Browsing Tag

Zinfandel

Wine Reviews,

Name That Barrel!

I need your help, friends! Earlier this month I made a deal to buy a barrel of 2009 zinfandel from a wonderful small Napa producer. A barrel means 300 bottles (25 cases). Yes, that’s a lot of zin!

So here’s the thing … I need a name for the wine! It’s not going to be resold so the name is just for fun. In fact, I can’t legally resell the wine, so it’s just for private consumption. I suppose we could just leave the bottles blank. But having a name would still be a lot of fun.

I want ideas. …

Wine Reviews,

Thanksgiving Taste Test – Tofanelli and Turley

They say you should never buy a wine by its label.  Generally, I agree with that.  But how can you ignore a wine that has a young 1920’s vintage woman riding a motorcycle in a vineyard on the label?  You can’t, so I bought a bottle of Tofanelli Family Vineyard Zinfandel, and I’ve been one of their biggest fans since.

Sebastian DiGiuilo and Irene DalPorto, parents of Pauline DiGiulo Tofanelli, purchased a track of land just south of Calistoga in the 1920’s.  They planted Zinfandel and Charbono, among other varietals, and sold their grapes to some of the biggest …

Wine Reviews,

An Educated Guess on the way to Tahoe

The drive from home to Tahoe goes through the town of Auburn. Just off the freeway is a store called Ikedas Country Market. Famous for their pies, they also have a great selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. Adjacent to the market is their burger shack that is equally famous.

I stopped at Ikedas on a recent trip to Tahoe to pick up a few things. Since this is a small country market, I never paid much attention to their wine section.  On this recent trip I did take a look and was really impressed. They carry some top …