Day One, Winery #4: You might be able to guess from the above images snagged off of the Ravenswood website that this is absolutely our type of wine.  We drink Ravenswood often.  They sell a terrific Zin for around $10 a bottle, and it is a staple in our cellar.  We’ve also enjoyed their Merlot, being of the the reasonably priced, yet very drinkable merlots which are readily available.  And so we made sure that this winery was on our agenda.  The staff was professional, knowledgeable and fun.  We bought 5 tastes for $15 and got the glass thrown in.  Additionally, when we expressed an interest in more than 5 of their wines to taste, we were told, “That’s ok… we are very bad at math here”.  Our kind of place.

And here were the wines we tasted, which we loved:

1. 2006 Early Harvest Gewurztraminer, Sonoma Valley

2. 2005 Dickerson Valley Zinfandel

3. Teldeschi Zinfandel, Dry Creek

4. 2004 Barricia Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley

5. 2005 Belloni Zinfandel, Russian River Valley (78% Zin, 10% alicante bouschet, 6% petite syrah, 6% carignane)

6. 2006 Barricia Zinfandel, Sonoma Valley

Day One, Winery #2: I’ll preface this by saying that we love Cline Cellars wines.  Reasonably priced, you can find many of them anywhere.  We are particularly fond of the deep, rich “Ancient Vine” varieties we’ve found locally - we’ve found the Zinfandel, Carignane and Mourvedre Ancient Vines here at our local liquor store for a price we wouldn’t even blink at.  And so we were excited to seek out the Cline Cellars Tasting room in Sonoma.

Unfortunately, the experience was not as palatable as the wines.  This tasting room was cramped and crowded, with a “Cracker Barrel” feel to it.  Some of the people behind the counter were friendly, but not very knowledgeable.  It was clear they were being paid to pour wine in assembly line fashion and ring up tourist souvenirs.  To add to the distress, there was one gentleman roaming around behind the counter who appeared to be a manager of some sort.  He barked out orders, was condescending to customers, and kept everyone on edge.  He left for lunch as we were in the middle of our pours, and the atmosphere improved greatly.  This didn’t stop the carnival-like racket that permeated the room.  If we didn’t love the inexpensive wine so much, we may never purchase it again simply due to the very unpleasant experience in their tasting room.

The grounds are very pretty, and there are areas for picnics, relaxing, and of course, pictures.

We can’t complain about the wine we had, listed below, but this experience convinced us that we would lean toward the more high-end wineries for the remainder of the trip

1. 2005 Cashmere: Tasting notes provided by the winery - As rare as the goats in the Gobi Desert, this silky rich blend of Mourvedre, Syrah and Grenache is a special treat to serve family and friends.
2. 2006 Ancient Vines Carignane (karen-YAWN): Tasting notes provided by the winery - Juicy, bright and bursting with blackberry fruit and spice; racy, clean and long with lovely flavors and a stunning finish.
3. 2005 Ancient Vines Mourvedre (Moor-VED-druh): Tasting notes provided by the winery - When the sun goes down and you need a little something special - here it is! Dark chocolate, plum, rich earth and a hint of oak.
4. 2005 Sonoma Zinfandel: Tasting notes provided by the winery - This wine with explosive strawberry fruit flavor and velvety texture comes from 30 year old Alexander Valley vines, blended iwth a small portion from our 100+ year old Bridgehead vineyard in Oakly.  Its subtle nuances of vanilla and toasty French oak are complemented by its fimr tannin structure.
5. 2005 Bridgehead Zinfandel: Tasting notes provided by the winery - Bridgehead Zin is a dangerous and lethal package, guaranteed to wallop… but it’s got class.  A beautiful balance of blackberry, pepper and spice, with notes of chocolate and toasty vanilla make this Zin a treasure.
6. 2005 Big Break Zinfandel: Tasting notes provided by the winery - Always one of our most robust wines, this Big Break oozes with power, revealing crisp dusty berries, dark chocolate and spicy oak.  Eucalyptus, mint, firm structure, and exotic spice are key elements, creating a wine that will age will for up to 7 years.
7. 2005 ive Oak Zinfandel: Tasting notes provided by the winery - Live Oak Zin is a knockout!  Packed with black cherry and berries, witha definite cracked pepper flavor.  This Zin will take your tastebuds to a new stratosphere!
8. 2005 Los Carneros Syrah: Tasting notes provided by the winery - This Syrah brings to mind the great wines of Cateauneuf du Pape: Strapping, muscular, and downright powerful, with plenty of smoky aromas.  This is indeed the perfect match for food off the grill.