Website: https://www.ravenswoodwinery.com/

Ravenswood is a winery for Zinfandel lovers.  Winemaker Joel Peterson was the original winemaker who created award-winning Zinfandels for over 40 years starting in 1976.  The people who work at Ravenswood take their Zin very seriously but also like to have fun.  The winery’s motto is “No Wimpy Wines”.  Visitors will not find “wimpy” pink Zinfandels here.  Joel started it all by creating bold, rustic Zinfandels that honor the wines of the 19^th century when Zinfandel was California’s most widely planted grape.

The winery is located in the same vicinity as Buena Vista, Bartholomew Park, and Sebastiani (a few of the oldest wineries in Sonoma).  The tasting center is a small stone building.  Inside the tasting room is bright with lightly painted walls, a light wood bar, and windows looking out onto a patio and the vineyard.  The atmosphere is very relaxed.  There are also various fun wine gifts and Ravenswood paraphernalia available for purchase.  The winery hosts a lot of food and wine events that they post on their website.  Just be aware that this winery can be very popular and crowded at times.

Ravenswood Tasting Room

At first when my husband and I arrived at Ravenswood I was a little surprised that it wasn’t more prominent.  Ravenswood wines seem to be quite popular back home.  As the saying goes, “you can’t always judge a book by its cover”.  The staff inside the tasting room was welcoming and this tasting experience gave me a new appreciation for Zinfandel.  It is obvious looking around and talking to the staff that they take pride in their wines.  Zin fans cannot go wrong here.  There are so many different styles of Zinfandel to try from the deep, bold, in-your-face style, to softer fruiter ones.  For visitors who would like to spend some extra time at the winery, they offer tours and barrel tastings or a special blending seminar by reservation.  All visitors are also welcome to spend some time on the outdoor patio with a bottle of wine.

As a side note, in 2001 Joel Peterson sold Ravenswood to Constellation Brands.  Then in April 2019 Constellation Brands sold the winery to Gallo as part of a $1.7 billion deal of 30 wineries.

Outdoor picnic area at Ravenswood