Joseph Swan

I do like stopping at Joseph Swan to see what their barrels are offering. They often have 6-8 barrels open for the tasting and the case price is more than reasonable. Moreover, they'll have a vintage wine on clearance for a ridiculous price.

Joseph Swan, in my opinion, has some of the best-balanced zinfandels in the valley, particularly at that price point ($19-$25). I often believe they are under-priced, but it's their market and I'm not complaining. Unfortunately, I lost my tasting partner this year before we stopped here (and subsequently Sunce), so my heart wasn't in it. Even though the wines weren't compelling as futures, I'd likely buy them for full price if I was walking out the door with them. In fact, if you can get your hands on some vintage Lone Redwood, horde it! They've since ripped out the vines, but it was a delectable zinfandel.