It’s that time of year again, have you made the trip to your local pumpkin patch yet? Pumpkins of all sizes and colors are dotting the side of the road and parking lots. When you finally pick that perfect pumpkin, bring it home and ready to carve, wouldn’t a glass of wine make this tradition a bit more fun? I have the perfect wine, Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel 2009. If you scour retail stores, you may be able to find a free pumpkin carving stencil of the ominous Ravenswood logo. Spooky pumpkins, a glass of witches brew, err, I mean wine and a chill in the air, signify the approach of that frightful holiday, Halloween. Rich blackberry and blueberry aromas. Those same bold fruits carry over to the flavor. Well structured tannins and a haunting finish, I find nothing frightful about this wine. And at just $10 a bottle, your wallet won’t go into shock either.
Appellation – California
Aged – 14 months in French Oak, 25% new
TA – 6.1 g/L
pH – 3.67
Alcohol – 13.5%
SRP - $9.99
Ravenswood is one of my go to wines. It’s one of those wineries that offer consistent quality and I have a special connection to the winery. Last October I, along with a handful of other journalist, were chosen to be inducted into The Order of the Raven by none other than head Raven, Joel Peterson. My time in Sonoma
Wondering where the name Ravenswood came from? During the first harvest, Joel arrived at Dry Creek Vineyards to pick up his truck and the freshly harvested old vine Zinfandel grapes. Upon arrival he found the truck had not been loaded but instead the boxes of grapes had been left through out the four acre vineyard. As Joel struggled to gather all the boxes, a thunderstorm emerged in the distance. The race was on now to gather all the grapes and get them to the truck before the storm hit. During this time, two ravens perched themselves in the vineyard and watched the activity, all the while seeming to mock Joel and his efforts. I’m sure they were waiting for their turn at those tasty grapes. It was that night once all the grapes were loaded and in the crushing process, Joel decided to name his winery Ravenswood. The logo is now synonymous with hard work, quality and great tasting wines, even when the logo has kangaroos instead of ravens, but that’s for another blog.
As the leaves continue to fall and crunch beneath my feet, I revel in all those glorious colors that continue to spring forth. The recent rains have caused some leaves to drop completely but it just adds to my first true fall experience. Although I must say, with temps in the 30’s and 40’s it’s feeling more like winter than early fall.
If you would like to send samples for my review, please contact me at kstargaard@yahoo.com.
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