- Vote on the type of wine we’ll taste. I narrowed the choices to three: Zins, Malbecs, and Pinots. My vote is Zins. Please reply to this email confirming your participation and with your vote.
- Each tasting party suggests 1 or 2 wines to include in the tasting. Please make sure that the wines you suggest are available in quantities of 3 or more. Please reply to this email with your suggestions by Wednesday April 29th.
- Once we have the list of candidates we’ll have a Zoom meeting to randomly choose only 3 wines from the suggested wines. I will write the names of the wines in identical pieces of paper, drop the individual papers into an opaque container, shuffle, and draw from the container 3 choices, these will be the wines we’ll taste. Tentatively, we can have the wine drawing meeting on Thursday April 30th.
- Each tasting party buys the chosen 3 wines. If one of your suggested wines is part of the 3 wines we are tasting, please provide the information where to buy that wine by Friday May 1st.
- Once all parties have the same 3 wines at home we will schedule the Remote Tasting Meeting.
- Some notes on how the tasting can be blind, specially when only one person is at home. My plan is to remove the cork wrapping, and paper bag each bottle as soon as I get them. Blind shuffle the bottles each day until the tasting day. On the day of the tasting uncork the bottles and shuffle then one more time. Finally, write a number on the bottles from 1 to 3. You should also number your covered bottles. Our numbering will not map to the same wines, but that is OK, when the tasting is done we’ll add each other’s rating per wine, not per number.
Our wine suggestions were:
1)We've tried the lower end from Dry Creek Vineyard. Why not try what they consider their best? I asked them. Here's the reply I received from their Direct to Consumer Manager, Michael Longerbeam We would choose one.
Our best Zinfandel? That’s a tough question to answer since we make so many, and they are each so different from one another.
I’ll highlight 3 of my personal favorites.
2017 Somers Ranch Zinfandel
If your preference is a fruit forward Zinfandel with a nice long finish, this is your best bet
2017 DCV2 Four Clones Zinfandel
A beautifully balanced Zinfandel made from four different Zinfandel clones
2017 Vogensen Ranch Zinfandel
Our mountain Zinfandel. The flavors are full bodied due to dry farming and vines grown at high elevation
2)Robert Biale "Black Chicken"
I found this in a light article, titled "5 California zinfandels you’ll want to drink right now".
"During Prohibition, when customers of the Biale farm ordered produce over the unsecure telephone party line, “black chicken” was code for a jug of zinfandel."
Sounded interesting.
Michel's suggestions were:
1 - Ridge Geyserville
2 - Rombauer Zinfandel N.V.
As the process progressed, the rules were changed so only three of the four tasting parties were able to pick a wine. I volunteered to not pick. Ted volunteered to disperse the wines, giving him more time to drive his new car. I was thankful, because I couldn't justify driving around for wine for a wine tasting as essential.
Ted's path to delivery was complicated, 6 steps long, but he pulled it off in record time.
After some discussion of tasting on Cinco de Mayo, which I thought was trouble, since it was a work night. We agreed to taste on a Saturday night at 8.
After some discussion of tasting on Cinco de Mayo, which I thought was trouble, since it was a work night. We agreed to taste on a Saturday night at 8.
We got all set up. Taking the wines out of the cellar 2 and a half hours before, and pouring the wines into decanters an hour before. Alex didn't do as much homework as she should have, but came anyway. What a treat!
Jose had been ready since 5:30.
We zoomed, enjoying the company and wine. After we had settled on scores, Shannon guided us through an attempt to align our randomizations. Our A, was Michel's C, etc.
Results
B - 2013 Seghesio, Old Vine, Sonoma County took first place. It cost $30, including tax.
A - 2017 Rombauer took second place. It cost $35, including tax.
C - 2017 Rombauer took third place. It cost $38, including tax.
Unbelievably, two of the same wines were picked. Better yet, we all thought they tasted a little different. I wrote down sickening sweet as a descriptor for both of them, but I thought one was jammy, so what do I know. Alex had said how much she liked Rombauer zin during the tasting, but she's not certain which one her and her friend usually drink. Sometimes they enjoy El Dorado "Twin Rivers" Zinfandel.
