Pop the Cork - Ravenswood, Sonoma, California

We visited the Ravenswood Winery recently during a trip to the west coast, where we shot up to Somona County and Napa Valley. One of the wineries we especially enjoyed was Ravenswood right outside of Downtown Sonoma. Surrounded by beautiful scenery and staffed by knowledgeable, UNintimidating staff that makes you feel very comfortable and welcome.




If I remember correctly, this wine was sourced from a local Sonoma vineyard owned by Barbara and Patricia, hence the name Barricia.

The wine: Ravenswood Barricia Zinfandel Sonoma Valley 2004

Country: United States

Region: Sonoma Valley, California

Category: Zinfandel

Vintage: 2004

Price: $26.00

The color: Ruby red,

The Nose: Nice cherries and currants, red fruit

The Tasting Notes: Not what you might be expecting from a zinfandel. A well rounded subtle wine, with lush dried cherry and other red fruit flavors. A well rounded wine that would pair very well with food. The finish could be a bit longer, but a very classy wine. The label gives unquie facts like the picking date (Sept. 9, 2004), bottling date (April 19, 2006), total cases (1220) and total acidity (0.65g-100ml).

The Verdict: High 8 corks

Obsessive Compulsive Wine Drinking? Don't laugh, it happens.

Hey kids. It's been a while since my last post. Things have been a little crazy lately, and I apologize for the lack of content. I wanted to get a flavor for what y'all have been drinking lately. Me personally, I find I go through periods where I consistently want to drink the same type of wine over and over...until of course I get sick of it and don't want to drink it for another 2 months. Does this happen to you? Don't be alarmed, it happens to many wine drinkers.

In fact, I believe my wife is in the middle of a Brunello phase, and Grape Nut was telling me the other night that he is on a Baby Brunello binge. My dad is in a Leaping Lizard Cabernet craze...a wine I introduced him to, and one that I think makes a fine everyday wine. So what is it exactly? Are we no better than heroin addicts? Am I a drug pusher for inflicting this obsessive behavior on my dad? Well I say hello NO! It happens...when something gives you pleasure, you tend to repeat the activity. It's basic human nature...much like sexy time.

Anyway, I am deep in the throws of a Pinot Noir fad. It's interesting, because I've never been a particularly big fan of Pinot. But right now, I am really enjoying it. It all started several weeks back, when my wife and I enjoyed a bottle of Pinot at a local restaurant. So much so that I went out and bought 6 bottles of that particular bottle (Pessagno Central Avenue Pinot Noir 2005, from California) and 6 other randomly selected bottles...most of which are now gone. Ok, stop looking at me like I'm a wino.

So, I've aired my dirty laundry and told you what I've been obsessing over, now it's your turn to spill the beans. Is there a particular variety of wine you're enjoying right now that you can't seem to transition from? C'mon, don't be shy. I promise I won't make fun of you...even if it is Franzia White Zinfandel.

Think of it this way...the info you provide will be helpful for when Grape Nut and I decide to organize a wine tasting. Something we have discussed by the way.

The microphone is open, so sound off!

US Wine Production Explosion: Is NJ in the Mix?

When you think of US wine production, the first thing that pops into your head is likely California, right? Maybe more specifically Napa or Sonoma. So what are the other 4 states in the top 5 for US wine production? Depending on how long you’ve been drinking wine, and how much you read about it, you may be able to guess a few. And the reason for that is because wine production in this country has just absolutely exploded. All 50 of the United States are now producing wine. In addition, since 1995 the number of wineries nationwide has gone from 1,187 to nearly 4,000. That is just incredible growth! Could that have something to do with the fact that more US consumers are buying wine (see my post below “To the Moon Alice”). Anyway back to the point of this post.

I’m willing to bet that some of the top 5 would likely never cross your mind. I’ll tell you what they are, but you have to promise that if you haven’t had a bottle from one of the states I’m about to mention, you will go out and buy one in the next few weeks and post your thoughts on it here.

So you got California (#1), big deal. And maybe you know that Washington (#3) produces some wine you’ve tried. And of course, if you live in the tri-state area you know that New York’s (#4) Long Island (my old stomping grounds) is known for its east end vineyards. Yeah, hmmm, now where do you go? Well, Oregon (#2) has risen on the scene and is producing some beautiful wines from chateaus such as Bethel Heights Vineyards, Adea Winery and Elk Cove. Now who the heck is #5? Here’s a hint…the HBO hit The Sopranos often does a good job of making this state look sketchy. That’s right, New Jersey is the #5 wine producing state in the nation. Are you surprised? Don’t be.

According to the NJ Dept of Agriculture, New Jersey has approximately 30 wineries in 10 of the state's 21 counties, on 2,000 acres of land - that number is growing rapidly. It is expected that by 2007 the state will have around 40 wineries and from the number of inquiries, there will be a steady increase for the next few years. What’s more impressive is that even in our climate and geologically diverse state, there are more than 40 varieties now growing here - from Pinot Noir and Riesling in the North, to some of the more popular Italian varieties such as Sangiovese and Barbera in the South.

Apparently though, NJ wineries are not completely unknown. The state's wine industry has received many awards locally, nationally and internationally.

So go out and support your local wineries, NJ residents. There are plenty of vineyards to visit. If you’re interested, visit the Garden Stat Wine Grower’s Association website at (http://www.newjerseywines.com/). And for crying out loud, grab yourself a bottle of some local juice and support your local wineries.

That’s all for now. Remember to swirl, sniff and swig. Cheers!