We were pleasantly surprised when Twisted Roots launched a tasting room in Carmel Valley (I love Zinfandel and Petite Sirah – and Lodi big reds)! But we wondered why. Took us a while to learn that there was a local connection: Josh Ruiz, partner and winemaker, is originally from Salinas! Twisted Roots opening their tasting room at 12 Del Fino Place gives us yet another reason to come to Carmel Valley to taste wine. In addition to Monterey County wines, you can find wines from Santa Cruz, Clarksburg, Lodi and even Napa (both Rombi and Bunter Spring feature wines with grapes from Napa) in Carmel Valley Village! We like to check in at Twisted Roots when we can catch them open to check out the latest releases, including what special wines/blends they may have.
This is the second article about non-Central Coast wineries with tasting rooms in Carmel Valley.
From the Twisted Roots webpage: Twisted Roots Vineyard includes vines (Zinfandel) planted in 1918, but the small lot winery didn’t start making its own wines until 2005 by producing its flagship Petite Sirah. In 2009, they expanded to produce wines based on the other grapes in the vineyard, including Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Old Vine Zinfandel (1918) along with yearly “Limited Release” wines.
There is a great article about vintner Josh Ruiz from Eve’s Wine 101 and another great article from LodiWine.com here if you want to read more about why Lodi makes such great Petite Sirah.
2016 Twisted Roots 1918 Old Vines Zinfandel, Lodi AVA, 14.7% ABV, $40 (#32*)
According to its website, the 2016 Twisted Roots “1918” Old Vines Zinfandel is made from “the grapes that started it all for Twisted Roots… Originally planted on the “Dairy” Vineyard in 1918! Three generations of our family have cared for these vines, and they are still producing to this day. This wine presents itself as big and fruity on the nose, but on the pallet (sic) it has gentle fruit and smooth tannins. We aged this wine in 100% neutral French oak barrels to showcase the depth of flavor these old vines produce.”
My Review: Very dark purple in color, the nose and palate match on this wine: dark fruit, currant and licorice with a touch of alcohol. An almost port-like finish. April 2020
2015 Twisted Roots Petite Sirah, Lodi AVA, 15.8% ABV, $30 (#128*)
Reviews: From the above Lodi Wine article: “This is a dryer, slimmed down version of the varietal, which suits a Petite Sirah lover looking for the black color and blue fruit, but underlined by more of an edgy, angular tannin than the big, rounded, overtly fruit driven styles more typical of California iterations. Slightly caramelized, toasted vanillin oak helps drive the point home in this zesty, toothsome yet moderately sized (as Petite Sirahs go) wine.” The current release is the 2016 and sounds more up my alley: “…intense berry flavors up front, followed by a smooth, subtle finish.” It sells for $33 and you can for sure buy it through the winery’s website.
My Review: A rich, deep ruby red in color, with a strong berry nose. There is still quite a bit of tannin and acidity in this wine, with a tobacco finish. August 2020
Twisted Roots currently is offering free shipping. Check out Twisted Roots Vineyard on Facebook for their current specials. Check out their webpage to hear more about their wine tasting options – whenever we are able to reopen. “For more information or to make a reservation, call (831) 594-8282 or email info@twistedrootsvineyard.com.”
*Refers to wines tasted while Sheltering in Place on Sharon’s personal Facebook group “Sharon’s Central Coast (Monterey) Wine Blog” – including non-Central Coast wines.
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