In the Beginning…

I love our Vintner John’s stories. If you’ve made it to an event I am sure you do too. If you haven’t had a chance to come to one (yet) I cornered John to write one down to share with you.

Growing up in Sacramento and at the start of my legal drinking age I only had access to Central Valley wines which were especially known for Zinfandel. Back then the wines from the Central Valley were quite harsh; heavy on the tannins and lacking any semblance of smoothness.

I moved off to Reno when I was 22 to attend graduate school with this disjointed, tart and not entirely pleasant taste in my mouth leaving me to wonder why all the big fuss over this fermented grape business.

And that was the start to my wine journey.

Then something changed. I don’t remember what year it was but I do remember the wine. It was a Rombauer Fiddletown Zinfandel.

Wow- I can still remember that taste being so different than the Zins I’d had earlier in my life. It was so much more complex. I am reliving the cascading layers and a smooth velvety finish that tied each sip together even now.

From there I ventured on to Zinfandels from Martenelli, Gamba, Turley, and Brown.

But my love for Zinfandels really came when my uncle, our winemaker, made some homemade wine from Dusi grapes that he was able to acquire for a group of amateur winemakers he headed decades ago in the Central Coast (much different than the Central Valley.)

Fast forward and saving many stories for another time, I founded Double Bond and knew that Zinfandel would be one of the four corners of my winery dream.

The hills of West Paso Robles had always been considered a premium place for growing the highest quality Zinfandel grapes and we were lucky to be able to get in early with the prized La Vista Vineyards. It is here we are able to control Block 2 of their Zin and keep the yield at our 3 tons per acre or less quality standards that creates our award winning vintages.

Although Zinfandel’s popularity has been growing, it still tends to get overlooked when surrounded by our Pinot Noirs and Blends. I wish I could give everyone reading this the experience I have every time I slip a bottle of Double Bond Zin out from its rack in the cellar.

I can’t tell you how often guests and friends at my home, in my travels or at our events wait in feigned anticipation when I select a Zinfandel over a Pinot Noir to share our winemaking passion with only to see genuine enjoyment fill their eyes the moment their glass fills their palate.

“This is the best Zinfandel I’ve ever had” is always followed by “I forgot how much I enjoyed Zins. This reminds me of…” and the evening is filled with adventures of yesteryear with a wine happily rediscovered.

Of course our Pinot Noir is the flagship. Naturally the blends are popular. But it is the Zinfandel that goes all the way back to the beginning. Without it, Double Bond would look quite different and I can reassure you, the Zinfandel is worth remembering.

John Klacking Founder & Vintner