a thriving horse breeding operation. Our ranch includes the 1920’s KR barn, outbuildings, our home, barley fields and riparian habitat for deer, coyotes, bobcats, turkeys and the occasional mountain lion. The vineyard was planted in Spring of 2007, it consists of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah.Since 2004 Thacher Winery with the grasshopper label, has been hand crafting wines from superb vineyards found on the Westside of Paso Robles and in Southern Monterey County. Our boutique production of Rhone blends and Zinfandels demonstrate local subtleties and true westside terroir. Construction of the tasting room and 4600 square foot, solar powered winery was completed in 2008, just in time for our fourth harvest of about 33 tons of premium wine grapes.Visit Thacher Winery at https://www.winesoundtrack.com/cantine/thacher-winery

From Cuvaison Winery, Steve Rogstad winemaker and Dan Zepponi, CEO, join Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger on California Wine Country. The Cuvaison story starts in 1969. Back then, it was all new. If you look at wineries today that were also there 50 years ago, there are only 16, and even fewer that are family owned. A couple of friends Thomas Cotrell and Thomas Parkhill, founded Cuvaison Winery. They were both optical engineers who wanted to get into winemaking. Steve and Dan brought four bottles for tasting today: 2017 Syrah Diablo 2017 Pinot Noir Spire 2018 Rosé of Pinot Noir 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Steve studied literature and moved to France for that and discovered wine there, while Dan's father started a winery. The term Cuvaison is a French winemaking term for the time in which the red wine skins are in contact with the juice during the fermentation phase. Dan says that this is a really historic property and points out what Napa Valley does best. They focus on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir but they also have a few others, where appropriate for the location. Napa versus Sonoma. Napa has focussed on dark, heavy Cabernet Sauvignons, rich ripe Zinfandels. Chard comes from cooler regions, like Carneros, and Napa is a monoculture compared to Sonoma. Sonoma is very diverse because of all the subregions and subtexts of the sub regions. Cabernet is no longer Cuvaison's focal point. Their vineyards in Carneros are some of the best vineyards in Napa Valley. The winery was founded in 1969 in Calistoga. They moved the winery to the middle of the vineyard in 2004 so nothing leaves the property until it is in the bottle. Then in 2010 they opened a tasting room, by appointment. It has glass walls and looks out over the vineyard. The Rosé is bone dry, made direct to press. It is light and delicate with wonderful aromatics, dry cherry, bing cherry, strawberries. The 2017 Pinot Noir is next. Dan calls it succulent and he would never have guessed it is a Carneros wine. It should be decanted for 2 hours. They do some special events. The next one is the Lobster Feed, in August.

Wine Country TableBy Janet Fletcher Intro: Welcome to the Cookery by the Book podcast with Suzy Chase. She's just a home cook in New York City, sitting at her dining room table, talking to cookbook authors.Janet Fletcher: I'm Janet Fletcher in Napa Valley California, and I'm the author of 'Wine Country Table.'Suzy Chase: California, a western US state, stretches from the Mexican border along the Pacific for nearly 900 miles. Its terrain includes cliff lined beaches, the Redwood Forest, Sierra Nevada Mountains, Central Valley farmland and the Mohave Desert. Talk a bit about the range of California's bounty.Janet Fletcher: Oh you know Suzy, I think a lot of people think of California as just warm and sunny all the time, and we have a lot of that. We have a lot of sunshine, but we have an incredible range of climates. Climate zones, and micro climates, within those zones. We have a lot of cool, foggy coastal areas that are great for certain wine grapes and great for certain crops like lettuces and artichokes and brussels sprouts, and broccoli. I feel like there's a sweet spot for every crop you might want to grow somewhere in this state.Suzy Chase: This book includes 23 stunning farms and wineries. How did these 23 make the cut?Janet Fletcher: We were looking to showcase a variety of crops and a variety of growing regions, and all of the farms and all of the wineries that are showcased in the book, are leaders in sustainability. Some are organic, not necessarily, but all of them are really known as models of sustainable farming or grape growing, and that's really what we wanted to showcase. That California is not only the U.S.'s number one agricultural state but we're really global leaders in sustainable practices.Janet Fletcher: Which is not just ... of course sustainability has a lot to do with how you treat the land. Whether you do dor don't use herbicides and pesticides, are you a good environmentalist? But also, are you conscientious about saving other resources like water, like energy. Are you good to your employees? Are you a good member of your community? It's a more holistic approach to farming then, say, biodynamics or organics.Suzy Chase: In addition to the stories, this book includes 50 recipes that cover all the bases from breakfast to desserts. Talk a little bit about that.Janet Fletcher: Well, breakfast, one of my favorite recipes in the book is, I call it Golden State Granola. California is known as the Golden State. And the Golden State Granola really showcases one of our major crops, which is almonds.Janet Fletcher: There's a lot of toasted almonds in it, and toasted oatmeal and coconut and raisins and dates, and just kind of a compilation of a lot of the things that we're known for, here in California. It makes a great topping for yogurt, or a great breakfast, with some milk on top. So, really love that recipe for breakfast.Janet Fletcher: And smoothies, I'm a big smoothie fan, and I love taking dates or prunes. Prunes, you know, are just dried plums, and putting them in a blender with a frozen banana and some buttermilk, which is very low in fat, and making a delicious breakfast smoothie.Suzy Chase: Now, would a vintner 60 years ago recognize what's going on today in California?Janet Fletcher: Interesting question, I think actually a lot of the old timers, or people from a generation or two ago, were really surprised by how grapes are being grown in California today. One thing that comes to mind is that if you drive around the vineyards, vineyards almost anywhere in this state. I'm talking about vineyards for wine, not just table grapes, you're going to see what looks like sometimes kind of messy vineyards. They look like they have weeds in them. In the old days, vineyards were always really carefully tilled, and so the ground was very bare under the grapes. And today, it's not.Janet Fletcher: And that's because people are growing cover crops to attract beneficial insects and in some cases, to add nutrients to the soil, or maybe, prevent erosion. There are all sorts of reasons to plant cover crops. But, almost every vineyard is doing it today, so vineyards can look kind of messy, because they have these grasses growing up under the vines, or between the rows.Suzy Chase: You mentioned table grapes. What's the difference between a table grape and a grape for wine?Janet Fletcher: Well, some table grapes are used in wine making, one of the biggest ones is Thompson's Seedless. That's probably our main table grape. And it's used, it's used in wine, I wouldn't say it's used in high quality wines too much, but it is a grape that you can vinify. You can vinify any grape. You can add yeast, and ferment it and make wine.Janet Fletcher: But over the centuries, wine makers have learned that certain grapes produce a better flavored wine. Wine grapes tend to have thicker skins, they're not ones you would necessarily enjoy as a table grape, because they have thick skins and they have seeds.Janet Fletcher: And today of course everybody, for the table, they want a seedless grape with a thin skin. So, there is that difference of eating quality, but, and also, wine grapes, to make wine, they let them get really, really sweet. They get up to about, oh, almost a quarter sugar before they pick them. To make wine. And I think very few table grapes are picked at that high a sugar.Suzy Chase: Immigration is a hot button issue right now. How essential is the immigrant population with helping California farming production.Janet Fletcher: Essential is the word. Our immigrant communities are essential. We couldn't, we could not have agriculture in California without the people who work year round, in our vineyards and on our farms. They prune, they cultivate, they harvest. They are the labor force, and most of the native born Americans are not willing to do that work. It's hard, physical work. And so, immigrant communities, in California, agriculture is primarily Hispanic people, mostly from Mexico, who do a lot of the work in our farms. And they are just essential. And I think one aspect of the sustainability programs that most wineries and farms are signing on to is the understanding that working conditions have to be proper, they have to be beyond proper.Janet Fletcher: I mean, California regulates all of this. Farmers and vintners have to follow certain regulations about employee welfare. But people who are advocates of sustainability sort of go beyond that. I'm thinking of one great, one vintner in California, and I'm sure he's going to kill me when I'm, but he's quite a well known character. Larry Turley, of Turley Wine Cellars, who has pledged to put any one of his, the kids of any one of his employees through a state college. He'll pay their state college tuition, and he has done that for four and he told me that there are 28 more people currently, young people who would qualify, and he stands ready to put them all through state college.Janet Fletcher: So there's just this understanding that, employees are key assets, and you have to treat them well. It's just the right thing to do.Suzy Chase: One story that caught my eye was the Resendiz Brothers, in the town of Rainbow, an hour north of San Diego. Can you talk a bit about their story?Janet Fletcher: Isn't that a great town name, Rainbow? Yeah, and it really doesn't look like Paradise as you're driving up to it, it's a desert landscape. It's very dry and rocky. And very steep hills that are just bare, it looks like nothing would grow there.Janet Fletcher: But to go to Resendiz Brothers, which is in northern San Diego County, not far from the town of San Diego, you pull off the road and you drive up into the mountains. And there is this farm there, that's a cut flower farm. And we included cut flowers in the book, even though they're not edible, because there's a big sustainability movement in California cut flowers. You know, you can grow apples sustainably, and berries sustainably, but you can also grow cut flowers sustainably, if you choose to. And the Resendiz Brothers do that.Janet Fletcher: It's an operation that was started by a man named Mel Resendiz, who came to California as an immigrant, as a teenager, with nothing. And he started working on a cut flower farm just to, as a low man on the totem pole, and he learned the business. And he became very accomplished at growing these flowers in the desert.Janet Fletcher: They are a type of flower called protea, which doesn't take a lot of water, it likes that sun and those difficult conditions. And he started his own business, growing proteas for the florist trade. And he now has a large business, lots of employees, and he ships these flowers all over the world. They are gorgeous, and they grow out of this landscape that just looks like nothing would come out of it. So, he's turning this marginal land into very productive land that's supporting a very good business.Suzy Chase: He started out at 17, making $20 a day, and now he gets $12 a flower. This is a real great American story.Janet Fletcher: It really is, I'd forgotten those numbers, but yeah. Some of these flowers are quite valuable, and when I was down there visiting him, he took me, near the end of our visit he took me into his packing shed. And he started kind of ordering his employees around in Spanish, and they were bringing him all sorts of, all these cut flowers to his table in the packing shed. And he starts making this bouquet. And I thought he was making it for some client, that it was going to go off to some bride, somewhere, for some society wedding. It was this gorgeous bouquet, and it was getting bigger and bigger.Janet Fletcher: And finally, it was about two feet across, and he handed it to me. And I said, "Mel, I can't take that. I'm getting on an airplane in two hours. What am I going to do?" And he said, "You're going to take it on the plane."Janet Fletcher: So, in fact, I marched onto the plane with that bouquet, they let me on with it. And I fortunately had an empty seat next to me, and so I just put that giant bouquet of proteas in the seat next to me, and I put a seat belt around it. And off we went.Suzy Chase: That's so funny. I love it.Janet Fletcher: Yeah, a very generous man. Growing a beautiful, you know, building a great business on this beautiful crop that he found a niche for.Suzy Chase: You wrote in the book Luther Burbank, the legendary plant breeder, called Sonoma County the chosen spot of all this earth as far as nature is concerned. Talk a little bit about his ground breaking work.Janet Fletcher: Well, Luther Burbank was, I don't know where he was from. I'm not sure if he was a Californian, but he did most of his work around the town of Santa Rosa, in Sonoma County. And he was a famous plant breeder of the early, I'm going to say, the early 20th Century. And a lot of the fruits, primarily, are what he worked with. And a lot of the fruits that he created through hybridizing are still among our favorites, today. One called the Santa Rosa plum. Santa Rosa plum is one of our table plums, you can find it all over markets. The Santa Rosa plum is a great eating plum, that he developed.Janet Fletcher: But the one that we dry is called the Improved French plum, and that's a Luther Burbank hybrid. And that's what's grown in all of our prune orchards. Which are, it's just an absolutely delicious piece of fruit, both fresh and dried.Suzy Chase: In Sonoma County is the Francis Ford Coppola Winery. How did a world famous film director get into the wine business?Janet Fletcher: Well, Francis Coppola is a wine lover. And, he and his wife bought a beautiful heritage estate in Napa Valley, I'm going to say, maybe 30 years ago. And really transformed that. And then he, I think he just enjoyed the wine business. There's a bit of a performance quality to the wine business as well, in some levels, and I think he just enjoyed being in agriculture. I think his wife, Eleanor Coppola's an amazing gardener, and they went on to buy this property in Sonoma County, another important heritage estate. And that's where they have Francis Ford Coppola Cellars now.Janet Fletcher: It's a wonderful place to visit, and the thing that he did that was pretty revolutionary for the wine industry, is that he created this winery that is very welcoming to children. I think wineries have sort of shied away from that, for fear of crossing a line, offending people that they're marketing to children. But Coppola just embraced kids, and he created a swimming pool. He used to, he noticed that at his Napa winery that kids were always wanting to go into the fountains, and parents were always admonishing the kids not to go into the fountain. So he said at his Sonoma winery, he was going to have this giant swimming pool that kids could enjoy. So, there's all sorts of fun, family oriented things to do at his winery in Sonoma. Including a beautiful garden, great restaurant and this enormous, oversized swimming pool.Suzy Chase: Among the fog, what is harvested on the north coast?Janet Fletcher: The foggy areas on the north coast are really best for certain wine grapes that like cool climates like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir. In the Anderson Valley, which is one of our coolest growing regions along the coast, wineries are just growing varieties that are more typically associated with Alsace, one of France's coolest growing regions. That would be the varieties, like Riesling and Gerwurztraminer, so that's one of the few places in California where those cool climate grapes are still grown, in the Anderson Valley.Janet Fletcher: But as far as produce, those cool climate areas are really great for all those beautiful baby lettuces that you see in fancy restaurants. There's one grower along the coast, in a little, you can't even call it a town. It's just a little speck of a burg called Bolinas. He grows an amazing array of lettuces, very tender lettuces, and he has really, the farmer who deserves a lot of the credit for introducing the Little Gem variety, he started growing it and taking it to a Farmer's Market in San Francisco.Janet Fletcher: It's a Romaine type, but very small, very crisp. People fell in love with the Little Gem lettuce that this farmer was growing. And it's now, I mean, it's the trendiest lettuce. It's on every menu, and people have Little Gem Caesar salads, and Little Gem this and that. But he really introduced the Little Gem, I would say, to California agriculture.Suzy Chase: You wrote, "The early Sierra Foothills grape growers got it right. Zinfandel belongs here." Why is that?Janet Fletcher: Well, Zinfandel likes mountain vineyards, it does really well on these higher elevation vineyards. It likes some heat. And it doesn't really get a lot of flavor until it gets very ripe. Riper than you would pick, say, a Pinot Noir or a Chardonnay. And, it also, you know, it needs good drainage, like most grapes so that's, but it really likes the drainage that you get on a steep hillside.Janet Fletcher: You know, it got established in some of these older California vineyards, like 19th Century vineyards, in the Sierra Foothills, shortly after the Gold Rush. That's where the Gold Rush happened, and of course a lot of these people who came to California to mine gold, they liked to drink. And they wanted their wines, and so people started planting vineyards there. So some of our oldest vineyards are in that sort of Gold Rush area, in the Sierra Foothills.Janet Fletcher: And today's wine makers are just overjoyed when they can get a parcel that has some of these older vines on it. Some of them might be 80, you know, 70, 80, 90 year old vines. And they are very prized, because they have shown that they can survive in that climate. You know, it's like survival of the fittest. They're the vines that have done well there, have survived for all these years, and have very deep roots and make beautiful wines. So that's where these old vine Zinfandels that you read about, a lot of them are coming out of that Sierra Foothills area.Suzy Chase: Speaking of old vines, the Lucas Winery in Lodi is owned by David and his wife Heather Pyle Lucas. So, David purchased the land in 1976 after doing a stint in the Peace Corps and US Foreign Service with expertise in Asian rice cultivation. And he just wanted to own land and grow something. They have old vine, world class Zinfandel, and David has named every grapevine. I love that.Janet Fletcher: I went into one, into their barrel area, and there was this vine mounted on the wall. A dead vine, with no leaves on it. It's just those gnarly arms. And it was mounted on this wooden board, it makes almost like a cross shape. It looks this religious icon on this barrel wall.Suzy Chase: I found it funny, because I kept reading it over and over, and I was thinking, "A tractor ran over Cindy?" And then I was like, "Oh, Cindy's a grape vine." It was so funny.Janet Fletcher: Exactly, yeah, that was, David Lucas gives all his grape vines names, all his old ones. They have names because he just treasures them. He sees them as, you know, almost members of the family. And they are prized, and you can injure one if you have a tractor or a weed eating device that goes, there are these kind of plows. And when they sense the vine trunk they go around it, they retract and they go around it. But if you're not handling it properly, you can do some damage to a vine. And that's what happened to poor Cindy, she got nicked and she didn't survive. So, he mounted her on a wall, like a shrine, and it's quite, it's a beautiful, it looks like a work of art. Very gnarly arms that kind of stretch across the wall of their barrel room. You can't miss Cindy.Suzy Chase: So, on your personal blog, you wrote, "I live, cook, garden and write on a quiet street in Napa Valley. My house is not large, but my kitchen is. And my sunny garden is bigger yet." That sounds dreamy. Describe how the two years you spent as a cook at Chez Panisse shaped your taste.Janet Fletcher: I worked at Chez Panisse, it was one of my first jobs out of cooking school and it, I was very impressionable, and it made a big impression. And it has really stayed with me in the years since. That was more 30 years ago, but working with Alice Waters is just, well, it was a dream for a young cook. And she has such a strong point of view, a strong aesthetic, and it really made a mark on me.Janet Fletcher: A lot of it had to do with supporting small farms, supporting local farms, being an absolute obsessive about quality and working with only the best. You can't make good food without great ingredients, and also, I think as a cook, I learned to keep it simple. That, if you buy great ingredients, that you just don't want to do too much to them, because you don't want to screw them up. Alice really shaped my approach to cooking and certainly that experience of being at Chez Panisse and seeing all that gorgeous produce that would come in the door, made me want to garden. So I've been an avid gardener ever since that time.Suzy Chase: Your husband has said, "Over the years, Janet's cooking and recipe development has affected how I view wine." Talk a bit about that.Janet Fletcher: Well, Doug makes wines that are, I hate to use this word because it sounds kind of trite, but they're very food friendly. They are not hugely tannic, they are fruit forward, and the alcohol is restrained. And the tannin is gentle. Doug recently retired, but he's most, but most of his career in the Stags Leap district of Napa Valley, which is renowned for that style of wine, anyway. But the wines are primarily Cabernet, that's what the area is known for, and Cabernets, depending on how you make them and where you grow them, can be very tannic and hard to like when they're young.Janet Fletcher: Doug's are more feminine, more soft, more ... not soft in terms of low acid, they have good acidity and approachable tannins. So they're very good food wines, we eat a lot of beans and grains and fruits and vegetables in this household, and not a lot of meat, and the wines, his red wines are very complimentary with that kind of produce first way of eating.Suzy Chase: Now to my segment called My Last Meal. What would you have for your last supper?Janet Fletcher: I, you know, every time I have an avocado, a beautiful, ripe avocado, and spread it on homemade bread or whole grain bread from a good bakery, and I put some coarse salt on top, and a little squeeze of lemon or lime, I think, "This is what I want, for my last meal." It just doesn't get any better than a great California avocado, buttery, nutty, and I, you know, I'm quite happy with something like that. It's, in fact, I have that for lunch a lot. Just a piece of avocado toast.Janet Fletcher: So it makes me laugh, that avocado toast has become so trendy, because I've been eating that for a long time. Even at Chez Panisse, when I was a cook there, and I had like all this amazing food around me. For my little break time lunch, I would just grab a piece of bread and an avocado. And I would be very happy with that for lunch.Suzy Chase: You were ahead of your time.Janet Fletcher: In terms of avocado toast, yes. I've been enjoying it for a long time. And will continue, even when other people move on to other things, I'll be eating my avocado toast.Suzy Chase: Until it comes back around.Janet Fletcher: Right. These things are cyclical. No, people will never give up on avocados. It's one of people's favorite fruits, they're so luscious.Janet Fletcher: And I did get to visit an avocado grower in the book, and profiled him. He's down in the Carpinteria area, near Santa Barbara. Family farm, he farms with his wife, and has two adorable children, or three. And they grow citrus and avocados, and they're very sustainable about it.Janet Fletcher: In fact, he gets a lot of the mulch that he puts around his trees from a local Starbucks factory where they make Frappuccino, so there are all these coffee grounds that he can get for next to nothing. And he puts those around the base of his tree, to provide nutrients and keep the weeds down. And it, other people do not do that. It's pretty progressive, a pretty new thing to think about mulching your grove.Suzy Chase: Where can we find you on the web, social media and your cheese class?Janet Fletcher: Well, I hope people will find me on janetfletcher.com, that's my website where I list all my classes. I teach a lot of cheese appreciation classes and cooking classes. I have a blog called Planet Cheese and people can sign up on my website, janetfletcher.com, it's a once a week read, something new that I've learned about cheese and want to share.Janet Fletcher: So, cheese is a great passion along with my love of writing about farms and farming and great produce. I do love the world of cheese, and I hope people will join me with Planet Cheese. Instagram, @janetfletcherNV, for Napa Valley. And Twitter, @janetfletcherNV.Suzy Chase: Awesome. Thanks Janet for coming on Cookery by the Book podcast.Janet Fletcher: It's been my pleasure, Suzy, thank you for having me.Outro: Follow Suzy Chase on Instagram, @cookerybythebook, and subscribe at cookerybythebook.com or in Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening to Cookery by the Book podcast, the only podcast. The only podcast devoted to cookbooks, since 2015.

Bill Nachbaur from Acorn Winery is back on California Wine Country with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger today. Their first tasting is a 2014 Sangiovese, whose label suggests several Italian food pairings. Dan Berger explains that Sangiovese is a variety that very few Californians want to make, because we get so much sun that we can't avoid having a plump wine. Californians like that the acids will drop out of the wines, but "...this one is a beautiful example of splitting the difference between California ripeness and Chianti's acid-based" flavors. Dan suggests pairing it with wild boar stew or anything with strong flavors.  Bill says that the Russian River Valley climate is ideal for this. It's a cooler climate than other Sangiovese growing regions in the US so they can control the acidity to get it super ripe before picking it. Bill says it's the most widely planted grape in Italy. Bill and his wife bought the vineyard in 1990 after working in law, and took viticulture classes at Santa Rosa JC under Rich Thomas. He was first focussed on growing grapes and his first wine was a 1994 Sangiovese. He makes a wine called "Alégria" (happiness in Spanish, close to the Italian Allegria). They have about 26 acres of grapes and they just finished their 29th harvest. Then they taste a 2014 Zinfandel that Steve says is delicious. Bill credits the Russian River Valley cool climate and extra complexity from the "field blend." It is from the oldest part of the vineyard 78% Zinfandel, 10% Petit Syrah and 10% Alicante Bouchet, with the remaining 2% from a mix of other grapes. All their wines are "field blends" which means they grow the grapes together then they pick them together and press and ferment them together. Dan says some Zinfandels get "over-ripe and plummy" but that he likes the black raspberry component in this wine, which works with the other peppery aromatics in the blend. Bill thinks the pepper flavor comes from the Petit Syrah. Next they taste a Dolcetto, another Italian grape that is quite rare in California. It is grown in Piedmont (Piemonte) in north-west Italy.  Despite the name of the grape, it makes a dry wine. Dan says to decant it to give it lots of air. Bill says that most Dolcetto in Italy is not oaked or aged, as he does to it. He gives it 18 months in oak. Bill Nachbaur tells about visiting Piedmont and asking winemakers there if they used oak and they replied, "well, our grandfathers didn't do it," so they don't. (That is a prevailing attitude in Italy about a lot of food and wine practices. -cd).  Dan Berger tells that very little Dolcetto is grown in California because growers make so much from the familiar varieties that planting a less-well-known grape is too much of a risk. Dan says that Dolcetto has good acid and it works well in blends. It responds well to decanting, to highlight its dry character. Then they taste Medley, which is a combination of 60 varieties that they grow. There is a chart that lists all the varieties. It is a vineyard blend of 20% Zinfandel, 18% Cinsaut, 18% Syrah, 18% Muscats, 10% Dolcetto, 2% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Sangiovese, and 10% other varieties. This is the 15th year of Medley, which they started making in 2000. Dan Berger believes that it should not rest for more than 3 or 4 years because its great complex fruit flavors will still be evident. Dan says that Medley could not be made this way in many other regions. For example, in Alexander Valley, the wine would be different. Trying to mix these varieties in the Alexander Valley do not yield such subtle flavors as do the Russian River Valley's cold temperatures, fog and marine influence. They are about a mile from the river and will have fog all morning for many days in the Summer, so they might pick a month later than they would in nearby Dry Creek. It's an example of how great reds can grow in Russian River Valley as well as the white varieties grow there.

Tom Simoneau is back today with Brian Maloney, winemaker at De Loach Vineyards, in to talk with Steve Jaxon and Dan Berger. He is also in charge of the Sonoma County wines of the Boisset collection and he also made a sweepstakes-winning wine for Buena Vista. Brian’s great grandfather planted vineyards and founded a vineyard at the turn of the 20th century. He was born and raised in Sonoma County and his family has farmed for over 100 years. He attended UC Davis and right after worked for Greg La Follette at De Loach, and for Jean-Charles Boisset. He purchased the Buena Vista winery in Sonoma and they are bringing it back to life. They replanted some vineyards and these wines are the result. Brian tells about Jean-Charles, who studied at USF and UCLA and is married to Gina Gallo. Dan Berger tells that the Boisset wine empire is one of the most revered in Europe, with great winemaking teams all over Burgundy. They already knew an awful lot about wine when he came to California. He speaks glowingly of California wine. Tom says he takes a lot of heat in France for that. Dan says he’s really quite a spokesman for California wine. Brian says he inspires you to make a better wine and it’s what they’re doing in the vineyards and in the wineries. De Loach, founded by Cecil De Loach who was a fireman, made great wine and then sold the winery and started Hook & Ladder. They’ve been on this show too, last Aug. 15. It’s a cooler area of the Russian River Valley in his area that they call Olivette. Dan says the most consistent Zinfandels come from there, old vines still producing good tonnages and great wine. The Chardonnay vines are right in front of their tasting room. They taste a 2016 De Loach Chardonnay. The fleur-de-lis (which is French for "lily") crest is embossed on the label. This Chardonnay is rich but with good acidity and tropical fruit like underripe pineapple and some really appealing citrusy notes. Tom says it has both warm and cool region flavors. Brian says it has richness and freshness. Next they taste a Russian River Pinot Noir that it bottled to support the Russian River food bank. They have done this every year since 2009. It's a 2017 Pinot Noir that is so young that it's a shame to open it. Dan says you can taste the potential but you don't taste what it is going to be. Dan says it's a real winemaker's wine because you have to understand the vision of the winemaker. They bottled it right before harvest, only about 2 months ago. Brian Maloney is the winemaker at Buena Vista too, and does a project called JCB for Jean-Charles. Next they taste a wine he calls OFS, which Tom says stands for Our Finest Selection. Dan says it is about 4 to 6 years away from optimum aging. Tom says Brian's wine is big and complex, that the fruit was picked correctly and not overdone in the winery. In a great vintage he will make 1000 cases. Tom says there are a lot of Pinots that cost more and are not as good as this. The next wine is  from their Marin County project. There are only a couple hundred acres of grapes growing in Marin County, on only 3 vineyard sites that they work with. Dan says it is very cold out there and it's marginal territory for grape growing. Brian agrees that the yields there are not very high Barry Herbst tells about the new Bottle Barn online store, which will have its own flash sales and allows for shipping to almost all the United States. Next they taste the Maboroshi Pinot Noir, made from grapes from the Mabaroshi vineyard. (It's on the left of the bottles lineup picture, above.) It's a 2014 and he says it needs at least 10 years to mature. Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley and Sebastopol Hills are the source areas. Dan says this one will age longer than any of the others from today, up to 25 years. He has worked at this site with De Loach since 2004.

Zinfandels go great with chunky barbequed meats. Al and Hugh tell us about some of their favorites.

In this episode Jameson speaks with Wine Enthusiast contributing editor Jim Gordon about how Zinfandel reigns supreme in the eyes of many, but Lodi wines are astonishingly diverse.  Wines Discussed: @4:48 Klinker Brick 2017 Albariño (Lodi) @8:08 Scotto Family Cellars 2017 Dry Sangiovese Rosé (Lodi) @14:18 Jessie's Grove 2015 Ancient Vine Carignane (Lodi) Transcript: Jameson Fink: Welcome to Wine Enthusiast's What We're Tasting podcast. I'm your host, Jameson Fink. Join me as we discuss three fantastic wines and why each one belongs in your glass. This episode, we're looking at the wines of Lodi, with wine enthusiast contributing editor, Jim Gordon, who covers and reviews wines from the region. What We're Tasting is sponsored by Vivino. With the largest online inventory, Vivino finds the right wine every time, including lots from Lodi. Download Vivino to discover and buy your favorites, and stock up at Vivino.com/wineenthusiast. So while I was doing some reading on Lodi, doing a little reading up, a little research, a little due diligence, I came across this phrase, and this is the phrase: Something subversive is afoot in the vineyards of Lodi, California. When I read that, the first thing I thought about was actually Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, the part where they say, "Something strange is afoot at the Circle K." But this is not about Bill and Ted. We're here to talk about wine in Lodi, and actually, my guest Jim wrote that line, not about Bill and Ted, but about Lodi, and I think it was really great because a lot of people still consider Lodi ... they look through the lens of bulk wines, mass produced wines, nothing but jammy Zinfandels, etc. etc. But that's really ... I mean, it's part of the story, of course, but what's really exciting about Lodi is what's going on there with what we might call underdog grapes, and people doing really interesting and exciting things. So, I'm excited to have Jim here to talk about Lodi and get to know it a little better, and sort of that hidden, subversive, underdog Lodi that's happening right now. So Jim, welcome to the show. Jim Gordon: Thank you, Jameson. Happy to be here. Jameson Fink: And you know, when I was ... I was in Lodi two years ago, and that was my first time there, and I was at a wine reception for the wine blogger's conference. It was 100 degrees there, not surprising, it's pretty hot there, and I was seeking out well-chilled white wines. And I was really impressed with ... I had a Grenache Blanc and a Vermentino there, and I didn't expect to have either of those wines. Maybe I was naïve and I had a lot to learn, that wouldn't be surprising, but I thought it was a really exciting tasting that I discovered all these interesting new white wines. Can you kind of just talk about the breadth and depth of grapes that are being grown there besides the usual suspects? Just give me a few. Start me off with a few to tantalize me. Jim Gordon: Yeah, sure. You know, the region has been known for almost commodity level Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, etc. But, there's Albariño, there's Vermentino as you said, there's Kerner, there's Teroldego, there's Cinsault from 120 year old vines, Carignan. Some of those have been there forever, you know, decades if not a century, but many others have been planted in the last several years to make Lodi a lot more interesting place. Jameson Fink: And why do you think winemakers are attracted to these grapes in Lodi versus Cabernet or Merlot or Chardonnay? What's the appeal in your mind? Jim Gordon: I kind of think they're trying to go 180 degrees from what people think of Lodi. People think of it producing sort of fat, lazy Zinfandels or big Chardonnays that are kind of soft and buttery. I think a lot of them are trying to do something the opposite of that, like crisp or tannic or biting or more vivid, not just a big softy like the mass market ones, but something more artisanal, more interesting, more intellectual in a way. Jameson Fink: Mm-hmm (affirmative). And I guess I want to back up. I don't know if a lot of people even know where Lodi is. It's not far from Sacramento, correct? Jim Gordon: True, it's south of Sacramento, and almost due east of Napa. I live in Napa, and it's an hour and a half drive roughly to Lodi. It's an interesting place. It's in the northern ... basically the northern end of the San Joaquin Valley. It's just on the edge of the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Delta, where it's kind of a bayou area of California, where it's basically at sea level. So, even though it's inland and it does get hot, but it has the water. When you have water and hot land, you have breezes, so it's not as hot as you would think. It's nothing like the southern San Joaquin Valley, more like around Madera or Fresno. This is quite different than the northern part. Jameson Fink: So you mentioned earlier Albariño, and the first wine I wanted to talk about was the Klinker Brick 2017 Albariño, which you gave 89 points to. Can you talk about ... I mean, I know Albariño from Spain mostly. Is the grape similar there in Lodi? Is it producing a similar style of wine, something different, or is it a little bit of both? Jim Gordon: This one is more similar to what you would find in Spain or Portugal I think, than most would be, which is why I liked it. It's refreshing, it's crisp, there's low alcohol, relatively, 12.8%, and that's why I liked it. I think I described it a lot like one would describe some Albariños from the Iberian Peninsula. So I think they purposefully picked the grapes early enough so it didn't get too high in alcohol, too full in body, and they got something that's really refreshing, mouthwatering. Jameson Fink: Yeah, you said it's a great antidote to rich and oaky wines. Jim Gordon: Yeah, perfect. Jameson Fink: Although, I do like rich and oaky wines. I have a soft spot for those. But I am a liberal. I like light, crisp, fresh, rich and oaky, everything in between. Jim Gordon: Yeah, me too. I like some of each. I want crisp and fresh on a hot summer day, and depending on the weather or the food, I like fat and buttery as well. Jameson Fink: Yeah, I'm gonna make this a podcast feature where I complain about the heat, because it's like 85 degrees here today, so that wine sounds really, really good today. I think that's also interesting about the lower alcohol levels. Like you said, it's under 13%, which maybe you probably wouldn't associate with Lodi. I mean, I might think, oh everything's gonna be 15% or 16% or something crazy outrageous, but is there a movement ... I mean, just in general in Lodi or beyond, are you seeing people sort of ... wine drinkers saying, "Hey, I want something lower in alcohol." Or winemakers are saying, "You know what? I'm gonna pick a little earlier and make a wine that's less alcoholic." Jim Gordon: Yes. I think people are demanding it, some people are, and I think winemakers in general in California, which is where I live and where I cover wine for Wine Enthusiast, have backed off on the high alcohol that they were doing five to 10 years ago. Not radically ... so, let's say a typical vintage now is a few tenths of a point lower in alcohol than it used to be, plus, wineries, many of them, like this Albariño there, are producing new wines that are more crisp and lower in body. So, it's partly what they've done to the line of wines, say, well, we've already been making, but also coming up with new varietals or new styles. Jameson Fink: Yeah, absolutely. So, Albariño is definitely a grape ... I mean, we're looking at Lodi, there's a wine region I think in the Columbia Gorge, bordering Washington and Oregon always says we have everything from Albariño to Zinfandel. And I want to talk about another grape that maybe is a little unusual to see in Lodi or really in the United States as much as say like, Italy, and that's Sangiovese. And I thought it was really interesting to see a Rosé made from that. The second wine that I wanted you to talk about was the Scotto Family Cellars' 2017 dry Sangiovese Rosé, which you gave 88 points to. Jim Gordon: It was a really interesting, dry Sangiovese in the Rosé mode. It was relatively low in alcohol for California, 13%, but I liked it because of the sort of grip that Sangiovese gives you. I mean, in the Chianti or super Tuscan blends that have Sangiovese as a red wine, it's known for tannin and acid and kind of a really grippy feel on your palette. And a little touch of that comes along with the Rosé, which I appreciate the ... Rosé is so popular now, and in California, practically every winery is making a Rosé or two, but it hasn't really settled into a style for this valley or that valley. Everybody's using different varieties. Some are darker reds, some are light reds, some are crisp, some are fat like barrel fermented even Rosés. This one I liked because it's crisp, it has a sort of tangy, slightly tannic mouth feel, and to me that's palette cleansing and refreshing. Jameson Fink: Yeah, you talk about a Rosé, I mean, it's just such a ... the category has just exploded and it's still growing. How prevalent is Rosé in Lodi, and is it something that's just happened over the last few years? Or have they been making Rosé in Lodi and we just didn't know about it? Jim Gordon: It's relatively new in terms of today's type of Rosé. I'll bet you in the 70s they were making Rosé in Lodi, but it would have been something quite different. Jameson Fink: Yeah, like a white Zinfandel ... sweet. Jim Gordon: Yeah, exactly. That was the commercial mainstay of Lodi for some years, providing grapes for white Zinfandel. You know, they've had a revolution there in wine making since that period, and I guess this Rosé is just one example of the stuff they're doing now. Jameson Fink: One of the things that you talked about briefly was the abundance of old vines in Lodi, and I think when I visited, that was the thing that blew me away is to see these vines from the 19th century, these grizzled, gnarled ... they're almost like supernatural looking, like hobbit forest or something ... Well, hobbit forest would be friendly, these are a little more mysterious and sinister looking. I think one of the best vineyard visits I've ever had is we went to the Bechthold Vineyard, and to see these old Cinsault vines, really amazing. Can you talk about the old vine heritage in Lodi? Is that in danger? Because I keep hearing that wineries are having to pull out these old vines to plant things that are more profitable. Is there a drive to save these old vines? Jim Gordon: Yeah, it's an interesting issue right now. Lodi does have lots of old vines, you know, hundreds of acres I would say, if not a thousand or more of vines probably older than 50 years. I don't know the numbers offhand, but intermixed with much more recently planted vineyards that are more commercially profitable and make sense for the people. One thing to mention here is that so many of the grape growers in Lodi are family farms, and they're like in their fourth, fifth, or sixth generation. So, their ancestors came in the 1860s or 70s, maybe they tried panning for gold in the Sierra hills and mountains, and then they came back down to Lodi and became farmers. So they're there. They own the same properties in many cases that their families have been farming for generations. So, they have old vines, they've kept some of them, and they've kept them on the places where those vines grew well and produce a good crop and make high quality wine. So, the old vines in many cases have been preserved because they were special. The ones that made so-so wine have probably been ripped up or replanted with other varieties. I know what you're saying too about just the presence of being in the old gnarled vines, and many of the vineyards in Lodi, they train ... the older vines were trained up higher than you would see in most of California or Europe, so they're almost ... they're the size of a person with all these arms hanging out, and they're a little bit scary, but they're a little bit comforting, like the Ent who saved the Hobbit. They're more like that, I think. Jameson Fink: Yeah, well I guess I was on the right path when I said ... when I brought Lord of the Rings and Hobbits into them. It's more of an Ent thing. Jim Gordon: Right, right. Jameson Fink: That's true, they are taller. They're not like those ... I mean, you look at vines [inaudible 00:12:54], and they're really low to the ground. I guess that's also because of the windy conditions there too that they would just sort of ... it's more protected the closer to the ground it is. Jim Gordon: Mm-hmm (affirmative). And it is basically pretty fertile soil in most of the Lodi area. They could grow other crops there, and they have over the years, but now the emphasis has really been on wine grapes for a couple, two or three decades. But regarding the ... maybe a threat to the old vines, there is an economic threat because these families who run the farms need to make enough money to pay the bills and have a decent life, and when you're harvesting old vines, the yields are very low. So on an acre, maybe you get a ton or two tons of grapes, but on the vineyard next to it that's being farmed ... it could be organic or sustainably even, but they can get much higher yields with newer vines and new training methods for the trellis and all that. So you know, they could get eight tons next door, and wineries don't really pay a lot more for the old vine fruit. It's kind of a bargain. That's why I think a lot of smaller, as I said before, artisanal wineries are seeking out these small blocks of old vines from Lodi to make something interesting with. Jameson Fink: Yeah, that's why for the third wine I chose the Jessie's Grove 2015 Ancient Vine Carignane, 90 points, that ... you know, just to focus on one of these wines that the old vine stock that they have. Can you talk about this wine and as far as your feelings on these really old vines, what kinds of wines do they make? Is it just romantic, or do they really give something special in the glass? Jim Gordon: They do, they often do. You can't always taste it, but sometimes you can. I just think it's a purity of fruit. I think smart winemakers doing old vines don't put much new oak on the wine to mess with it. Just let the quality of the fruit come through. What the growers say is just that the old vines are very stable. They have deep roots, they've been growing for years, if there's funny conditions in the weather one year, it doesn't affect them as much as it would a new vine that's shallow rooted, etc. So, they're just steady producers. I just find a purity, a fruit, a focus, kind of a seamlessness in the flavors and the texture, to make a very broad generalization. Jameson Fink: And I know out there there's certainly a lot of old vine Zinfandel there, and I feel like maybe I've painted it with too broad a stroke, but can you talk about ... is Zinfandel changing in Lodi? Is there a diversity of styles and flavors now or do I just have a bad stereotype of monolithic Zinfandel? Jim Gordon: Well, it is changing. I mean, on the one hand, you have Michael David Winery making these fabulous, showy wines out of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, like the Earthquake Zin and the Seven Deadly Zins, and those have been great. They're dramatic, they use a lot of new oak, but they're really well done. And they've sort of created a category of high quality Lodi Zinfandel, which is helping a lot of growers because they buy from a lot of growers to make Michael David Wines. So, that's really been a good engine for Lodi in terms of making a good livelihood for the growers. But on the other hand, you have the Lodi native Zinfandel project, which is a handful of mostly small production wineries making these really pure, straightforward, no new oak, wild yeast, no water addition, no acid addition really elegant, cool wines. They label them as Lodi native, and they all have a similar label. That's real exciting. And those wines are terrific without being super showy. So, you've got real showy on one end, you've got more elegant and native on the other. Jameson Fink: Yeah, I got to try the native wines when I was out there, the Zinfandels, and yeah, they were definitely an eye opener. I think also the interesting thing was all the winemakers were there and they were talking about when they were being approached for this project and sort of the way they had to work was a way that they weren't used to working, or some of them were kind of candid like, you know, I didn't think this would work, or I think I would need to use this or pick then or use this oak or X, Y, and Z. So, I really appreciated hearing their stories and kind of the candor they had about, hey, this idea ... like everyone wasn't just like, "This sounds great. Let's change the way we're making Zinfandel." So, I thought that was a really interesting bellwether for the region. Jim Gordon: Yeah, I sat with a group of them when I wrote an article for the Enthusiast a couple of years ago about the Lodi native wines, and they were telling the stories. Some of them were not confident they could make a really good wine without intervening more, and they had to pick it earlier than they had ever perhaps, so the alcohol wouldn't be too high, and it was a learning experience for them, kind of learning by doing, and they more or less proved to themselves that they could do it. Jameson Fink: Yeah, and that article about Lodi native Zin and also the underdog grapes of Lodi, those are both at winemag.com too, and they're both well worth reading because they're both a story of Zinfandel and of Lodi and grapes in general that I think people haven't heard of from the region. And I had sort of a ... you know, when I was back in New York, I had sort of a Lodi eye opening moment too. This might come as a shock to you, I was at kind of a hipster, natural wine bar, and- Jim Gordon: No way! Jameson Fink: ... I know, I know. It's crazy ... with a couple friends, and the Turley Cinsault was on the list. I had had it before in Lodi, and it was served chilled ... well, first of all 'cause it was 100 degrees, so it was a really smart move anyway, because I wanted nothing to do with any red wine at all. So it was served cold, pretty cold actually, and I was like, wow, this is really lightweight and kind of almost see through, and really delicious. I was with two of my friends who love drinking lighter style wines, natural wines, you know, and I said, "Hey, let's get a bottle of the Turley Cinsault," and they looked at me like, "What?" 'Cause I think they figured it would be ... whatever, 16% alcohol Zinfandel or something like that. And I said, "Hey, and also bring an ice bucket." We had it chilled, and they were just blown away by it, and that was another thing too, where you think a region is monolithic and it's only about one thing, but when you look a little harder, there's lots of little pockets of people doing really interesting things. Jim Gordon: Yeah, I've had the same experience, similar experience, with the Cinsault. Are you speaking about from the Bechthold Vineyard? Jameson Fink: Exactly. Jim Gordon: Yeah. And a few different wineries use that fruit and make their own Cinsaults, and several of them, they're almost like Pinot Noir. They're elegant, they're kind of ethereal, they're not very dark colored ... even though it's a Roan grape variety. They made something kind of beautiful out of it. Jameson Fink: What do you think about Lodi as far as visiting? You know, you're in Napa. What's the Lodi experience like when you visit? It must be a lot different than obviously what Napa's like. Jim Gordon: It is. There are a lot of visitors now. There are ... I'm making it up ... 35 wineries you can visit, tasting rooms, something like that, and the town of Lodi itself has a cool district with cafés and bars and restaurants. It's big open farmland, these great old farm houses sitting on 400 acres down a long lane surrounded by trees to keep cool in the houses. So, it's a bucolic americana landscape, kind of different from lots of Napa and Sonoma that are very gentrified. It's just a little slower paced and relaxed. Jameson Fink: Yeah, that reminds me, I forgot, sort of my biggest wow wine when I was at the wine blogger's conference there a couple years ago was a Lucas Winery Chardonnay from 2001, and you know, we were at lunch and all these wines were going around. I was like, wow, the 2001 Chardonnay from Lodi, I just thought that was like audacious and bold to pour. But it was great. I just couldn't believe how good it was. To me, that was ... and also, you know, I'm kind of whatever, chasing weird grapes like ... well, not weird, but a little more unusual like Grenache Blanc, and so like Chardonnay ... and it was really good. I mean, it just shows that you kind of ... That's a great reason to visit a wine region is that you kind of have an idea in your head of what it's about or what's available around you, and then you go there and you try things that aren't maybe commercially available, certainly an old vintage like that, or you discover wineries like Fields Family Wines or Uvaggio making all these really interesting things, and all of a sudden you're like, wow, my Lodi view has changed. Jim Gordon: Uvaggio is a great example. They make this really spectacular Passito, dessert wine, and I think it was from Vermentino, which was fabulous. On the other hand, they make a dry Muscat, and you expect Muscat to be sweet, Vermentino to be dry. They turned it around and really two interesting wines from whit grapes. Jameson Fink: The Vermentino and the Muscat are great. So Jim, thanks for joining me and talking about Lodi, the diversity of grapes there, and also the fact that, hey, there's Zinfandel there too, and it's also worth paying attention to even though they make a lot of it. There's people doing really interesting and exciting things, and my only regret is when I visited that you weren't around in town and we couldn't hang out for a little bit. I was disappointed by that, Jim. Jim Gordon: Well, we did get together afterward. Jameson Fink: We did, we did. Thanks again for joining me today, Jim. Jim Gordon: My pleasure. Jameson Fink: And thank you for listening to the What We're Tasting podcast, sponsored by Vivino, wine made easy. The three wines we talked about today are: The Klinker Brick 2017 Albariño, Scotto Family Cellars' 2017 dry Sangiovese Rosé, and Jessie's Grove 2015 Ancient Vine Carignane. Find What We're Tasting on iTunes, Google Play, or wherever you find podcasts. And if you liked today's episode, please give us a five star rating on iTunes, leave a comment, and tell your friends. What We're Tasting is a Wine Enthusiast podcast. Check out Wine Enthusiast online at WineMag.com

The Finale of our 3 part wine competition series, Wonder Wine! Our Top 2 Zinfandels battle it out, and, in true Wine Unicorn style, Expect the Unexpected!

The Finale of our 3 part wine competition series, Wonder Wine! Our Top 2 Zinfandels battle it out, and, in true Wine Unicorn style, Expect the Unexpected!

In this episode of Wine and Dime, I will be chatting with Jennifer Harper and Laura Coleman from Common Cents Financial Literacy, Inc.   “Common Cents is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been providing practical financial education since 2005. They typically focus on students aged 16-22, a critical time for developing positive financial habits. Being able to successfully manage personal finances is a critical skill that affects everyone, regardless of income. Unfortunately, it is rarely taught in an applicable way. They don’t teach the old ‘if you save x per month at y% for 40 years, you’ll be a millionaire’ kind of classes. While all of that is true, they do our best to make it real.”   You can find Common Cents on the web at http://www.ccfli.org/ (http://www.ccfli.org/) The Wines:  Blueberry Cider - From Apple Valley Orchards http://www.applevalleyorchard.com/ (http://www.applevalleyorchard.com/) Zen of Zin - Zen of Zin was designed with one goal in mind: to capture the non-traditional Zinfandel consumer. For this consumer group, the “Way to Zinlightenment” is a blend specially crafted to be softer and sweeter than traditional Zinfandels in the Constellation Brands portfolio. Zen of Zin also offers a more lifestyle-driven approach to Zinfandel, encouraging wine drinkers to pour often, experiment freely, seek beauty, breathe deeply, and share wisdom. Books Discussed in this Episode:Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Money-Science-Happier-Spending/dp/1451665075 (https://www.amazon.com/Happy-Money-Science-Happier-Spending/dp/1451665075) Fun & Creative Dates for Married Couples: 52 Ways to Enjoy Life Together https://www.amazon.com/Fun-Creative-Dates-Married-Couples/dp/1476747946 (https://www.amazon.com/Fun-Creative-Dates-Married-Couples/dp/1476747946https://www.amazon.com/Fun-Creative-Dates-Married-Couples/dp/1476747946) Amy Irvine of Irvine Wealth Planning Strategies, LLC 10 East Market Street Corning NY 14830 www.irvineadvise.com (http://www.irvineadvise.com) email:  amy@irvineadvise.com

Al and Hugh investigate what's shakin' in the world of zinfadels. Click on the image for the wine list.

The Cogill's welcome a second chance to enter the often funny and elaborate, "Guardians Of The Galaxy," universe with Vol. 2 and consider the puzzling fact that Vin Diesel continues to star in some of the world's most popular films. Wine Expert, Hayley Hamilton Cogill, takes her film and wine loving husband on a multi-day trip to Sonoma County for the 28th annual "Passport To Dry Creek Valley" to taste some of the world's best Zinfandels, while rubbing shoulders with famous chefs and winemakers.

Case and Dave dive into the fastest growing wine region in CA -- Lodi Famous for their Zinfandels lodi also has some more to offer.

Fourth generation owner and winemaker, Ted Seghesio, discusses his family's 120 year legacy in Sonoma County. Built from years of growing grapes for making bulk wines to be finished by others, Seghesio only started labeling wine under their own name with the 1983 vintage. Seghesio is known for its world class Zinfandels and small production wines made from mostly Italian varietals such as Barbera, Sangiovese, and Arneis. This show is broadcast live on W4CY Radio – (www.w4cy.com) part of Talk 4 Radio (http://www.talk4radio.com/) on the Talk 4 Media Network (http://www.talk4media.com/).

Read the full story with photos at: https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/company/globalnews/2013/0607_02.html On June 7 and 8, 2013, at the Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands, in Rancho Mirage, California, American President Barack Obama held a bilateral meeting, followed by a working dinner, with President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China. Ridge Vineyards 2008 Geyserville Zinfandel was served with the main course – the Porterhouse steak. Dinner diplomacy of course requires world-class cuisine, but the culinary merit of each menu item is not the sole consideration; each dish has political significance. Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, a French diplomat at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, emerged victorious from the negotiations at the Congress of Vienna due in no small part to the wines of Chateau Haut-Brion and the grand cuisine of legendary chef Marie-Antoine Carême. There is no question that Ridge Vineyards 2008 Geyserville was carefully chosen as a representation of America's influence. China has experienced rapid and continuous economic growth, and has passed Japan to become the world's second-largest economy, after America. China is becoming a leader in both the importation and production of wine as well. It is significant that the red wine served to China's leaders was a Zinfandel-based blend. There are many American wines that are more expensive than Geyserville, such as Cabernets from Napa. A Zinfandel was likely chosen because it is a distinctly "American" variety, one that symbolizes an America that has become the world's dominant power and that has carved out its own unique position in the world, while still retaining its connections to the culture and traditions of Europe. Ridge Vineyards was acquired by Otsuka Pharmaceuticals in 1986 and is honored that, out of all the Zinfandels available, Ridge Vineyards 2008 Geyserville was chosen to represent America at this dinner. Celebrity chef Bobby Flay, the owner and executive chef of several restaurants, including Mesa Grill, was chosen to represent America in the preparation of the meal itself.

The Winedude - Tasting as you go a show for those excited about wine tasting but too poor to be a snob....A No Rules approach to wine tasting that is quite informative & educational yet fun to wine tasters old & new. Watch, Learn & Enjoy. Welcome to Ravenswood Winery in Sonoma, California. Man this place is cool - Their Motto "NO WIMPY WINES" thats why we HAD to go Visit them. What a great place - They make 15 different Zinfandels...not White Zinfandels....RED BOLD ZINFANDELS...Excellent wines...So join us as we take a look inside the inner workings and history of this 30 year old winery and learn what the art of making great Zins is all about at least the way Winemaker Joel Peterson does it...Our whole philosophy is to Drink what you like & Like what you drink - don't let anyone tell you what is good or bad - trust your own palette and have a good time...and Join ME the Wine Dude - Tasting As You Go....Copyright 2007 The Wine Dude Enterprises.

The Winedude - Tasting as you go a show for those excited about wine tasting but too poor to be a snob....A No Rules approach to wine tasting that is quite informative & educational yet fun to wine tasters old & new. Watch, Learn & Enjoy. Welcome to Ravenswood Winery in Sonoma, California. Man this place is cool - Their Motto "NO WIMPY WINES" thats why we HAD to go Visit them. What a great place - They make 15 different Zinfandels...not White Zinfandels....RED BOLD ZINFANDELS...Excellent wines...So join us as we take a look inside the inner workings and history of this 30 year old winery and learn what the art of making great Zins is all about at least the way Winemaker Joel Peterson does it...Our whole philosophy is to Drink what you like & Like what you drink - don't let anyone tell you what is good or bad - trust your own palette and have a good time...and Join ME the Wine Dude - Tasting As You Go....Copyright 2007 The Wine Dude Enterprises.

Quick Picks rolls into 2007 with a look at the standout Zinfandels from Chase Family Cellars tasted at last month's ZAP tasting in San Francisco. Tasting notes: Chase Family Cellars, Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard 2004 ($45) - Ruby-purple in color with aromas of raspberry, blackberry and spice. Ripe blackberry and black cherry fruit flavors with black pepper finishing elegant and very balanced with medium-firm tannins. A real fruit bomb but has enough structure for further aging. Score: 91 Chase Family Cellars, Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard "Reserve" 2004 ($75) - Dark purple in color with intense aromas of blackberry jam, raspberry and licorice. In the mouth, there is rich blackberry and black cherry fruit along with white pepper and spices finishing very smooth and long with well integrated tannins. Perhaps the best Zinfandel I've ever had. Only 100 cases produced. Score: 95 Show Notes: 00:04 - Welcome and winery background 01:30 - Chase Family Cellars, Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard 2004 02:12 - Chase Family Cellars, Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard "Reserve" 2004 03:29 - Contact details Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2007 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under Creative Commons.

This edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW for short) is a bit different than normal for me as I’m the host wine blog this time. The theme I picked was also a bit of a change for both WBW and my podcast. I asked participants to pick a red wine with an alcohol content of 12.5% by volume or less. Sounds easy enough. No specific varietal or wine region; no fancy label or food matching required. This was a bit more of a challenge than even I expected, however, in this day and age of powerful, fruit driven wines that average 13.5% ABV and up. Tastes and technology in modern winemaking has changed quite a bit over the past 20 years or so. Most of this change has been for the good. No more are there thin, marginal wines with green flavors on the shelf and most red wines these days have concentrated fruit flavors and aromas. But this has also encouraged vineyard practices of leaving the grapes on the vine as long as possible to extract the most flavor possible. This long “hang time” also increases the sugar levels which is converted to alcohol during fermentation. There are things winemakers can do to deal with this such as watering back the wine or even removing alcohol from the finished wine but the most common approach is to release the wine with a higher level of alcohol that was thought excessive not so many years ago. So why is this a big deal? The first reason is the obvious public safety issue of drunk driving. These wines can start to cause impairment in the normal half bottle serving which commonly is the portion consumed by wine lovers at a restaurant. Even the old "2 glass" rule of thumb can go out the window with a 16.5% Zinfandel. The second reason is the deadening of the taste buds caused by the attack of alcohol and how it intensifies the wines flavors. Many of these high alcohol wines do not match well with food as a result, which for me is at least half the fun of enjoying wine in the first place. The final reason is the most basic from a winemaking point of view: balance. All the elements in a wine need to be in harmony; the fruit, acidity, tannins and, yes, alcohol level should be balanced in order to produce a fine wine that will stand the test of time and be enjoyable in it’s youth. I thought this would be an interesting challenge because when I first got into wine, back in the early 1980’s, it was rare that a wine got up to 13% ABV. I remember Sonoma Zinfandels that were 12.8% and even some Napa Valley Cabs right at or slightly under 12%. Yes, there were some green, vegetal aromas and flavors in some of them, but there were also plenty of great wines that never got out of the 12% range. Would there be any out there today? The first thing to do was look over my cellar. Right away I went for the cold climate wines, including a Frontenac from Minnesota that clocked in at 11.5% ABV. This was taking the easy way out and not something I thought would make for a compelling post or podcast (I’ve already covered local wines a couple of times here in the past). So I found some Bordeaux from the mid 1990’s that were 12 to 12.5% ABV. Again, nice to see, but how about some of the 2000’s or later? All my Zinfandels and Syrah’s were off the charts with the most moderate example at a "sensible" 14.4%; most were in the 16% range including one that was labeled 16.8%! So I began my search of the local wine stores reading the fine print and talking with the staff to find some acceptable wines. My goal was not to pick a cold climate appellation, but regions more typical of these high octane wines. This meant California, Australia, Spain, Italy and France’s Southern Rhone. Could I find a Zinfandel, Shiraz or Grenache that would come in under the limit? I guess the first thing that somewhat surprised me is there are quite a few wines in the stores these days that are labeled 12.5% from Bordeaux and the Northern Rhone. I also found some reds from cool climates that easily came in under 12%, including one from Germany that checked in at just 9.5% ABV! But I was after a more illusive prey; a hot climate region that produces a lite (alcohol) red wine. Sadly, I had to cross off my beloved Zinfandel off the list early with the lowest octane version coming in at 13.4%. Ditto for Cabs and Merlots, although some of these were closer to the mark. What follows are the three wines I picked up for tasting this month that I think meet both of my criteria. Here are my tasting notes: Viña Albali, "Altos de Tamaron", Tinto, Ribera del Duero 2002 ($10) – At 12.5% ABV, this bottle is at the limit, but I was intrigued to see what might be missing from this 100% Tempranillo at lower than normal alcohol levels. This wine is bright ruby in color with pleasant, but restrained, aromas of cherry, strawberry and a touch of violets. In the mouth, it has medium body with tart bing cherry and strawberry fruit flavors finishing smooth without noticeable tannins. Overall, a nice food wine but a little light in the aroma department. Score: 7.5/10 Vinum Cerbaia, "Il Valore", Toscana, IGT 2002 ($6) – I found this one on the shelf next to the $4 Primitivo from the same producer at the new Trader Joe’s market here. It was surprising to see that this 100% Sangiovese clocks in at only 12% ABV, so I thought it would be worth the chance for $5.99 (your price might even be lower). I guess I shouldn’t have been too surprised here, since I did later find several Chianti that would also qualify that come from the same area and grape. The wine is medium ruby in color and has the classic Tuscan Sangio aromas of strawberry and violets. The flavors are typical of an inexpensive Chianti (think straw covered bottle), with plums and strawberry dancing over nicely high acidity and medium tannins. Not complex, but a perfect foil for tomato sauces and the kind of wine you drink from a water glass in Italy. This is also a nice value for six bucks a bottle. Score: 7.5/10 J. Lohr, "Wildflower", Valdiguié, Monterey 2004 ($10) – Finding a red from my native state of California proved most difficult, but I did notice this wine online and was pleased to see it in a store near my home I sometimes visit for their eclectic selection. Seeing that this vintage produced a 12% wine also piqued my interest here that outweighed my concern that this wine might be a little long in the tooth. If you are not familiar with Valdiguié, it’s a grape with a long tradition in California. For many years, wines made from this grape were labeled Gamay Beaujolais, Napa Gamay or Gamay Noir, the true grape of Beaujolais. These sometimes made for light, fruity and enjoyable wines but they never reached the quality level of most Beaujolais. Recent DNA testing shows that only a few acres of these vines were actually Gamay Noir and that most was actually Valdiguié or a lesser clone of Pinot Noir. This wine had a deeper color and a lot more aromas than the first two wines tasted. The rich ruby color and fruity strawberry aromas made me think of Cru Beaujolais. Bright flavors of strawberry and cranberry fills the mouth finishing with wild cherry cough drop flavors and tart acidity. No tannins are present to slow you down and the wine almost has too much fruit for it’s own good. Would be nice served chilled, a la Beaujolais Nouveaux. Score: 8/10 So the best of tasting will go to the J. Lohr, "Wildflower", Valdiguié 2004 and best value to the Vinum Cerbaia, "Il Valore", Toscana 2002. So what did I learn from this experience? It seems that most low octane wines available in the Twin Cities market are on the low end of the price scale, although I did see some $50 and $60 Northern Rhone wines I could have picked up labeled at 12.5% ABV. I also didn’t note any green flavors or lack of flavor concentration in any of the wines. The first two tasted were a bit shy on the aromas, so perhaps the alcohol does intensify that aspect a bit. Lastly, all three wines had pleasantly high acidity, which bodes well for a good food match. One note on the U.S. wine labeling laws. According to a great piece by Blake Gray of the San Francisco Chronicle, there is a 1.5% loophole in U.S. labeling that means that wines marked 12.5% ABV might actually be between 11 and 14%. Over 14% ABV, there is a higher tax rate so some wineries, particularly from France, label all their wines 12.5% regardless of the actual alcohol content as long as it’s under 14%. As I write this post entries are pouring in from around the globe. We even have some Shiraz that passes the low octane limit and several other surprises. I’ll be posting a summary of all entries on Friday, so if you are a day or two late in posting, you will still make it in my write-up. Thanks to Lenn for a great idea and for allowing me to direct the proceedings this month. I’m very much looking forward to the next installment in July and the two-year anniversary of WBW in August. Show Notes: 00:21 – Welcome and show theme 01:20 - Alcohol and wine styles 09:07 - Wine ratings and tasting notes 09:15 - Viña Albali, “Altos de Tamaron”, Tinto, Ribera del Duero 2002 ($10) 10:15 - Vinum Cerbaia, “Il Valore”, Toscana, IGT 2002 ($6) 11:59 - J. Lohr, “Wildflower”, Valdiguié, Monterey 2004 ($10) 14:04 - Best of tasting 14:09 - Best Value 14:15 - Wrap-up and contact details 17:26 - Next show theme Feedback: winecast@gmail.com Copyright 2006 Acan Media, Inc. Licensed to the public under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/