Esther Mobley names the best wines she’s drunk in coronavirus quarantine, so far

San Francisco Chronicle

April 2, 2020

In her weekly newsletter, “Drinking with Esther,” San Francisco Chronicle‘s Esther Mobley keeps it light, sharing the best wines she’s consumed during her coronavirus quarantine thus far. Our 2018 Blasi Zinfandel made her list of favorites:

In this week’s newsletter, we’re not going to rehash the latest news or address any big questions about what the coronavirus means. Instead, I’m just going to share some of the wines that I’ve been enjoying while sheltering in place. Somehow, the bottles seem to be getting empty more quickly than normal these days...

Ridge “Blasi” Zinfandel Chalk Hill 2018
I adore Ridge’s Zinfandels, which are the specialty of its Lytton Springs winery in Healdsburg. (Many of its other wines are made at Ridge’s original Monte Bello winery in Cupertino.) But this was my first time ever trying the Blasi. It’s from a vineyard called Metcalfe, in the Chalk Hill AVA — a subregion of the Russian River Valley — and the wine is named for its longtime farmer, Gary Blasi. Aromatically, it almost reads as a Pinot Noir, full of red cherries and floral perfume. The dominant flavor recalls Red Vines: bright, fruity, licorice-y, a little bit candied. I found it to be perfect with pizza.