Paso Robles Zinfandel Opolo Vineyards was started by two wine lovers who lived next door to each other in Camarillo, CA. In 1999 Dave Nichols and Rick Quinn produced their first commercial crush under the Opolo label. Their first wines were Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, and Muscat Canelli. Opolo now has 270 acres [...]
EOS Estate Winery One of the largest wineries in Paso Robles, EOS Estate Winery, has been placed in receivership because of financial problems. The winery, which was founded by the Arciero family in 1985, was sold in 2007, for $20 million to Sapphire Wines – a Tennessee-based firm owned and controlled by Jeffrey Hopmayer. In [...]
2007 Titus Napa Valley Zinfandel A good Napa Valley zinfandel usually costs around $45 to $50. Since we are all watching our pennies, we’ve been enjoying more affordable wines from Paso Robles and Lodi. Well, to my surprise, I found a great Napa Valley zin that I can highly recommend. The Titus Vineyards is a [...]
Wine & Chocolate Wine and chocolate pairing has become popular – especially for Valentine’s Day. Many wineries will serve truffles from local chocolatiers that seem to match up perfectly with their port or late-harvest zinfandel or merlot. Restaurants and wine bars across the country have begun special wine and chocolate tastings. You don’t have to [...]
2007 Wine One of the best vintage years for wine – worldwide, was 2007. These wines are now coming to market and with wine prices dropping, there are bargains to be had! California reds have been slow to come down, but winemakers will have to start discounting in order to reduce inventory. Buyers that once [...]
Four Vines Wines Paso Robles winemaker Christian Tietje is a hedonist. He is passionate about wine: making it, drinking it and bringing people together to enjoy it. A former chef, Chris fell head over heels for old vine Zinfandel, and founded Four Vines in 1990 with a plan to make four “killer zins” from the [...]
Second Labels from a Premium Winemaker Ever since Obama served Duckhorn Vineyard’s Goldeneye Pinot Noir at his inauguration lunch, enthusiasm for the wine has skyrocketed. Fortunately for those of us who don’t want to spend $50 for a Pinot, the winery also offers a second label called Migration – Anderson Valley Pinot Noir – a [...]
Layer Cake Primitivo, aka Zinfandel 2007 If you like Zin, you’ll like this wine. An old world wine from Italy with the surprising forward fruit flavors of the new world. Dark purple color with ripe berry, spice and licorice nose. Medium bodied with flavors of plum, dark cherry, and hints of leather and nutmeg. Balanced [...]
Fritz Winery 2005 Zinfandel, Estate, Dry Creek Valley The Dry Creek area of Sonoma produces some of the best California Zins you can find. Because the weather is more temperate, you don’t get the fruit bombs like the warmer climates of Paso Robles and Lodi produce. The Fritz Zinfandel has bright color with aromas of [...]
