Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/44136
UP Joel Peterson Up Front with story and photos by John Curley Joel Peterson knows Zinfandel. Joel Peterson, the Godfather of Zin, makes no wimpy wines—this much we know. After 30 years of making, promoting and orchestrating the varietal's revival, his reputa- tion is secure. But what might not be known is that Peterson will suffer no wimpy tattoos at his winery either. Tattoos? Tattoos. The iconic symbol of the Ravenswood brand, three ravens circling their linked claws, has become popular not only with Ravenswood fans, but also with people who have no knowledge of the wine or winery. They just like the design (created by celebrated graphic artist David Lance Goines, based on Peterson's concept). And just like the tattoos that have crossed over into the mainstream, so too has Ravenswood. It's a big, bold brand selling a lot of big, bold wines (700,000 cases last year). 6 / the tasting panel / october 201 1 But perhaps only some small percentage of the masses are familiar with the artisanal wines that are Peterson's pride. His most recent venture, Icon Mixed Blacks, is a blend that brings to market the fruits of the fields. The name represents the signature varieties of California before Prohibition, vines that did well in the state's soils and in its mixed climate—hot during the day, cool at night, with good airflow from the fog rolling in and out of nearby San Francisco Bay. And so the Mixed Blacks—Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane and Alicante Bouschet—became the most successful varieties in the region. But Prohibition changed all of that. When it ended, California remained stuck in the rut of producing grapes for jug table wines until well into the 1970s, when Peterson and others appeared on the scene.