The finish closes with a little stone fruit and tart sump'm-sump'm. What a picnic wine! Not only do you not need to carry a deadly weapon (corkscrew), but the bright, diverse flavors will go with damn near anything edible you lay down on a checkered blanket.

It's just too bad that all Randall Grahm's future picnics will be on the banks of the river Styx, because surely as the rock band KISS's name is a satanic acronym, this beautiful wine was made by the devil's hands. For proof, one need look no further than Bonny Doon's own logo:

And look at the wineries phone number: 1.866.666.3396. What more proof do you need? The Mark of the Beast is right there! (We all know that evil resides in the number 3396!)

The icing on the demonic cake: Grahm has a zinfandel called Cardinal Zin. Need I say more?

Pray for him, and support his redemption by picking up a bottle or three of this great wine. Proceeds go toward keeping him out of Hell's fire.

Cheers,
TSW

I'm genuinely concerned for the soul of Randall Grahm, leader of Bonny Doon Vineyard. I think he may have traded it -- along with an "a" from his last name -- for the ability to make kick-butt wine at some fairly impossible prices. (Sure, he also makes some fairly pricey vino, but we're not talking about that today).

A crossroads deal with the devil isn't the only way to explain it, but makes the most sense. More on that later. First, let's talk about the wine. A mere $10 (or less) gets you this fantastic "kitchen sink" white wine that is, paradoxically, heavenly.

The nose is floral with steel and mineral scents that make their own deals with citrus notes. With so many grape varietals in here, it'd be easy to have different qualities in conflict with one another, but good and evil embrace in this golden-grey beauty.

The palate is even better. It's a touch sweet, but in a dry, viognier way. And the flavors are more than just viognier-ish. There are flowers and citrus and crisp minerals, along with a mouthfeel that's just on this side of fizzy.