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WINE NOTES Zin Plus Plus What do these wines have in common? They're field blends of Zinfandel with Petite Sirah, Carigane and even Alicante Bouschet. We set up a tasting of a sampling of Ravenswood Zinfandels at the gorgeous Four Seasons in Westlake Village, in northern Los Angeles County. Here are notes on some of our favorites. —Meridith May Peterson celebrated 20 years of having a tasting room on Gehricke Road in Sonoma with a bash on August 27. Temporary tattoos were handed out, but anyone who showed up with the real thing in permanent ink was treated to free wine tasting for life. As he stands in his Bedrock Vineyard, in the "banana belt" of Sonoma, Peterson looks at peace with himself and his very specific place in the world. "This doesn't look much different than it did in the 1800s," he explains. "There are a couple of houses, but what you're seeing now is what was there then." Many of these thick, craggy vines are more than 100 years old, and Peterson uses his skills as a master blender to experiment, fine-tune and deliver the Icon vintages. "It's something that's never been done before," he says, inspecting the maturation and size of the grape clusters as they soak up the warm noonday sun. Peterson has been working with more than 600 growers in the region as he produces his County, Single Vineyard Designate and Vintner's Blend lines. So blending this quartet of Mixed Blacks would seem far less taxing, with greater freedom to explore nuance. His palate has been trained since childhood. His parents, both scientists, were wine aficionados, and they schooled young Joel on the subtleties of flavor. If he detected a note of apple in a wine, they'd bring him every variety of apple they could get their hands on so that he could further refine his description of the taste. And over the last several years, since Peterson has become a vegetarian, his believes his taste buds have become even more attuned to the nuances of flavor. "I don't get hit so much with the big bold flavors that Americans are so fond of," he says. But what of the people whose palates are less refined, less educated, than his? What can be done to help them develop a more discerning appreciation of wine? "Hit them over the head with an iron skillet until they come around," he laughs. Peterson laughs a lot. He's quick with wit and the puns can come fast and furious. There always seems to be a twinkle in his eyes. "But seriously, humans are naturally curious. At least most of them are. And when they experience something they like, they want to know more about it." To him, an exquisite glass of wine is like an entry point: The curious will want to know were it came from, what else tastes like it, and where to get more. Thomas Hoffman, F&B Director for The Four Seasons in Westlake Village, CA helps us taste through some Ravenswood wines. Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel 2008, Sonoma County, from the County Series is ripe, with an ele- gant gown of velvet plum-spiced pudding. Cinnamon and assorted baking spices round it out. Juicy blue- berry makes a wonderful finish, along with powdered tannins. (77% Zinfandel) Ravenswood Icon Mixed Blacks 2008, Sonoma County says rose petals on the nose. The inky, violet-rimmed wine sinks into a melted bittersweet chocolate-turns-maple cream center. A generous dollop of stone fruit and bright raspberry ramp up a spicy, high-toned finish. Ravenswood 2008 Teldeschi Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, one of the brand's single-vineyard designate series, comes from what might be the world's most famous Zinfandel vineyard. Black-purple in the glass, Teldeschi has a hugeness up front and a considerable bottom weight—but this is accompanied by true elegance. Chocolate-covered cherries and dusty cinnamon match a blueberry/blue floral side in this intricate creation. october 201 1 / the tasting panel / 7 PHOTO: MERIDITH MAY