For as long as anybody cares to remember, this has been the credo (calling card? Battle cry? Team yell? Coat of arms?) of Ravenswood Winery in Sonoma, California. Expressing our commitment to full-flavored varietal wine — notably Zinfandel — it sums up our mission to capture everything a vineyard has to offer, and to promote it in a way that won't put people to sleep. Wine is, after all, one of the most fascinating and fun things in life, which is why Ravenswood winemaker Joel Peterson believes that it belongs on the table — not on a pedestal or in an ivory tower.
How did the name of Ravenswood become interchangeable with irresistibility? In the early 1970s, when California's claim to fame was the "best jug wine in the world," Joel's dream was to create wines that would rival the greatest of Europe. Turned out he wasn't dreaming: In his first vintage, 1976, he produced 327 cases of Dry Creek Zin that took first place in a prestigious San Francisco tasting. But despite the cult following and critical acclaim that began to swirl around its hypnotic logo, Ravenswood remained a roving boutique until the late 1980s, when its Vintners Blend program was launched. Conceived on Joel's conviction that, besides great wine, the world needs good, affordable wine ("a lake of wine an inch deep"), it redefined the concept of Best Jug Wine in the World.
Thanks to this and a few other things (not least, its tireless campaign against priggish elitism), Ravenswood acquired an informal reputation as the people's premium winery. In 1999 the company went public with a "Dutch auction" of shares offered over the Internet, and two years later Ravenswood was purchased by Constellation Brands, becoming part of its fine-wine division, Franciscan Estates — a productive partnership that kept the winery under Joel's control while providing greater resources for efficient operation and growth.
The picture has changed a bit since 1976. Following the original inspiration of wineries like Ravenswood, California has now shirked its once-wimpy status to a fault. But the more things change around our Sonoma headquarters, the more they stay the same. In this brave new enologically altered world, Ravenswood continues to set a stubborn standard for complex, balanced, uncompromising wine that captures everything a vineyard has to offer (and, we might add, nothing more).
Visit the Ravenswood website.
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Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel 2006
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BN#221548 |
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Hard by the sandy shores of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River delta, the agricultural town of Lodi is home to a lot of old Zinfandel vines. It's considered a warm region, but its location, directly in line with the Golden Gate, brings daily afternoon breezes that soften the summer temperatures. Combine ... more
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$12.99
SKU99133 |
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Ravenswood Vintners Blend Petite Sirah 2006
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BN#250380 |
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The goal of Ravenswood Vintners Blend, then, is accessibility — in terms of both character and price. Up-front, fruit-forward, and immediately enjoyable, these wines exude attractive youthfulness, but also contain enough complexity to give evidence of the winemaker's craft. more
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$8.99
SKU23240 |
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Ravenswood Sonoma County Chardonnay 2005
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BN#216140 |
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We think our County Series of wines may represent the best value that Ravenswood has to offer. Often they're as delicious and ageworthy as our more expensive wines; they're just not as rare. more
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$13.99
SKU21122 |
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Ravenswood Sonoma County Syrah 2005
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BN#250269 |
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A lovely shade of purple with a reddish hue is the inviting introduction to the complex, smoky, jammy, black cherry, and boysenberry scents, which are classic for the Syrah grape variety. The flavors are brightened and enhanced by small additions of Mourvèdre and Grenache, which add a fresh, bright quality ... more
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$13.99
SKU21123 |
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Ravenswood Napa Valley Zinfandel 2006
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BN#262796 |
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Pleasing bright, ripe plum flavors with mouth-watering acidity and fine tannin structure followed by a racy, lingering finish that tastes of raspberries, cloves, cardamom and vanilla more
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$13.99
SKU27472 |
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Ravenswood Vintners Blend Chardonnay 2005
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BN#193826 |
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Juicy flavors of ripe red cherries, wild berries, plums, cracked pepper and aromatic spices. Up-front, fruit-forward, and immediately enjoyable, the wine exudes attractive youthfulness, but also contains enough complexity to give evidence of the winemaker's craft. more
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$8.99
SKU73179 |
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Ravenswood Vintners Blend Merlot 2005
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BN#221709 |
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Pleasing bright, ripe plum flavors with mouth-watering acidity and fine tannin structure followed by a racy, lingering finish that tastes of raspberries, cloves, cardamom and vanilla. more
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$8.99
SKU38339 |
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Ravenswood Vintners Blend Shiraz 2007
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BN#286389 |
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The goal of Ravenswood Vintners Blend, then, is accessibility — in terms of both character and price. Up-front, fruit-forward, and immediately enjoyable, these wines exude attractive youthfulness, but also contain enough complexity to give evidence of the winemaker's craft. more
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$8.99
SKU15412 |
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