The first time I met Peter Haywood, it was the very early 80s and he was brand new to the wine business. After planting hillside vineyards above Sonoma Valley in the late 70s, Haywood now had wine to sell.

    I don't remember all the wines we tasted together then, but I'll never forget the last wine he brought out. It was a red wine with a proprietary name and a ridiculously low price even for the time. He was charging no more than $5...and it may have only been $3 or $4.

    It was called Spaghetti Red and became my "Best Buy Wine of the Week" the very next week. The wine was very special, and certainly worth much more than he was asking. I, of course, wanted to know the wine's secret.

    Turns out it was 100 percent estate Zinfandel from his soon to become famous Los Chamizal Vineyard. Why didn't he call it what it was?..Zinfandel...I wanted to know.

    I told you Haywood was new to wine, and the old farmers and winemakers who he met regularly over breakfast in Sonoma's Plaza, had told him that Zinfandel was nearly impossible to sell, that no one would pay much money for it and sympathized that he had planted a loser variety.

    Now all of that was true in the early 80s. Zinfandel was in a real slump, but what the old timers were saying was only true about ordinary Zinfandel, and the Zin bottled as Spaghetti Red was anything but ordinary.

    Between the wine's quality, price and the strong review, it flew off the shelf and became one of those bragging rights wine..."I got two cases of Spaghetti Red, how much did you get?"

    Peter Haywood may have made one mistake, but it was not repeated. Never again was Spaghetti Red a 100 percent estate Zinfandel, though a pretty good generic red blend continued to appear under that name for a number of years. And of course, Haywood started making Estate Zinfandel with the very next vintage.

    Peter Haywood still grows the grapes and contributes to the winemaking, but the brand was sold to Racke USA, the German firm which owns Buena Vista, Robert Stemmler Wines and an interest in Pionero from Chile.

    Haywood now produces two lines of wines, the more expensive estate grown wines and the popularly priced "Vintner's Select" line, made from grapes grown in a variety of regions.

    Haywood 1996 "Los Chamizal Estate" Zinfandel ($18) Full blown raspberry and a little boysenberry flavor, in a wine of medium to full intensity. It will appeal to a broad spectrum of Zin drinkers...it has enough stuffing for those who like 'em big, but is very drinkable with no high alcohol showing. Rating: 89/84

    Haywood 1996 "Rocky Terrace Estate" Zinfandel ($24) The highest part of the estate vineyard, producing the finest and most concentrated fruit. This is super-Zin! Aged for 22 months in a mix of American and French oak barrels, it has a deeply intense nose of black raspberry with a little ripe cassis. The overall flavors are ripe, very ripe, approaching jammy, while maintaining elegance. One supple and delicious Zinfandel. Rating: 96/87

    Haywood 1997 "Vintner's" Cabernet Sauvignon ($10) Nothing special, but a decent value. Typical berry and cassis flavors; youthful; medium intensity; moderate tannins in the finish. Rating: 84/84

    Haywood 1997 "Vintner's" Merlot ($10) The best value red in Haywood's value line. Really forward cherry flavors; quite intense for the price point. This a Merlot that should be drunk with food. Most folks don't cellar inexpensive wines, but this one will be even better with a couple of years in the bottle. It actually has some modest tannins. Rating: 86/88

BEST BUY
WINE OF THE WEEK

    Haywood 1997 "Vintner's" Chardonnay ($10) This one is also available in the two-bottle (magnum) size for even greater savings. Really attractive aromas of melon and tropical fruit come through in the taste as well. It's one of those wines where the first glass begs the second. Very pleasant, but not overwhelming, oak vanillin after flavors. Case purchases highly recommended. Rating: 87/94

    Haywood wines have broad national distribution. Should you have trouble finding any of the wines, contact: Haywood/Racke (707) 252-7117.

   

CATCH 22

  We recently reported that Nevada passed a model law granting its consumers the right to import wine from vintners in other states. It was SB428, sponsored by Sen. Mike Schneider of Las Vegas and went into effect immediately upon being signed by Governor Kenny Guinn.

    Here's the problem: Nevada consumers know about it. Most of the small California wineries know about it. But the shipping companies such as UPS and FedEx don't seem to have the word yet, or if they do they haven't bothered to inform their field agents, who continue to refuse strictly legal shipments.

   

NUMBER TWO AND GAINING

  Stop and think. What would you say are the top four varietal (wines made from specific grape varieties) wines in America, according to the folks who check those supermarket and discount store scanning devices? There have been some changes in recent years.

    Chardonnay bumped White Zinfandel for number one a few years back and is hanging on to the top slot. But there's a new number two! It's Merlot, and it's not only number two overall, but has replaced Cabernet Sauvignon as the number one red. Cabernet is number three, and White Zinfandel has slipped to number four.

   

KUDOS

  Daryl Groom and the winemaking team at Sonoma County's Geyser Peak Winery has pulled off a world first. Always a top competitor, Groom and "The Peak" have been named "Winery and Winemaker of the Year" for an unprecedented second consecutive year at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in London. It's not only the first time anyone has won the honors back to back, we're told it's the first time anyone has repeated period. Which goes a long way toward explaining why Groom is rumored to be one of America's highest paid winemakers.

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Wines are scored using a unique 100 point system. First number rates quality; second number rates value.