{"id":101,"date":"2009-09-22T23:10:00","date_gmt":"2009-09-22T23:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/?p=101"},"modified":"2009-09-22T23:10:00","modified_gmt":"2009-09-22T23:10:00","slug":"dam-good-wine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/?p=101","title":{"rendered":"Dam Good Wine!!"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Years ago, I was lounging on the sun deck of at the San Francisco Bay Club when the fellow next to me suddenly exclaimed \u201cWow! There\u2019re two decks on the bridge!\u201d In complete disbelief, I turned to him and asked \u201cin all the years you\u2019ve lived here, haven\u2019t you ever driven across the Bay Bridge?\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
He assured that he had\u2014many times in fact. \u201cAnd you never noticed that, say, there was steel overhead in one direction as you drove?\u2019 I queried. \u201cOr sky overhead when you came back?\u201d\u00a0He promised to check out this startling revelation the next time he drove to Oakland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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I<\/span>t took a bit of Internet sleuthing to discover that I hadn\u2019t indulged to the level of delirium on my frequent wine tasting forays\u2014indeed, in the early 1980s, there wasn\u2019t <\/strong>a Lake Sonoma! This marvelous recreational jewel turns out to be man-made phenomenon, a limnological accretion formed by the development of Warm Springs Dam. Following the dam\u2019s completion in 1983, water impounded from Dry Creek gradually filled the basin over the next several years and altered its historic topography in creating this 2,700 acre reservoir. In other words, rather hard to miss once it was created.<\/span><\/div>\n
The 319′ high rolled earth embankment that comprises the dam stands as the lone barrier between 470,000,000 m\u00b3 and the verdant field of the Warm Springs Recreation Area, a thought only slightly less discomfiting than the notion of encountering the CHP upon leaving the wine tasting. As things turned out, neither a deluge of Biblical proportion nor of wine lay in store for this afternoon.<\/span><\/div>\n
ZinTopia turned out to be a wonderfully balanced event, just enough food and wine to keep pace for four hours in the hot afternoon sun and reach an acceptable level of satiety by day\u2019s end. Actually, had they only served the grilled California White Sea Bass, I would have been content (not that the outdoor grilled Pizza and Angus Beef Sliders were anything to scoff at)<\/em>. But, as loyal readers of my\u00a0Sostevinobile<\/span>\u00a0well know,\u00a0<\/strong>restraining me from tasting good wine is no mean feat!<\/span><\/div>\n
The organizers from Drink Dry Creek had paired the Sea Bass with an array of Sauvignon Blancs from participating member wineries. Some chose to bring one bottling; others presented contrasting vintages. I must concede that I rarely indulge in this varietal by itself, and, in retrospect, I might have felt more glowingly about the wines I did sample had I ported my dining plate to these tables. Still, these wines fared far better being chilled than did those Zinfandels that vintners valiantly struggled to keep from cooking in the sweltering heat, and certainly proved quite refreshing. 2008 Sauvignon Blanc<\/strong> seemed d<\/strong><\/em>e rigueur<\/strong><\/em> for the wineries that were pouring this white, and both Mauritson<\/a> and Dry Creek Vineyard<\/a>\u00a0proffered admirable vintages. The standout in this category, however, came from Sbragia<\/a>, with a distinctively crisp Sauvignon Blanc that held its own as an ap\u00e9ritif.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
The lone contrast amid the white wine section under the event tent was the 2008 Petite Zin Ros\u00e9<\/strong> from Dry Creek Vineyard. The centerpiece of the afternoon, as well as the center island of the tasting, was, of course, the gem of Dry Creek\u2014Zinfandel, in all of its red glory. Ridge Winery<\/a> sent out a team from their Lytton Springs bale house, so it seemed a logical starting point to swing by and say \u201chi.\u201d Their formal pourings included the debuts of the 2007 Lytton Springs<\/strong>, a long-standing workhorse of their single vineyard program that featured a blending with 22% Petite Sirah and 7% Carignane, and the 2007 East Bench<\/strong>, a relative newcomer to this lineup that was rounded out with 8% Petite Sirah. Ridge\u2019s bonus pour, the 2003 Zinfandel Del Carlo Ranch<\/strong>, outshone the younger wines and raised the bar for the rest of the afternoon.<\/span><\/div>\n
Befittingly, Lori and Ray Teldeschi, proprietors of this same vineyard, manned the station directly behind Ridge and poured both the 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel<\/strong> and the 2005 Old Vine Zinfandel<\/strong> from their Del Carlo Winery<\/a>. Though both featured an identical blend with 11% Old Clone Petite Sirah, all from the same vines, I clearly favored the newer release as a wine that might give Paul Draper a run for his money! On the other hand, Talty Vineyards<\/a>\u00a0contrasted their 2006 Estate Zinfandel<\/strong> with their 2005 Estate Zinfandel<\/strong>\u2014in this case, my preference fell to the earlier vintage.<\/span><\/div>\n
In recent years, Wilson Winery<\/a> has gained much acclaim for both their Zinfandels and their Cabernet Sauvignon. I found their 2007 Zinfandel Molly\u2019s Vineyard quite appealing and truly relished bother their 2007 Zinfandel Sawyer\u2019s Vineyard<\/strong> and 2007 Zinfandel Carl\u2019s Reserve<\/strong>. In this era of winery consolidation, Wilson is becoming a bit of a mini-mogul, having recently purchased a handful of smaller wineries, including Mendocino\u2019s Jepson Winery inexplicably renamed Jaxon Keys). Another of their holdings Mazzocco<\/a>, out on Lytton Springs Road, proved a worthy partner with their popular reserve Zinfandel, the 2007 Maple<\/strong>, and an enticing 2007 Zinfandel, Sonoma County<\/strong>.<\/span><\/div>\n
The wineries I commended above for their Sauvignon Blanc proved equally adept with Zinfandel. Both the 2007 Mauritson Zinfandel<\/strong> and Sbragia\u2019s 2006 Gino\u2019s Vineyard Zinfandel <\/strong>proved noteworthy, while Dry Creek\u2019s 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel <\/strong>showed a delightful complexity. In reviewing my note, I regret missing the Sauvignon Blanc from a handful of other wineries but did manage to enjoy both the 2007 Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley Mother Clone<\/strong> from Pedroncelli<\/a> and my gamble on the 2006 Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley<\/strong> from Ferrari-Carano<\/a>.<\/span><\/div>\n
I know I should rise above making bad puns, but the 2006 Zinfandel-Dry Creek Valley<\/strong> from Rued<\/a> was definitely not rued; indeed, discovering this winery for the first time was a most unexpected surprise. Optima Wine Cellars <\/a>was also a serendipity for me, but with a 2005 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel<\/strong> on hand; their 2005 Orgaz Zin<\/strong>, truly a deft pun, proved to be anything but a misnomer.\u00a0Other newcomers to the\u00a0Sostevinobile\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/strong>roster\u00a0included\u00a0Bella Winery<\/a>\u00a0w<\/span>ith its\u00a02007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Dutcher Crossing<\/a><\/span>\u00a0with its expression of the 2007 Maple Vineyard Zinfandel<\/strong>. In contrast, Everett Ridge<\/a> seemed an old friend\u2014I had just sampled their 2006 Diablita Zin-A<\/strong> the night before at California Wine Merchant<\/a>; their 2006 Old Vine Zinfandel<\/strong> easily amplified my favorable impression of their wines.<\/span><\/div>\n
Tony Terlato\u2019s Alderbrook<\/a>, truly an old familiar, brought a 2007 Old Vine Zinfandel <\/strong>that made a similarly strong impression. Their 2006 Confluence<\/strong>, a Zinfandel\/Syrah blend, balanced its components quite gracefully. Other wineries that offered both Zinfandel and contrasting varietal or blend included Amphora<\/a>, whose excellent 2006 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley<\/strong> was matched with its 2006 Malbec<\/strong>, a varietal many wineries here find too challenging to tackle.\u00a0Mounts Family Winery<\/a> brought its 2007 Mounts Malbec<\/strong>, a striking expression of this wine\u2014a perfect complement to their 2007 Mounts Estate Zinfandel<\/strong>. Moniclaire<\/a> rose to the challenge with its 2006 Petite Sirah<\/strong> but truly stood out for its 2006 Zinfandel<\/strong>. Given its close identification to Zinfandel, I was surprised that\u00a0Collier Falls<\/a>\u2019 2006 Primitivo <\/strong>presented the only offering of this varietal; in addition, their newly-released 2005 Zinfandel <\/strong>showed signs of incredible promise.<\/span><\/div>\n
The only winery pouring an alternative white wine with its Zinfandel was Mill Creek<\/a> with its 2008 Gew\u00fcrztraminer<\/strong>. Their 2006 Zinfandel-Beacham Downey Vineyard<\/strong> deserved a prize for best name of the afternoon. Kokomo Winery<\/a> seemed an odd choice for a name until owner Erik Miller explained his allegiance to his Indiana roots, and, certainly, his 2006 Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley <\/strong>showed no sign of Midwest\u00a0terroir<\/em><\/strong>. These days, any place east of the Rockies seems indistinguishable, so I kidded Forchini<\/a> that their 2006 Papa Nonno<\/strong>, a Super-Tuscan blend, sounded more like a wine from Arkansas (you have to speak Italian to get the joke).<\/span><\/div>\n
A stop at the Montemaggiore<\/a> table gave me another chance to practice the familial tongue with owner Vince Ciolino before I sampling his wondrous, organically-grown 2005 Nobile<\/strong>, a Paso Robles-style blend boasting 60% Cabernet Sauvignon to 40% Syrah. Even more the purists, Quivira<\/a>, one of only two Demeter-certified biodynamic<\/a> wineries in Dry Creek, could make anyone a convert to this practice; both their 2007 Quivira Grenache Wine Creek Ranch<\/strong> and their 2007 Quivira Mourv\u00e8dre Wine Creek Ranch\u00a0<\/strong>came close to bringing tears to my eyes.\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n
I reacted as fervidly to the 2006 Mountain Cuv\u00e9e<\/strong> from Gustafson Family Vineyards<\/a>; this extraordinary blend combines Zinfandel from their three-acre Heritage Tree block with adjacent lots of Petite Sirah and Syrah. I extolled the incredible wines from Frick<\/a> when I covered Rh\u00f4ne Rangers earlier this year, but was more than happy to retaste his wizardry with his 2007 Frick Counoise<\/strong> and the 2007 Frick Viognier<\/strong>.<\/span><\/div>\n
I found the 2008 Viognier from Hawley Winery<\/a>\u00a0a tad of the sweet side, but feel confident these young, organic vintners will soon hit stride. On the other hand, the well-seasoned organic winemakers at Michel-Schlumberger<\/a> showed their considerable talents with a restrained 2008 Viognier <\/strong>and a marvelous 2007 Cabernet Franc <\/strong>their delightful volunteer repeatedly overpoured (if only I could allow myself to taste like a civilian)! <\/em>Rounding out the afternoon, the renowned Preston of Dry Creek<\/a>, one of the most prodigious organic wine growers in California, validated themselves with a spicy, complex 2006 <\/strong>Carignane Dry Creek Valley Certified Organic<\/strong>. If only I had saved room to complement with an Angus beef slider!<\/span><\/div>\n
We headed back to San Francisco after a quick detour to survey Lake Sonoma and its array recreational facilities. Suntanned and sated, there was little left to say about this splendid afternoon gathering except \u201cDam Good Wine!\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Years ago, I was lounging on the sun deck of at the San Francisco Bay Club when the fellow next to me suddenly exclaimed \u201cWow! There\u2019re two decks on the bridge!\u201d In complete disbelief, I turned to him and asked \u201cin all the years you\u2019ve lived here, haven\u2019t you ever driven across the Bay Bridge?\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,4,34,81,61,7,17,12,10,35,19,3,5,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cabernet-franc","category-cabernet-sauvignon","category-carignane","category-counoise","category-gewurztraminer","category-grenache","category-malbec","category-mourvedre","category-petite-sirah","category-primitivo","category-sauvignon-blanc","category-syrah","category-viognier","category-zinfandel"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/101\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.sostevinobile.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}