Sonoma Wines We Tasted at WBC
By Kori ~ November 21st, 2008.
We could not have asked for more hospitable hosts for the first-ever North American Wine Bloggers Conference than the people of the Sonoma wine industry. They really stepped up to the plate with sponsorships and donations of wine to help make the conference possible.
Sonoma County is located north of San Francisco between Napa County and the Pacific Ocean. While Napa gets more attention worldwide, what many people do not know is that Sonoma is actually the birthplace of California wine, with the first wine grapes planted in Fort Ross around 1812. Sonoma is home to a number of wineries that are over 100 years old and are still run by the founding families. Sonoma County covers over 1,000,000 acres with 60,000 of those planted to wine grapes in its 13 wine regions and currently is home to more than 350 wineries.
We have had the pleasure of visiting Sonoma County on several occasions. We have always found it to be a great place to visit with great wines and very friendly people. If you’ve never been, I highly encourage you to take a trip to see for yourself.
Here’s a breakdown of the Sonoma wines that we tasted at the Wine Bloggers Conference, except those that we already rated during the Live Wine Blogging event. Under each Quality heading, the wine name and region within Sonoma County will be listed along with their price and QPR rating. Wines in bold type received a QPR rating of 5 bangs for your buck (out of 5).
Quality: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
2005 Sebastiani Secolo, Sonoma County, $35, QPR: 5
Quality: 4 stars (out of 5)
2006 Pedroncelli Mother Clone Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, $14, QPR: 5
2005 Ehret Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, Knights Valley, $39.99, QPR: 5
2002 Montemaggiore Superiore Syrah, Dry Creek Valley, $35, QPR: 4
2006 Siduri Van Der Camp Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Mountain, $44, QPR: 4
2005 Michel-Schlumberger Coteaux Sauvages, Dry Creek Valley, $50, QPR: 2
Quality: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
2006 Pedroncelli Three Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, $15.50, QPR: 5
2003 Pedroncelli Winery “Four Grapes†Vintage Port, Dry Creek Valley, $18, QPR: 5
2006 Quivira Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, $20, QPR: 5
2003 Paradise Ridge Syrah, Sonoma County, $23.95, QPR: 4
2004 Michel-Schlumberger Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, $38, QPR: 4
2005 Paradise Ridge Elevation Cabernet Sauvignon, Rockpile, $40, QPR: 4
2007 Dry Creek Vineyard Fume Blanc, Sonoma County, $14.50, QPR: 3
2006 Enkidu Odyssey Syrah, Russian River Valley, $34, QPR: 3
2006 Quivira Wine Creek Ranch Barrel Selection Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, $34, QPR: 3
2004 Montemaggiore Syrah, Dry Creek Valley, $35, QPR: 3
2006 Seghesio Old Vine Zinfandel, Sonoma County, $36, QPR: 3
2004 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, $50, QPR: 3
2005 Sebastiani Cherryblock Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County, $75, QPR: 1
Quality: 3 stars (out of 5)
2007 Siduri Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, $20, QPR: 4
2006 Enkidu Humbaba, Sonoma County, $25, QPR: 3
2006 Truett-Hurst Red Rooster Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, $29, QPR: 2
2004 Medlock Ames Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, $50, QPR: 2
2006 Quivira Grenache, Dry Creek Valley, $26, QPR: 1
2005 Rielle Zinfandel, Sonoma County, $40, QPR: 1
Quality: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
2006 Sebastiani Barbera, Sonoma Valley, $26, QPR: NR
2007 Flowers Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, $60, QPR: NR
Filed under: American Wine, Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon, California Wine, Dessert Wine, Five-Bangs For Your Buck Wines, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Port, Red Wine, Sauvignon Blanc, Shiraz/Syrah, White Wine, Wine Activities/Events, Wines NOT To Buy (1 & 2 Star), Wines Over $25, Wines Under $15, Wines Under $20, Wines Under $25, Zinfandel