Updated: Old Vine Field Blends in Santa Rosa 3-2-13

A few of us got to talking during the Bedrock thread and decided that with all the buzz over Historic Vineyard preservation that it was time for an offline in the North Bay featuring California Old Vine Field Blends.

Saturday March 2nd 2013 @ Pizzeria Rosso in Santa Rosa. Open to 27 people.
Starting time 5:00pm sharp til 8:30
Bring a bottle (or more) of one of your favorite Field Blends, red or white, to be enjoyed with Rosso’s wood fired pizza.

Service will be family style with apps, salad and pizzas ordered off the menu.
The restaurant said they can comfortably serve up to 27 in a group like this.
Cost per person which includes food, corkage and tip will be close to $40. 1 check for the entire group.
Its time to shore up the attendee list and have people confirm. At this time we have more people interested than can be accommodated so its important to the people on the waitlist that everyone else confirm.

Hotels close by, short cab ride, include:
Hyatt Vineyard Creek
Marriot Courtyard
Hotel La Rose
Flamingo Resort

Attendees
2 - Larry Piggins +1
1 - Carl Jensen
2 - Morgan Twain Peterson +1
1 - Mike Officer
1 - Tegan Passalacqua
2 - Jake Terrell +1
1 - Brian Tuite
2 - Mike and Dana Stoneking
1 - Gene Matter
1 - Linda Baehr
2 - Mike Sai +1
1 - Vamsi Kaipa
2 - AmiDIbarra +1

19 Total

Bummer. That’s our “Behind The Cellar Door” wine weekend up here in Amador County. Otherwise, I’d be all over it! Great idea, would love to attend one of these.
I’ve got some older Rinaldi I’d love to crack. Next time.

I am a +1 Brian can bring a white or red. No clue if I’m working yet that weekend but should know shortly.

Please add me to the maybe list and a plus 1 for me as well.

I’m in!

Add Dana and I to the mix. Sounds like a great time.

OK, I have Glenn +1, both Mikes and Dana added to the roster and updated the OP.

Apologies in advance for the naive question, but what is considered an old vine field blend?
I’ve got some old’ish Ravenswood Teldeschi (97?), Cline Bridgehead (97), Rosenblum Monte Rosso / Rockpile Zins (01?) that might be fun to try (they could be “interesting”, or dreadful…) + a line on sourcing local foothills wines.
I’d be interested if I have something I can contribute.
The pizza and company alone would be worth the drive to Santa Rosa.
Rgds- gene

Not a single variety. One of my grower friends refers to them as Dago blends. Normally Zinfandel based but often mixed with the likes of Carignane, Petite Sirah, Mataro, Alicante Bouschet and even some whites… You’re on the right track Gene, we’d love to have you.

Gene, absolutely those are field blends! “Old” here refers to the vines not the wines, but these have a surprising ability to improve with age, so these sound like some great experiments. Just about any single-vineyard zin which is from a truly old vineyard will have been planted to a mix of various grape varieties (Monte Rosso is probably the exception, but just the same I’d never turn down a Monte Rosso). If these meet the minimum amount of zinfandel (75%?) then it can be labeled zin, but still probably contains 10-25% other varieties like Petite Sirah, Carignane, Alicante, etc.

Maybe this helps:

Excellent!

Thanks. I’ll bring the 3 wines I described: 2 97’s: teldeschi, bridgehead and the 01’ monte rosso. I have a friend who is a winemaker in Amador who may help me out on sourcing some modern (or older) Sierra foothills old vine/field blends as well. I can probably horse trade some of my stash for his library wines or current offerings. Gives me an excuse to trek out to Fiddletown, El Dorado, Amador and Lodi.

So if it’s OK, sign me. I’ll probably go solo unless Crippen (from Renwood) wants to also come along.

Ive got a mag of 99 Geyserville with this group’s name on it

This is shaping up to be a really interesting evening!

i’ll throw in a '93 Swan Frati Ranch (nowadays known as Dolinsek Ranch).

Sounds like a good opportunity to open a '98 Thackrey Orion. I’m in if the weather works for a motorcycle ride up from Arizona. Some rain is OK but snow in the passes would oblige me to cancel.

I’ll pencil you in Bob!

I think I can make this!

Of course, if history is any indicator, Larry Piggins will now drop out.

Not this time Linda, he is one of the 3 of us who came up with the idea!

I would like to throw my name in with a +1. as soon as I can confirm child care I will firm up and commit.

-dave