Napa-Alameda

Dick, I haven't heard of THAT open house, but Rosenblum is one of the mainstays of ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) and hosts a huge open house tasting (not just of their wines) of Zins, served with foods prepared by a number of notable wine country restaurants, each January. It runs during the annual ZAP festival (which includes the "Big Tasting" in SF) and IMHO is the most fun of their events.

Mark Lipton

If I knew you were going I could have sent you two passes for free admittance. I belong to their wine club and was given two free passes. It sounded like it was going to be a good time. In my mailing, they also mentioned several barrel tastings. I don't know if the barrel tastings were open to the public or only to club members. In all they said there would be over 100 different wines/vintages to taste.

Based on the mailing, it sounded like this was an anual event.

If I knew you were going I could have sent you two passes for free admittance. I belong to their wine club and was given two free passes. It sounded like it was going to be a good time. In my mailing, they also mentioned several barrel tastings. I don't know if the barrel tastings were open to the public or only to club members. In all they said there would be over 100 different wines/vintages to taste.

Based on the mailing, it sounded like this was an anual event.

Barrel tastings were open to public.

Nice wines were served.

Rosenblum

Kent Rosenblum does a big open house every three months, starting each year in February. I've been going to this fairly religiously for three years now.

Usually 15 or so new releases are tasted and another 20 or so wines. It is WELL worth attending. It puts Alameda on the map!

-Ken

Another open house that I used to look forward to was deLoach single vineyard Zinfandel tasting the first weekend of November. I was told Saturday that the single vineyard Zins are going to disappear from the line up now that deLoach has been acquired by one of the conglomerates.

There was talk that Cecil & son, Michael, would be doing something with the Zin properties, but that is probably yesterday's news and didn't happen. Too bad, as they had some superb little plots of very old Zin vines and did some excellent wines.

Hunt

Yes, indeed. Some of the late '80s single vyd Zins from DeLoach were superb examples of the emerging "super-extracted" style. I never did decide which of the vyds was my favorite, though Peletti was probably the leader. One thing that shouldn't be forgotten is the service that Cecil did saving those vineyards in the early '80s by making a white Zin, the only drinkable example I ever had.

Mark Lipton

And lets not forget the year that most of his single vineyard Zins all exceeded 17.5% alcohol. A bit too big.

As Michael related the story to me, some years ago, when his dad purchased the vineyards, the original owners asked that he make a pledge to them, that he would not tear out the old Zin vines. This was a handshake deal, and no papers were signed to that effect. The bankers, who were financing DeLoach were intent that Cab, Merlot, and Chard were to be planted and produced for the fastest return on investment. Cecil held true to his word and felt obligated to keep the Zin, regardless of pressure to make quick $. As it turned out, the old knarled Zin vines were a gold mine, and produced great wine. It was refreshing to me to hear that a man's word was a bond, and also nice that he, and the Zin community, benefitted from his integrity. I only hope that some of that spirit will continue to exist in the vineyard, where investment bankers seem to be running the show.

I have not spoken to Michael for a while now, so I don't know what might be happening regarding the sale. I just fear that all that effort and those wonderful old vines will cease to exist, all in the name of "return on investment."

Hunt