I went to college at Sonoma State University, which is smack in the middle of California’s Napa and Sonoma wine regions. In addition to being geographically situated in an ideal location for wine sampling, I have a number of friends who are wine connoisseurs who introduced me to fine wines. On my first wine tasting trip through Napa and Sonoma, one of the essential stops that I was shown was Ravenswood Winery, whose specialty is the Zinfandel varietal wine. For those who are unfamiliar with Zinfandel wine, Zinfandel is a robust peppery wine that is not as heavy as a Cabernet. It has become my favorite varietal wine, largely due to the influence of Ravenswood wines on my wine palate.
Ravvenswood Winery offers a large number of distinct Zinfandel wines that are produced from Zinfanel grapes grown in different regions such as Napa, Sonoma, Lodi, Mendocino, etc. In addition to the standard variety of Zinfandels, Ravenswood offers a number of select Zinfandels that are produced from grapes from smaller and more specific old-growth vines. With so many varieties of Zinfandels, one could do an entire wine tasting session just on the various Zinfandels offered by Ravenswood alone.
While I often enjoy the Lodi Zinfandel or the Sonoma Zinfandel, Ravenswood also offers what they refer to as a “Vintners Blend” Zinfandel. The Vintners Blend Zinfandel is a wine produced from a blending of the Zinfandel Wines from more specific wine regions. While the Vintners Blend Zinfandel by Ravenswood lacks the subtlety of flavor of the region-specific Zinfandels, an advantage to the Ravenswood Vinters Blend Zinfandel is its markedly cheaper price than the regional Zinfandels. It is not uncommon to find a bottle of Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel on sale at a major supermarket chain for six to seven dollars apiece.
While the Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel is unlikely to make any sort of distinct impression on your snobbiest of wine friends, I have found that the Ravenswood Vintners Blend is perhaps the best nondescript table wine for the price and is a higher quality wine than anything else at its price point. The pepperiness of the Zinfandel wine is the perfect compliment for a robust flavorful steak, and its relative mellowness compared to a Cabernet is good to pair even with more subtle meals.
In conclusion, Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel wine is one of the best fine wines available under $10. The Vintners Blend is every bit as robust and flavorful as any of the higher priced Zinfandels that Ravenswood offers, but is lacking in some of the complexity of flavor. But one simply cannot beat the price tag, and the Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel will make a good impression on your friends on any occasion calling for a bottle of fine wine. And if you ever get a chance to visit the Ravenswood Winery itself up in Sonoma, CA, you will enjoy an informal and enjoyable tasting room and friendly personnel who will remember you the next time around. All in all, I would go so far as to say that Ravenswood is the best overall winery in northern California, and the Vintners Blend is a good introduction to the world of fine wines.
