When wine geeks go to a 'rave', it's not filled with tattooed twenty-somethings and capsules of designer drugs. The capsules you see will be from the tops of wine bottles, and rather than crystal meth, you'll see crystal stemware, filled with Ravenswood Zinfandel.
OK, so maybe there aren't too many 'Rave' parties pouring Zin --- but there should be!
Zinfandel: It's Not Supposed to be Pink!
Zinfandel is far from an ordinary grape; in fact, it is rather extraordinary. Indigenous to California, Zinfandel experienced a tumultous time producing mass-production jug wine for many producers until the 1960s, when pioneering winemakers finally began treating the grape with respect. Outside of the ubiquitous pink wine that won't be mentioned here, the results have been nothing short of amazing.
Those who have discovered that Zinfandel isn't supposed to be pink ;-) probably have also found that no Zinfandels are alike. The grape is capable of producing wines in all kinds of styles, from the ubiquitous sweet pink juice favored by neophytes to enormous, palate-challenging, tannin-filled monster cult wines that you can only taste if you are on a celebrity winemaker's A-list.
How can there be so much discrepancy? Well, that's what wine is all about!
What Is Terroir?
What a Zin will taste like depends mainly on the quality and ripeness of the fruit and partly on the whim of the winemaker. Grape quality and character is generally associated with the soil where the vine grows, as well as the atmospheric conditions of the vineyard---such as whether it is on a hill or in a valley, which way it faces the sun all day, what the climate is like, how long the growing season lasts, and other factors. In France and other winegrowing countries, they lump all of these elements into one term: terroir (tair-hwar).
At Ravenswood, they take vineyard location --- and terroir --- very seriously. While some of their lower-priced (and excellently valued) wines are blended from different locations for the sake of consistency, their real focus is to present a pure expression of each vineyard through the Zinfandel grape. The result is a line of labels named according to the specific location of the grapes, something they call 'Vineyard Designate Wines'. Each location is ideally suited for a particular grape (in most cases, Zinfandel), and is tended by a meticulous, experienced grower. The vineyard's terroir, as explained before, will offer a unique flavor characteristic that sets it apart from every other wine in its class. Adding to the character is Ravenswood's insistence that the vines be old and low-yielding. What do old vines have to do with wine? Two main things. First, the older a vine is, the further into the earth the root has delved . More depth equals more complexity in the wine, because the root passes through several layers of soil: all the different minerals the vine encounters are subtly passed on to the bottle. Secondly, the deeper a vine grows, the harder it has to work to dig. As the root digs, it takes water and nutrients from the vine. Less water and nutrients equal less grapes, and so the grapes that do ripen will be the strongest to have survived, and have the highest concentration of fruit flavor (they'll also be small, and contrary to what you might think, small grapes are better than big grapes). When you add the terroir, the old vines, and the winegrower's skills, the final result is a fabulously complex wine that speaks of its origin.
Perhaps the best way to really understand these ideas of vineyard uniqueness and terroir is to throw a Rave party. Get together a group of friends and several examples of their 'Vineyard Designate' Zinfandel bottles, such as the Teldeschi, Dickerson, Old Hill, Big River, and Belloni. (Each of the labels has an interesting grower---and story---behind it. Find out more at the Ravenswood website.) In fact, toss a lower-priced Ravenswood in there as well, and taste them all, side by side. Is there one 'better' than the other? Not necessarily, as it all depends on personal taste. However you will discover distinct differences among the bottles, and find some that appeal to you more than others (or you may like them all, for different reasons). And then, you will have a grasp not only on what terroir is all about, but also of the true quality of Ravenswood wines.
Enjoy the Rave!
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| Zinfandels: Teldeschi, Dickerson, Big River, Old Hill |
| website: www.ravenswood-wine.com |
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