A Little Rockpile History

The Rockpile wine grape growing area in northern Sonoma County is one of the smallest AVAs in the country in total acres of grapes planted. There are 160 acres of vineyards sitting between 800 ft and 2,100 ft elevation in rocky, well-drained soil with maybe a foot of topsoil at the surface. 

The wines from here are a rare treat with so little vineyards planted. It's mostly zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon, but there are several others. The cab franc and petite sirah from here are also excellent. It's almost entirely red wine grapes.

Regions of California for Value in Wine

Everyone is aware of Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Napa wine prices. Lots of other regions qualify as expensive, like right here in Sonoma County. Good luck finding a Russian River Pinot for under $50 anymore. Heck, Willamette Oregon Pinot isn't exactly cheap.

Where can you look for good American wines at more reasonable prices?

Fancy Boxed Wine

  Tablas Creek Vineyard of Paso Robles has a reputation of being a bit of an innovator in the wine biz. In the 1990s they introduced California to Rhone varieties and blends. Earlier this year they released quality wines in a three liter box, the equivalent of four bottles. 

History of Zinfandel

  Zinfandel is related to grapes growing along the Adriatic Sea hundreds of years ago. More recently, it's been found to be genetically identical to Italy's Primitivo and Croatia's rare Crljenak Kaštelanski (good luck pronouncing that). The first Zinfandel in the New World showed up in New York 200 years ago and made its way to California in the 1850s. Zin was popular for a long time as part of jug red blends. 

  By the 1970s, it was falling out of favor to the likes of Cabernet and Merlot. A lot of Zin vineyards were pulled out and replanted, but many were saved by the popularity of White Zinfandel.

Terroir of Sonoma County

In wine terms, terroir has to do with the growing area for the grapes; the climate, soil, and topography. The whole natural environment that "raised" the grapes will affect the taste of the wine. Sonoma County is full of variations in all of these. The diversity is amazing.

International Merlot Day

November 7th was Merlot Day and I missed it! Maybe it's a sign of how far the grape has fallen since its heyday in the 1990s. There are good Merlots out there, and they tend to be reasonably priced compared to today's hot wine, Pinot Noir, or to some of the other Bordeaux grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Cab Franc.

Here are a few places in Sonoma County to get your Merlot fix.

Things You Might Not Know About Sonoma County

Discover Sonoma County!

What Drinks are You Likely to Bring to a Party?

Based on age, what type of alcoholic beverage will you bring to a party to share with other guests? The older you get, the more likely it will be wine.

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Yearly Changes in Alcohol Consumption

Wine, beer, and spirits consumption in the U.S. by year. Wine has lots of peaks and valleys. Beer has been on a slow decline that can't even be stopped by the craft beer movement. Spirits bottomed out in about 2000 and is coming back.

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Trends in Wine Sales by Price

This graph looks at different price points and shows the trend in sales. The cheap stuff is taking a hit. The sweet spot looks like $12 to $20. This is pretty typical in a good economy. The most current data is a year old.

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