by Ethan Johnson
October 10, 2006

Napa Valley is all well and good, but when it comes to Ravenswood Zinfandel, the producer expresses a bias toward Sonoma County. Really, all Zins are the same, right? Who cares where it comes from? Let's challenge our assumptions with:

Producer (Vineyard): Ravenswood
Varietal (Grape type): 95% Zinfandel, 4% Carignane, 1% mixed blacks
Vintage (Year): 2003
Country: USA (California - Sonoma County)
Color: Red
Cost: Moderate ($18 USD)

Swirl and Sniff: Dark red. Hey! Another Zin with strong cherry characteristics. Nice.

Taste: Wow, the cherry vibe persists and how. Silky smooth. Nice mild acidity, and went down easily. This is all I'm asking for from a wine, really. Again. Yes, I recycled this line from my prior Zin review; thanks for noticing.

Pairing: I paired this with a miserable failure of a beef stew. The recipe called for red wine vinegar. I think they meant to say "red wine". I should have listened to my gut, but I trusted the cookbook. The interesting thing was, the wine flattened the stew, and literally tasted like water after coming into contact with the overly vinegary meal. So much for myth-busting the notion that red wines are vinegary.

Rating: When it comes to this wine, I would (and you may):

• Buy three or more bottles for regular enjoyment
• Buy a bottle or two for occasional enjoyment
• Ask for when dining out or at a party
• Settle for if your preferred wine is not available
• Politely decline and never drink again, ever

Of the three Ravenswood Zins I have tried out, this was by far my favorite. The cherry vibe reminded me of my recent "Wow!" wine, and the smoothness was much appreciated. If I had to only pick one, I'd make a point of grabbing a bottle of Sonoma County Zin to keep on hand. I'm interested to try one of their "Vinyard Designate" wines, but barring that I think I'm well ahead of the curve. Glad I took a flyer on one more Ravenswood Zin.

BTW, I have to pass this along for Beth's benefit: I bought this at a local grocery, and two guys were stocking the shelves. They chatted while working, and one offhandedly said to the other, "[Name] is really into wine. He loves his White Zinfandel." Mmm hmmm.

If you do give this a try, please let me know how your experience compared with mine. Thanks! <EM>

(The Totally Unpretentious Wine Reviews Index may be found here.)