Home | Wine Reviews | Wine Journals | Updates by Ken Zinns After taking a few wine courses through UC Extension in the early '90s, Bay Area architect Ken Zinns developed a serious interest wine. Ken has been touring and tasting wines for nearly 20 years, and has come to love not only the wines, but also the people behind them. Ken's interest in wine is more than passive, and he's been working at several urban East Bay and San Francisco wineries since 2001, and has been the assistant winemaker for both Eno Wines in Berkeley and Harrington Wine in San Francisco. Index of Touring/Tasting Notes         Aug '24 - Russian River Valley Visits 4 visits July '24 - Rhone Rangers Tasting, San Francisco Bay Area 42 wines June '24 - Second Annual Wine From Here Fair 40 wines June '24 - Shades of Shake Ridge Tasting     June '24 - Marin County Wine Tasting     June '24 - Historic Vineyard Society Tasting 46 wines May '24 - Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure 43 wines Mar '24 - San Benito Vineyards and Wine 3 visits Mar '24 - 6th Annual WINeFare 50 wines Mar '24 - Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains – 6th Grand Tasting 43 wines Nov '23 - Sierra Foothills Visits 5 visits Oct '23 - Visit to Noria Wines 5 wines Aug '23 - Petaluma Gap Wind to Wine Festival 45 wines June '23 - Oregon Visits 4 visits June '23 - Rhone Rangers Tasting, San Francisco Bay Area 41 wines June '23 - Sierra Foothills Visits 2 visits May '23 - Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure 60 wines Dec '22 - Sierra Foothills Visits 3 visits June '22 - Lodi and West Sacramento Visits, Parts 1-3 11 visits June '22 - 4th Annual WINeFare 58 wines May '22 - Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure 47 wines May '22 - Wines of the Santa Cruz Mountains – 6th Grand Tasting 39 wines Dec '21 - More Sierra Foothills Visits 3 visits May '21 - Sierra Foothills Visits 3 visits Mar '20 - 3rd Annual WINeFare 50 wines Feb '20 - Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure 54 wines Jan '20 - Napa-Sonoma Visits, Parts 1-3 9 visits Dec '19 - Sierra Foothills Visits, Parts 1-2 11 visits May '19 - Sierra Foothills Visits 2 visits May '19 - Taste Mendocino 46 wines Mar '19 - Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure 49 wines Mar '19 - Brumaire – 4th Annual Grand Tasting 35 wines Dec '18 - Napa-Sonoma Visits, Parts 1-2 4 visits Nov '18 - Sierra Foothills Visits 4 visits June '18 - Southern California Tour, Parts 1-4 12 visits May '18 - Northern California Tour, Parts 1-3 10 visits May '18 - Petaluma Gap AVA Celebration 27 wines May '18 - Garagiste Wine Festival: Northern Exposure 47 wines April '18 - Historic Vineyard Society Tasting 51 wines April '18 - Taste of Mendocino County 51 wines Mar '18 - Brumaire – 3rd Annual Grand Tasting 70 wines Dec '17 - Visits in Napa and Sonoma 2 visits Dec '17 - Winemaker Salon tasting of Thackrey & Company 5 wines Dec '17 - Sierra Foothills Visits 3 visits Dec '17 - Taste of Anderson Valley 37 wines Nov '17 - Visit to Castelli Vineyards 4 wines Oct '17 - Mendocino County Visits, Parts 1-2 8 visits June '17 - Central Coast Visits, Parts 1-4 18 visits June '17 - Rhone Rangers Tasting, San Francisco Bay Area 42 wines April '17 - Dirty and Rowdy Family Wines 9 wines May '17 - Sonoma County Tour, Parts 1-3 10 visits Mar '17 - Brumaire – 2nd Annual Grand Tasting 52 wines Mar '17 - Visit to Sante Arcangeli Family Wines 8 wines Dec '16 - Napa and Sonoma Visits 2 visits Dec '16 - Sierra Foothills Visits 3 visits Nov '16 - 2nd Annual Califermentation Tasting 18 wines Nov '16 - 2nd Annual Petaluma Gap Wind to Wine festival 67 wines Sept '16 - California Meets Italy – El Dorado County Vineyard Tour 3 visits Sept '16 - Visit to Rorick Vineyard / Forlorn Hope Wines 10 wines July '16 - 8th Annual Taste of Mendocino 37 wines July '16 - 11th Marin County Wine Celebration 37 wines June '16 - Rhone Rangers Tasting, San Francisco Bay Area 111 wines June '16 - Lodi Visits 4 visits May '16 - Garagiste Wine Festival 58 wines May '16 - Winemaker Salon tasting of Alma Fria and Gregory James 6 wines May '16 - Seven % Solution Tasting 103 wines Apr '16 - Brief Tour of Paso Robles 3 visits Apr '16 - Open House at Kendric Vineyards 15 wines Apr '16 - Brumaire – 1st Annual Grand Tasting 72 wines Mar '16 - Central Coast Visits, Parts 1-2 11 visits Feb '16 - Santa Barbara County Pioneers Visits 5 visits Jan '16 - Napa Valley Visits 2 visits Nov '15 - Sierra Foothills Visits 5 visits Oct '15 - Winemaker Salon Tasting of Belden Barns wines 8 wines Aug '15 - West of West Tasting 76 wines Aug '15 - Visit to Scherrer Winery 8 wines June '15 - 11th Annual Pinot Days - San Francisco 72 wines May '15 - Seven % Solution Tasting 81 wines Apr '15 - TAPAS 2015 Tasting 88 wines Apr '15 - Visit to Waxwing Wine Cellars 6 wines Apr '15 - Rhone Rangers Tasting, San Francisco Bay Area 100 wines Mar '15 - Pinot Paradise - 10th Annual Tasting 68 wines Mar '15 - Visit to The Barlow 15 wines Mar '15 - In Pursuit of Balance Tasting - San Francisco, 2015 66 wines Feb '15 - Bokisch Vineyards at California Wine Merchant in S.F. 6 wines Jan '15 - Central Coast Visits 18 visits Dec '14 - Napa / Sonoma Visits 3 visits Dec '14 - A La Clarine Farm Tasting at Bay Grape in Oakland 4 wines Dec '14 - Sierra Foothills Visits 6 visits Nov '14 - A Rhone Reunion 12 visits Oct '14 - A Visit to Skinner and Gros Ventre 11 wines Aug '14 - West of West Tasting 62 wines Aug '14 - Sonoma/Napa Visits 4 visits July '14 - 10th Annual Marin County Wine Celebration 81 wines July '14 - 6th Annual Taste of Mendocino 91 wines June '14 - 17th Annual Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival 91 wines April '14 - TAPAS 2014 Tasting 83 wines April '14 - Rhone Rangers Tasting, San Francisco Bay Area 102 wines April '14 - Pinot Paradise - 10th Annual Tasting 70 wines Mar '14 - Rhone Rangers, North Coast Chapter Tasting 43 wines Mar '14 - In Pursuit of Balance Tasting - San Francisco, 2014 75 wines Dec '13 - Visit With Stewart Johnson of Kendric Vineyards 15 wines Dec '13 - Napa / Sonoma Visits 3 visits Nov '13 - Sierra Foothill Winery Visits 3 visits Nov '13 - Solano County Winery Visits 6 visits Aug '13 - Family Winemakers of California, San Francisco - 2013 84 wines July '13 - Lodi Visits 4 visits June '13 - West Sonoma Coast Visits 8 visits August '13 - West of West Tasting 72 wines June '13 - Pinot Days, San Francisco - 2013 101 wines June '13 - TAPAS Tasting 89 wines June '13 - Taste of Mendocino 92 wines June '13 - 3rd Annual Sta. Rita Hills Road Trip Tasting 53 wines June '13 - 16th Annual Anderson Valley Pinot Noir Festival 90 wines May '13 - Marin County Wine Celebration 34 wines May '13 - Seven % Solution 49 wines May '13 - 23rd Annual Passport to Cabernet 74 wines April '13 - Mount Eden Vineyards & Ridge Vineyards 3 visits March '13 - Paso Robles 5 visits March '13 - Pinot Paradise - Tech Session and 9th Annual Tasting 70 wines March '13 - Santa Cruz Mtns Visits - 2013 7 labels February '13 - Hospice du Rhone Tasting - 2012 186 wines February '13 - Visit to Thomas Fogarty with Nathan Kandler 33 wines February '13 - In Pursuit of Balance Tasting - San Francisco, 2013 71 wines January '13 - Central Coast 19 visits December '12 - Sonoma Co. & Napa Valley 9 visits November '12 - Sierra Foothills 9 visits September '12 - Family Winemakers of California, San Francisco - 2012 165 wines August '12 - West of West Tasting 60 wines August '12 - A Visit to Scherrer Winery 8 wines July '12 - Sonoma County Day Trip 4 visits July'12 - Santa Cruz Day Trip 4 visits June'12 - Marin County Wine Celebration 36 wines June'12 - Pinot Days, San Francisco - 2012 87 wines June'12 - Taste of Mendocino 75 wines June'12 - TAPAS Tasting 71 wines Apr '12 - Paso Robles 4 visits Apr '12 - Rhone Rangers Tasting 97 wines Apr '12 - In Pursuit of Balance Tasting - San Francisco, 2012 79 wines Mar '12 - Central Coast 4 visits Jan '12 - Central Coast 15 visits Dec '11 - Santa Cruz Mountains 4 visits Nov '11 - Sierra Foothills 5 visits Aug '11 - Russian River Valley 5 visits Aug '11 - Family Winemakers of California, San Francisco - 2011 170 wines June '11 - Pinot Days, San Francisco - 2011 189 wines June '11 - A Visit to Pierce Ranch and Coastview Vineyard 2 visits June '11 - Marin County Wine Celebration 35 wines June'11 - TAPAS Tasting 81 wines Apr-May '11 - Paso Robles tour 7 visits Apr '11 - Hospice du Rhone Tasting - 2011 150+ wines Apr '11 - Wineries of Hawai'i 2 Visits Mar '11 - Rhone Rangers Tasting 87 wines Mar '11 - Santa Barbara County 7 visits Jan '11 - Sonoma County 4 visits Nov '10 - Sierra Foothills 2 visits Nov '10 - Book Review - The Art and Design of Wine Labels 1 book review Sept '10 - Sierra Foothill Wine Experience 55 wines August '10 - Marin County Tour 7 visits August '10 - Family Winemakers of California Tasting 152 wines June '10 - Bay Area Natural Wine Consortium Tasting 14 wines June '10 - Marin County Pinot Noir Celebration 27 wines June '10 - TAPAS Tasting - Spanish varieties 86 wines Apr-May '10 - Paso Robles tour 8 visits Apr-May '10 - Hospice du Rhone Tasting - 2010 150+ wines April '10 - A Visit to a Utah Winery 6 wines March '10 - Rhone Rangers Tasting 86 wines Jan '10 - Central Coast 19 visits Nov '09 - Sierra Foothills 7 visits June '09 - A Visit to Rhys Vineyards 12 wines June '09 - TAPAS Tasting - Spanish varieties 87 wines June '09 - Marin County Pinot Noir Celebration 29 wines June '09 - Russian River Valley 3 visits May '09 - Russian River Valley 3 visits May '09 - Paso Robles 5 visits May '09 - Hospice du Rhone Tasting 85 wines April '09 - Russian River Valley 4 visits March '09 - Pinot Paradise Tasting 64 wines March '09 - Rhone Rangers Tasting 94 wines Nov '08 - Sierra Foothills, El Dorado Co. 36 wines Aug '08 - Family Winemakers of California Tasting 59 wineries Aug '08 - A Visit to Woodenhead Vintners 6 wines Aug '08 - TAPAS Tasting - Spanish varieties 35 wines Aug '08 - Central Coast 8 visits July '08 - A Visit with Shane Finley 17 wines May '08 - Central Coast 6 visits April '08 - Livermore Valley & Lodi 18 visits March '08 - Pinot Paradise Tasting 52 wines March '08 - Rhone Rangers Tasting 108 wines Jan '08 - A Visit with Ed Kurtzman 17 wines Dec '07 - Sonoma County / Napa Valley 13 visits Dec '07 - Central Coast 20 visits April '07 - Central Coast 22 visits Feb '07 - Mendocino County 11 visits Nov '06 - Central Coast 13 visits July '06 - Sierra Foothills 17 visits April '06 - Central Coast 21 visits   Home | Wine Reviews | Wine Journals | Updates Copyright © 1993 - 2024, Ken Zinns - All rights reserved No original material may be reproduced without written consent Mail & Comments - Grape-Nutz Updated 9.05.24