Published: Wednesday, February 16, 2011 at 3:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 at 1:21 p.m.
Joel Peterson is one of five winemakers who will be inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame on Feb. 21.
The vintner co-founded Ravenswood Winery in 1976 with $4,000 and no vineyards to speak of.
He became a zinfandel expert while working at Joseph Swan Vineyards in Forestville for five vintages, intent on making great zinfandel from older vines planted in the right locations.
Today, Peterson is best known for his single-vineyard zins, and his wines have helped preserve some of California's oldest zin vineyards.
In 2001, Ravenswood was sold to Constellation Brands for $148 million, but Peterson stayed with Constellation as a senior vice president and Ravenswood's head winemaker.
Peterson, who wears a cowboy hat on most days, also serves as head adviser to his son, vintner Morgan Twain Peterson of Bedrock Wines in Sonoma. We asked Peterson how he became a zin zealot.
Q: Why did you choose zinfandel? What about this varietal spoke to you?
A: Zinfandel was of interest based on tastings I had done over the years before I became a winemaker, when I tasted some wines that I thought demonstrated the excellence that was possible with zinfandel.
After apprenticing with Joe Swan, who made some of the most exciting zins in the early '70s, I became convinced that zinfandel was a grape that was under-served in the wine world.
I also thought that many zinfandel vineyards represented great promise in that they shared common characteristics that great European vineyards demonstrate.
Low production, dry farming, head training and a special grape-specific location are among those characteristics.
Q: Since 1976, when you founded Ravenswood, what changes have you seen in this varietal — from pink wine to sassy reds?
A: These days, I almost never get a question about why my zin is red and not white.
I think the other change is that there is a position on almost all good restaurant lists for zinfandel.
Zinfandel has become one of the necessary sets every place where fine wine is sold. This was not the case when I started.
Q: As a winemaker, why did you focus on single-vineyard zins? What's something the uninitiated don't know about a single-vineyard wine?
A: Great, highly respected wine is all about place. The greatest wines in the world demonstrate this.
For zinfandel to gain respect, it needed to reach this bar for unique, high-quality flavor of place.
After Prohibition, zin had been dumbed down to a jug wine.
It needed to prove that it could overcome this stigma by proving it could stand with the best, on the terms that had been set by the best.
Q: What don't people know about old vines? What do they give to zins?
A: Old-vine zinfandel vineyards contain many other varieties than zinfandel. In some of these cases these varieties are rare and obscure varieties and in some cases even unidentifiable.
These old vineyards represent a collection of some of the most diverse plant material in the world.
Old vines give zin complexity, uniqueness and historical grounding.
Q: What role do you play in Bedrock wines?
A: I offer the wisdom of the aged, provide advice (both requested and not), add an additional point of view in wine evaluation, and comfort or perspective when the process of being a winemaker at a high-quality small winery begins to wear on him (son Morgan Twain Peterson).
In short, I am the father adviser.
Q: What's the best part of working with your vintner son?
A: I get to work with my best friend.
Q: What's the most exciting part of being a winemaker?
A: The activities associated with being a winemaker .
.
. working in a beautiful place, working with great people, producing a beverage that is pleasing and healthful (in moderation) and sharing the synthesis of creativity and place that goes into every wine.
Q: The most challenging part?
A: Maintaining a sense of perspective and an understanding that there are other things of interest other than wine .
<p>Joel Peterson is one of five winemakers who will be inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame on Feb. 21. </p><p>The vintner co-founded Ravenswood Winery in 1976 with $4,000 and no vineyards to speak of. </p><p>He became a zinfandel expert while working at Joseph Swan Vineyards in Forestville for five vintages, intent on making great zinfandel from older vines planted in the right locations.</p><p>Today, Peterson is best known for his single-vineyard zins, and his wines have helped preserve some of California's oldest zin vineyards.</p><p>In 2001, Ravenswood was sold to Constellation Brands for $148 million, but Peterson stayed with Constellation as a senior vice president and Ravenswood's head winemaker. </p><p>Peterson, who wears a cowboy hat on most days, also serves as head adviser to his son, vintner Morgan Twain Peterson of Bedrock Wines in Sonoma. We asked Peterson how he became a zin zealot.</p><p><CF103>Q: Why did you choose zinfandel? What about this varietal spoke to you?</p><p></CF>A: Zinfandel was of interest based on tastings I had done over the years before I became a winemaker, when I tasted some wines that I thought demonstrated the excellence that was possible with zinfandel. </p><p>After apprenticing with Joe Swan, who made some of the most exciting zins in the early '70s, I became convinced that zinfandel was a grape that was under-served in the wine world. </p><p>I also thought that many zinfandel vineyards represented great promise in that they shared common characteristics that great European vineyards demonstrate. </p><p>Low production, dry farming, head training and a special grape-specific location are among those characteristics.</p><p><CF103>Q: Since 1976, when you founded Ravenswood, what changes have you seen in this varietal — from pink wine to sassy reds?</p><p></CF>A: These days, I almost never get a question about why my zin is red and not white. </p><p>I think the other change is that there is a position on almost all good restaurant lists for zinfandel. </p><p>Zinfandel has become one of the necessary sets every place where fine wine is sold. This was not the case when I started.</p><p><CF103>Q: As a winemaker, why did you focus on single-vineyard zins? What's something the uninitiated don't know about a single-vineyard wine?</p><p></CF>A: Great, highly respected wine is all about place. The greatest wines in the world demonstrate this. </p><p>For zinfandel to gain respect, it needed to reach this bar for unique, high-quality flavor of place. </p><p>After Prohibition, zin had been dumbed down to a jug wine. </p><p>It needed to prove that it could overcome this stigma by proving it could stand with the best, on the terms that had been set by the best.</p><p><CF103>Q: What don't people know about old vines? What do they give to zins?</p><p></CF>A: Old-vine zinfandel vineyards contain many other varieties than zinfandel. In some of these cases these varieties are rare and obscure varieties and in some cases even unidentifiable. </p><p>These old vineyards represent a collection of some of the most diverse plant material in the world. </p><p>Old vines give zin complexity, uniqueness and historical grounding.</p><p><CF103>Q: What role do you play in Bedrock wines?</p><p></CF>A: I offer the wisdom of the aged, provide advice (both requested and not), add an additional point of view in wine evaluation, and comfort or perspective when the process of being a winemaker at a high-quality small winery begins to wear on him (son Morgan Twain Peterson). </p><p>In short, I am the father adviser.</p><p><CF103>Q: What's the best part of working with your vintner son?</p><p></CF>A: I get to work with my best friend.</p><p><CF103>Q: What's the most exciting part of being a winemaker?</p><p></CF>A: The activities associated with being a winemaker .<TH>.<TH>. working in a beautiful place, working with great people, producing a beverage that is pleasing and healthful (in moderation) and sharing the synthesis of creativity and place that goes into every wine.</p><p><CF103>Q: The most challenging part?</p><p></CF>A: Maintaining a sense of perspective and an understanding that there are other things of interest other than wine .<TH>.<TH>. (though I am not sure what they might be).</p>