All in all, it's just another Rock in the Wall

I hadn’t originally meant to review two zinfandels in a row, but hey, when someone hands me a free bottle of wine, I don’t say no. Here is the story: last week Tim attended a fancy reception for an East Bay green business group he is a part of and brought home a bottle of 2008 Rock Wall Sonoma County Zinfandel as a party favor. Being a fan of anything local – did I mention Rock Wall makes and bottles all their wine in Alameda, CA? – I said yes please. I was only too happy to indulge in this freebie.

We didn’t open it until a few days later and for one reason or another, I wasn’t expecting much. I won’t say that I had low expectations, but rather I just didn’t have any expectations at all. I was pleasantly surprised. I should have known, I mean it had all the right ingredients – it was a zin (my favorite) from Sonoma County (my childhood home and zin capital of California) and the label billed the wine as “fruit forward” (the kind of zin I love most). After doing some sleuthing, I realized that wine-making vet Kent Rosenblum is a consulting wine-maker for Rock Wall Wine Co., and it all started making sense.

Having learned my lesson from last time, I made sure to decant the wine. My mistake this time, however, was pairing it with some spicy turkey tacos. It’s not that the wine didn’t stand up to the spiciness of the meal, but I just felt like the food was overpowering the wine and not allowing me to really taste it properly. After a palate cleanser and a small wait, I was able to taste the wine by itself and I liked that better.

Upon first sniff, I got a very powerful nose with a strong blackberry/boysenberry jamminess. I also detected some hints of sweet spice – cinnamon perhaps? – and some savory notes that reminded me of Manzanita. Staying true to the nose, the first sip was indeed very fruity, although not the fruit bomb I was expecting. It wasn’t overly sweet or jammy, but rather rich in fruit with light spice on the finish. The mouth-feel was also light with virtually no tannins. With every sip I just kept thinking: this is a nice, approachable wine that probably doesn’t need to be cellared for too terribly long before drinking. I think I mentioned that this was a 2008, so this particular bottle didn’t really get any rest at all.

Overall I’d say it was a good, solid, everyday, drinkable wine. It was well-balanced and tasty, and interesting but not pretentious. This is the kind of wine you bring to a party and everyone loves it. Especially if that party is in the East Bay.

Amy Award: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Spendy scale: $25
Best bet: A weekday dinner or as a light afternoon glass

Livin' on the "Ridge" -- Sizing up the ’06 Lytton Springs

So I’m just a girl who likes wine. I don’t claim to know much about it, but I like it. Okay, so maybe I know a little bit – if nothing else, I can talk the talk…sort of. You see, I once spent a summer working at a winery and there began both my wine education and appreciation. I learned the buzz words like gamey, jammy, full-bodied, and approachable. I also learned about the growing, harvesting, and barreling processes of making wine. But mostly I just learned to like it. Since then I’ve mostly been an aficionado and not really a connoisseur, but at the very least I like to fake like I have a discerning palate. More than anything, I just love to open up a bottle with some good friends and enjoy.

I also like to write. Again, I’m not a “writer” per se, but rather just a gal who likes to put words down on paper. So in an attempt to marry two of my passions, I decided to blog about wine. Think about it as your lay-woman’s guide to wine. I’m not a professional, but I plan to cover it all. I’m happy to take a chance on a cheap bottle (and I’m even happier if it’s delicious!), but I’m also willing to shell out some cash if it means I’m going to be drinking something amazing. I like red; I like white; I like bubbles. I like California wines, Argentine wines, French, Spanish and Italian wines. And I’m excited to learn more about wines from all over the globe.

I decided that the first wine I would review would be from the winery that originally sparked my interest in wine – Ridge Vineyards. I mentioned that I worked at a winery for a summer; well Ridge Vineyards was that winery. I was lucky to have started there, as I was able to sip quality wine all day long. I sharpened my palate; and for a few months at least, I pretended I was a snob.


Tonight my husband, Tim, and I opened up a bottle of 2006 Ridge Lytton Springs – a fitting tribute to the winery (and location) that started it all. The Lytton Springs is a classic zinfandel and essentially the flagship wine of the winery's Dry Creek Valley location. I paired the wine with my version of “healthy pizza” – a whole wheat pita brushed with olive oil and topped with sautéed fennel and onions, spinach, garlic and some yummy goat feta I picked up at the farmer’s market yesterday. I also whipped up a fresh spring greens salad to get my roughage.

I was a little lazy tonight and I didn’t decant the wine; but it could have used it. I tried to let the first glass breath, but it was still a bit tight at first taste. It was a nice, dark burgundy color and I detected some hints of berry jam on the nose, so I was looking forward to my first sip. I won’t say that I was disappointed, but rather surprised. I was expecting something slightly more fruity, but what I tasted was tannic and earthy. The flavor was more savory than sweet, almost tart at times, with hints of black olives. The mouth-feel was light, but the flavor packed a much larger punch.

A little surprised by the heaviness of the wine, I checked the label to see what the winemaker had to say. He described the wine as “approachable now,” but with the structure to be “cellared and enjoyed over the next ten years.” He wrote that in 2008, which leads me to believe that I probably should have waited a couple more years before opening this particular bottle to let it mellow out. Don’t get me wrong, it was definitely a good wine – nice complexity and good spice – but I think it could have been better. I definitely learned my lesson – I’ll be sure to decant next time.

Proof that this wine goes with anything, tonight we enjoyed this wine with a little Jazz. I'm talking about the Utah Jazz. We sipped this zesty zin while watching the Jazz-Nuggets series of the NBA playoffs. Not exactly the barrel room, but it works for us.

Overall, this wine was solid. Earthy, spicy, savory and complex. Light body, but heavy flavor. Easy to pair with food (and basketball).

Amy Award: 3.75 stars (out of 5)
Spendy scale: $35ish
Best bet: A good meal with friends or a sophisticated party