Page 13 - Sonoma County Gazette - January 2020

My Cup of Tea... Is Wine
By Laura DuPree
Zichichi Family Vineyards Old Vine Zinfandel
Mr. Winter has put his vineyards to bed for a bit, but the fruit of the vine can still be sampled in a glass at numerous local tasting rooms – no matter how cold it gets outside.
With upcoming events such as Winter WINEland, and more than 425 wineries in Sonoma County, there’s no reason for you to go dormant.
Winter WINEland, Wine Road’s annual two-day event, is scheduled for Jan. 18-19 at participating northern Sonoma County wineries. A ticket purchase covers winetasting at multiple locations. Some establishments also offer
food pairings. Cost is $60 for the weekend; $45 for Sunday only, and $5 for designated drivers. For more information visit wineroad.com.
Meanwhile, there’s an awfully lot of good wine out there and it’s impossible to taste it all in one weekend... so why wait.
One of my favorite regions is the Dry Creek Valley, home to some of the county’s finest Zin producers.
Zichichi Family Vineyard, best known for its old-vine Zin, doesn’t have any recent medals to brag about, but that’s because this boutique family- owned winery doesn’t have enough wine to spare for such competitions. In fact, by the time the wine is bottled, most of it has already been spoken for.
“We sell out of everything from our estate vineyard and we have for more than seven years in a row; the demand is greater than our supply,” Hospitality Associate Midori Longo said.
Zichichi produces just 4,500 cases annually. Of that amount, 3,500 cases of wine are made with grapes from the Home Ranch Estate vineyard. All of it is sold as “futures.” As a result, the makers of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon serve much of their wine from the barrel only. Tasters who enjoy the young wine can preorder it and then look forward to taking it home, once it’s been bottled.
“Barrel tasting is a great way for people who are passionate and interested
in the winemaking process. You get to see behind the scenes how the wine is
made, how it is aged, and you get to taste it while it’s still in the barrel.”
The remaining wine – primarily made from fruit grown in the winery’s North Block estate vineyard – is poured inside the rustic, intimate tasting room, which stands against a backdrop of grapevines and Geyser Peak mountain.
Zichichi Family Winery
ONLINE read about Wilson Winery, 1960 Dry Creek Road, Healdsburg, open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily. INFO: wilsonwinery.com or call 433-4355.
8626 West Dry Creek Road, is open 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., daily. INFO: zichichifamilyvineyard.com or call 433-4410.
1/20 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 13