Z-52 Z-52 specializes in vineyard designated Zinfandel - you cannot get more specific than that! They are based in Napa and similar to some of the other wineries we have visited, source fruit from high end vineyards both in Napa as well as other areas in California. Their philosophy is on terroir driven wines and in that case you go where you can find the highest quality fruit and depending on the varietal that is often outside of Napa. No, this winery should not be confused with the B52's, the rock band. Their name comes from the original vineyard they sourced fruit from which contains 52 rows, the last name of the winemaker starts with Z and just for fun, there are 52 weeks in a year and 52 cards in a full deck. As of press time, the owners of Z-52 run four other labels including Waterstone. They also are partners in the walk-in Taste at Oxbox tasting room in Napa (just down from Oxbow and Copia) where occasionally you can sample the Z-52 wines. Tasting Zinfandels from different vineyards side by side gives one a powerful respect for how terroir can influence the wines' flavor and aromas. These wines sit side by side but are markedly different from each other. We started our tasting with their 2005 Lodi, Agnes Vineyard Zinfandel. The vines are over 50 years old, head pruned and dry farmed - Central Valley floor grown. This is the jammiest of the Z-52 Zinfandels we tried but not overly so. Its a great food wine and chefs often find this is one of the easiest zinfandels to pair with a variety of foods. This is by far their most produced wine. The 2004 Amador Clockspring Vineyard Zinfandel is from an organically farmed vineyard at about 1800 feet in elevation. This is a very full bodied wine full of cherry and raspberry notes on the palate. The nose is fruit driven with eclectic spice aromas. For those who grew up in the SF Bay area you may have heard the commercial that ends with , "cows in Berkeley" and then a mooing sound - try Zinfandel grown in Carneros? Carneros is synonymous with cooler climate varietals including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. However, this is exactly where Z-52 sources their Zinfandel from. They source from the Truchard vineyard which has a unique microclimate compared to much of the Carneros district in that these vineyards are from a canyon which shelters the vines from the wind that so often blows through the Carneros region. Without the wind, you have a microclimate that can be significantly warmer at times. The only way you would "miss" the nose on this wine is if you are unable to smell. It is spice driven with great aromas of cloves, nutmeg and white pepper. The nose doesn't immediately continue to the palate which is actually more fruit driven with cranberry and other dried fruits up front. However, the spices creep up again in the finish. Z-52 is currently distributed in select markets in 42 states as well as parts of Europe, Asia & Canada. Their wines are all very reasonably priced. Visit: www.z52wines.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Private Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: N/A Phone: 265-8523 Address: P.O. Box 6979, Napa Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

Zahtila Vineyards is owned by Laura Zahtila who comes from a high tech background. She has always enjoyed wines and became a self taught vintner after purchasing this Calistoga property in the late 1990's. That is the nice thing about Napa - you have an abundance of top winemakers with a variety of knowledge and the winemaking side of things is not competitive as winemakers are generally happy to share their knowledge. Her location is just east of main street Calistoga and is probably the closest physical winery with a tasting room to this town (outside of the several garagist wineries within Calistoga). Their production is small, generally around 4000 cases. All fruit is sourced from premium vineyards in Napa & Sonoma County. A tasting will start with their one white wine; the Chardonnay. It is interesting in that it combines fruit from two totally separate vineyards located at opposite ends of the valley, one in a warm and one in a cool growing climate. The end result is a complexity of tropical flavors including very ripe pineapple and passion fruit. Zin lovers take note. Zahtila has made a name for herself by producing two high quality radically different styled Zinfandels. Her 2005 Dry Creek Zinfandel is from an area known to produce excellent Sonoma County Zins and is made in a leaner style than the 2005 Oat Hill Estate Zinfandel. The Oat Hill is the only wine sourced from the property (from the tiny 2 acre hillside vineyard behind the tasting room). It has significant longer hang time than the Dry Creek Zinfandel which allows the fruit to really ripen. It is only slightly jammy which is refreshing compared to the over the top jammy Zins we've had on occasion and is full of blackberry and assorted spices on the palate. Also try their Cabernets including the single vineyard Rutherford version from the highly acclaimed Beckstoffer Vineyard. Your pourer will often pour the two zins and two cabs side by side so you can compare. Visiting is on a quasi appointment basis - their tasting room is very small and if it is already packed you may need to schedule a later appointment - otherwise drop by and sign their register before you start tasting. In the early springtime beautiful flowering trees grace the property including a plethora of other annuals. Zahtila has been producing wines since 1999 and has already picked up its share of top wine awards at various competitions. This is a very low production winery so some of their more popular wines do sell out rather quickly. Visit: www.zahtilavineyards.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Yes Appointments: Yes Regular Tours: No Hours: 10-5pm Phone: 942-9251 Address: 2250 Lake County Highway, Calistoga Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

ZD Wines was founded in 1969 by the deLeuze family and is still family owned and operated with the original owner's children and grandchildren now involved. The Z and the D stand for the last name of the owners as well as meaning "Zero Defects" a term that is used in engineering. Norm deLeuze was an aeronautical engineer when he first started experimenting with commercial winemaking in 1969. ZD actually received their first wine permit in Sonoma County (not many Napa County wineries can say this!). They rented farm buildings in the Carneros region of Sonoma County and they made their first vintages here. They opened their current winery in 1980 and it has since undergone major renovation and now it is a world class winery building. Their inner courtyard area of the building looks almost like the Sonoma Mission in the town of Sonoma in neighboring Sonoma County. They have a unique winery sign - its gold lettering raised on natural rock. Drive down a small driveway and park; the winery is on the north side of the parking lot. Their grapes come from from all over Napa Valley although they have estate vineyards on site, all certified organic. Choose from two tasting flights at their large semi-circular counter, a Current Release and a Premier tasting. Their Riesling is delicious and not overly sweet - these grapes originate from Santa Barbara County. We have had several nice Rieslings recently from Santa Barbara county sourced fruit. ZD also has an excellent stand alone Petite Verdot. Petit Verdot is usually used as a varietal for blending and only a small number of Napa wineries produce this as a stand alone varietal. Their smooth Cabernet Sauvignon is worth trying and the vintage we tried had a soft tannin structure on the finish. We've been here several times, always nice to find the counter empty. During one of our recent tastings we tried their Reserve selection. These are wines that are typically produced in quantities of less than 2000 cases. The 2005 Reserve Chardonnay did not undergo Malolactic Fermentation and has a nice balance between fruit flavors and acidity. It is slightly creamy with a beautiful golden color in the glass. The 2006 Reserve Pinot Noir is a rich wine with soft tannins with a complexity of flavors that makes for a long interesting finish. ZD wines have been served at several Presidential State dinners. Check out their Saturday Cheese Pairing seminar (by app only). Visit www.zdwines.com

Quick Info Open to Public: Yes Appointments: No Regular Tours: No Hours: 10-4:30pm Phone: 963-5188 Address: 8383 Silverado Trail, Napa Winery Photos Winery Website | View Comments (0) | | Add Comment |

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