Had a great day in Sonoma with Vitis Vinifera yesterday. And man what a car load of wine we came home with. I ended up with two cases and he ended up with 3 cases. Here is where we went and what we tasted:

Pezzi King
2001 Russian River Zinfandel
1999 Mendocino Zinfandel
2000 Mendocino Zinfandel
1999 Old Vine Zinfandel
1999 Estate Zinfandel
2000 Estate Zinfandel
2000 Maple Zinfandel
1999 Dry Creek Valley Syrah
1998 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
1999 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Quivira
2001 Grenache
2000 Dry Creek Cuvee (Grenache - 56%; Mourvèdre - 23%; Syrah - 14%; Zinfandel - 7%)
2000 Syrah Dry Creek Valley
2000 Zinfandel
2000 Zinfandel Anderson Ranch

A. Rafanelli
2001 Zinfandel
2000 Merlot
2000 Cabernet Sauvignon

Rosenblum Cellars
2001 Chateau La Paws Rhone Blend
2000 Syrah - Rodney's Reserve
2000 Russian River Valley Zinfandel - Alegria Vineyard
2000 Redwood Valley Zinfandel - Annette's Reserve, Rhodes Vineyard
2001 Sonoma Valley Zinfandel - Samsel Vineyard, Maggie's Reserve

Seghesio
2002 Arneis
2000 Keyhole Ranch Pinot Noir
1999 Chianti Station (Old Vine Sangiovese)
2001 Sonoma Zinfandel
2000 San Lorenzo Zinfandel
2001 Old Vine Zinfandel
2001 Home Ranch Zinfandel
1999 Omaggio (Super Tuscan - 60% Cab; 40% Sangio)

Michel-Schlumberger
2001 Chardonnay "La Brume"
1998 Reserve Chardonnay
2000 Pinot Noir
1999 Syrah
2000 Merlot
1999 Cabernet Sauvignon
1998 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Stryker of Sonoma
2002 Semillon - Alexander Valley
2001 Russian River Valley Chardonnay
2001 Reserve Chardonnay RRV
2000 Sangiovese - Alexander Valley
2001 Dry Creek Zinfandel
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon - Sonoma County

Gladstone Vineyards
1999 Zinfandel
2000 Zinfandel

Meeker Vineyards
2001 Pink Elephant Rose
2000 Gold Leaf Cuvee Merlot
2000 10th Rack Zinfandel
2001 Idle Home Zinfandel
1999 Four Kings Proprietary Blend
2001 Petite Sirah Little Brother
2001 Petite Sirah Big Brother
2000 FRO-ZIN Ice Wine

LOCALS Wine Shop
1999 Eric Ross Zinfandel Feeney Vineyard
2000 Eric Ross Zinfandel Robert's Block
2001 Camellia Cellars Zinfandel Lenocioni Vineyard
1999 Crane Canyon Zinfandel Eagan Vineyard
2001 Martin Zinfandel Crazy Horse
2001 Forth Vineyards Merlot - Dry Creek Valley
2000 Forth Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon - Dry Creek Valley

Very nice...thanks for calling me and making me jealous that I wasnt there...

You're welcome!!!

Wow, that is quite a line-up. How was the Quivira Dry Creek Cuvee? I remember when it was a non-vintage wine for under $10 and worth three times that.

No Viognier for Vitis?

Board-O: The Quivira was quite nice. Vitis said it was very reminiscent of a Rhone-style blend. Higher % of Grenache. It was a great, easy drinking wine. Light and fruity with plenty of character. It retails for $18.00.

There weren't very many places that offered a Viognier. Rosenblum is the only one that comes to mind but they weren't pouring it. They offer the Ripken Vineyard Viognier which is the same vineyard Vitis gets his Viognier grapes. The tasting room lady said they were completely sold out of it three times. Lo and behold I turn around as Vitis is paying for his wine and there are 4 cases on the floor behind us. He bought some!

Any notes or impressions on the Arneis?

WineBrat: From what I remember...honey on the nose, with some honey and a little melon on the palate. Not my cup of tea, but a nice, summery drinking wine.

Holy Smoke!

FWIW, Quivira makes a Viognier. I think I still have 1 bottle left in the cellar. I'm guessing they were not pouring it that day.