From Ballentine Vineyards

Ballentine owns 100 acres of vines spread among the Crystal Springs Vineyard at the base of Howell Mountain, Pocai Ranch between the Napa River and the Silverado Trail and the Home Vineyard at the winery. After selling their grapes for many years to wineries; Cabernet Sauvignon to Caymus, Cabernet Franc to Rombauer, Zinfandel to Rosenblum, Ravenswood and Mondavi, Van and Betty decided to revive the Ballentine brand that Van and his dad worked at for many years at Deer Park. They started by having their grapes custom crushed for a small production in 1992. In 1995, they built a winery, behind their 100-year-old farmhouse. They revived the original bonded winery number 3595 issued to his father, John Ballentine, in 1933 after prohibition ended. Ballentine Vineyards produces red wines, perfectly suited to the Northern Napa Valley climate and vineyards. Our production is less than 10,000 cases of Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot and with a future release of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Cabernet Franc.

Ballentine Vineyards focuses on red varietals; Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Syrah. Each vineyard supports our belief that it is vital to grow only those varieties that are best suited to particular aspects of the land; soil, exposure and climate. The grapes used for our wines are all 100% estate grown on 100 acres, from three distinct vineyards in the Napa Valley. Van Ballentine personally manages each vineyard.

Ballentine Vineyards
2820 St. Helena Highway North
St. Helena, CA 94574
(707) 963-7919
http://www.ballentinevineyards.com

Submitted by:
Tim Holt
Pasadena Restaurant Forum

Zinfandel is a variety of red grape planted in over 10 percent of California wine vineyards. It is typically made into a robust red wine. Zinfandel has such high sugar levels that it was originally grown for table grapes in the USA, and this sugar can be fermented into high levels of alcohol, sometimes 15% or more.

The taste of the red wine depends on the ripeness of the grapes from which it is made. Red berry fruits like raspberry predominate in wines from cooler areas such as the Napa Valley, whereas blackberry, anise and pepper notes are more common in wines made in warmer areas such as Sonoma County.

US producers make wine in styles that range from late harvest dessert wines, rosé (White Zinfandel) and Beaujolais-style light reds to big hearty reds and fortified wine in the style of port. Its quality and character largely depend on the climate, place of cultivation, the age of the vineyard, and the winemaking technology. Historically, California Zinfandels vines were planted in fields as a field blend interspersed with Durif (Petite Sirah), Carignan, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Mission and Muscat. While most vineyards are now fully segregated, California winemakers continue to use other grapes (particularly Petite Sirah) in their Zinfandel wines.

Decisions on when to harvest, how cool to ferment the wine, how long of a maceration period with skin contact and the level of oak aging can have a pronounced effect on the wine. At 23°Bx (the degree that most red wine is considered "ripe") strawberry flavors develop. With 24°Bx, the cherry flavors appear followed by the blackberry notes at 25°Bx.

Zinfandel as a red wine can be made light and fruity, much like French Beaujolais, or lively, complex and age worthy, like Cabernet or claret. It can also be made into big, ripe, high alcohol style wines that resemble Port. Zinfandel is also a component of most California "jug" wines, since it is the most widely planted red wine grape.

This vineyard proliferation can be attributed to zinfandel's hardy nature. Adaptable to a wide range of soils and climates, its vines tend to be vigorous and productive. Zinfandel also has a frequent tendency to set a second crop.

At its best, Zinfandel (red) has a very fruity, raspberry-like aroma and flavor and a "jammy" quality.

Zinfandel is one red varietal that is probably best enjoyed in its youth, within three to five years of the vintage. With more bottle age than this, the luscious fruit that distinguishes Zinfandel drops markedly and the wine can show a pronounced "hot" taste of higher alcohol levels and become more neutrally vinous.

Submitted by:
Gloria Stearns
Redlands City Guides And Directories

White Zinfandel is an off-dry to sweet, pink-colored rosé wine. White Zinfandel is made from the Zinfandel wine grape, which would otherwise produce a bold and spicy red wine. As such, it is not a grape variety but a method of processing Zinfandel grapes. As of February 2006, White Zinfandel accounted for 10% of all wine sold by volume, making it the third most popular "varietal" in the United States.

White Zinfandel wine is made from the red Zinfandel grape, but the grape skins are quickly removed after they are crushed so there is significantly less contact time with the heavily pigmented red grape skin, resulting in a pink/rose colored wine, instead of a deep red wine.

White Zinfandel a quaffing wine that is sweet, soft, and low in alcohol, making it a popular choice with those who would not otherwise drink wine. It occupies a similar market position to that of Mateus Rosé in Europe. The sugar content can make White Zinfandel taste almost like a fruit punch, although some examples have crisp acids and are balanced in their own way. White Zinfandel is typically manufactured for immediate consumption rather than for aging.

White Zinfandel is often a wine that new wine drinkers will "enter into wine drinking" with. A society that trains people to love super-sweet soda and Hi-C creates adults that have very sweet taste buds. White zinfandel is a way to slowly retrain those palates to appreciate the dryer flavors.

White Zinfandel should be drunk at around 54F which is much warmer than fridge temperature (around 35F). A too-cold wine hides all of its flavors. Let your white zinfandel warm up a bit if you keep it in the fridge before drinking it, so you can appreciate those gentle flavors it has in it. White zinfandel is NOT an aging wine and should be drunk within 6 months.

Submitted by:
Robert Sykes
Rancho Cucamonga City Guides And Directories.

From Galleano Winery

Galleano Winery uses traditional European techniques in harvesting and producing wine. The majority of our vineyards are head pruned (free standing) and are free from herbicides and pesticides (certified organically grown). More importantly to our winemaker is the fact that these grapes are non-irrigated, a practice used to extract all of the essence from the fruit, giving these grapes their intense varietal characteristics. The grapes are hand-picked and quickly transported to the winery where they are crushed. The wine is fermented on the skins, using the natural yeast from the grape, which infuses the beautiful red color and tannins. After fermenting for about 10 days at temperature from 75 to 80 degrees, the free run wine is drawn off. The pressed wine is then distilled into brandy which is used for dessert wines.

Galleano Wines continue to win numerous awards at international wine competitions, including the Sweepstakes Award at the LA County Fair. Today Galleano Winery is Riverside County'­s oldest winery. In 1993 it was designated as a County Historical Landmark and a State of California Point of Historical Interest, and in September 2003 was named to the National Register of Historic Places and the California Register of Historic Places.

Galleano Enterprises is the largest shipper of grapes in Southern California, moving products to other wineries throughout California. The Rhone varieties, such as Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignane, and Cinsault, are in high demand by wineries and consumers alike as their outstanding qualities cannot be duplicated anywhere else in California. Cucamonga Valley Zinfandel grapes are sought after by some of the largest wineries in California.

Galleano winemaking spans 5 generations, remaining family-owned, and is California's largest producer of Cucamonga Valley wines.

Galleano Winery is located in Mira Loma’s Wineville area, and is still much the same as it was in 1927 when the Galleano family purchased the land. The winery is located at the southern fringe of the Cucamonga Valley, made famous for winegrowing by Secondo Guasti, who like Domenico came from northern Italy’s Piedmonte region. The name means foot of the mountains and would be appropriate to Cucamonga, an alluvial plain that sweeps down from the eastern reaches of the San Gabriel Mountains.

We feature fine wines, including our award-winning Zinfandels.

Galleano Winery
4231 Wineville Road
Mira Loma, Ca. 91752
(951) 685-5376
http://www.galleanowinery.com

Submitted by:
Robert Sykes
Rancho Cucamonga City Guides And Directories

From Amador Cellars

Amador Cellars is a unique winery located in the heart of Amador County’s lush Shenandoah Valley wine country. Built in 2003 of rice straw and concrete the winery and tasting room conveys Old World architecture and style that emphasizes simplicity, utility and function. Its two foot thick and sixteen foot tall walls impart mass and depth while the roof is covered in corrugated steel that was allowed to rust naturally giving the structure a timeless quality. It sits on a knoll overlooking rolling vineyards in the shade of a stand of Valley Oak. A perfect spot for enjoying a picnic and fine wine.

At 1500 and 2050 feet in elevation on soils derived from decomposed granite our estate vineyards are farmed to yield small crops of extraordinary tasting fruit -- the perfect beginning to vinting great wines. Our wines are made in a style that emphasizes varietal character of the fruit augmented by subtle oak and vanilla flavors from oak barrel aging. All of our winegrape is harvested by hand at the peak of ripeness, fermented in either oak barrels, open top bins or stainless steel tanks for 5 to 12 days and then aged in oak barrels for 8 to 20 months. We have focused on varieties that do well in Amador’s warm climate -- Zinfandel, Italian and Rhone Valley varieties as well as Chardonnay.

Our winery and tasting room is open to visitors every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. and by appointment by calling (209) 245-6150. Celebrate weddings, special events or a special business gathering! Please come join us for wine tasting, beautiful views and an unique Old World wine tasting experience.

Amador Cellars
11093 Shenandoah Road
Plymouth, CA 95669
(209) 245-6150
http://www.amadorcellars.com/

Submitted by:
Celine Oliver
Fontana City Guides And Directories