2013 Teira Wines Zinfandel Sonoma County 750 ml

Overcoming Stage Fright at Gary Danko

They’re the toughest Bay Area restaurants to crack. If you’re a boutique Zinfandel producer, it’s hard enough to land a sales call at San Francisco’s Gary Danko, Boulevard, or RN74. But it’s something else altogether to convince the keepers of the city’s finest cellars to feature your new release by-the-glass.

“I was pretty excited when I got that first appointment,” Dan Donahoe told us as he poured three glasses of his dense and spicy 2013 Teira Zinfandel into Riedel stems. “I was new to the wine sales scene, so I was anxious. The closer I got to the date, the more I had the jitters. I played out the sales call in my head as I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. I’d begin with a pitch about Briarcrest Vineyard and all the great old-vine Zinfandels that have come off the ranch. I’d talk about how it took me two years to convince Bill Knuttel to make the wine. I thought I had it all down pat, but then I got stage fright when she walked over and introduced herself; I couldn’t find my words.”

“She” is Wine Director Christie Dufault, one of the most respected sommeliers in the country, armed with what many believe to be the most discerning somm palate in the Bay Area. Donahoe told us that Dufault took her time, taking a close look at the brilliant deep-purple color. Then a whiff of the spicy crushed-red-fruit aromas. Finally, a sip, aspirating. Swallowing.

Then Dufault knocked Donahoe right off his barstool with his first big order and a promise that Teira would soon have top billing at Gary Danko!

If you’re headed out to San Francisco for a board meeting or vacation this summer, and you want to know where to eat, forget Zagat. Don’t bother with Yelp or TripAdvisor. Instead, simply follow Dan Donahoe’s footsteps, where the darkest, juiciest under-$15 Zinfandel in Sonoma County can be found at RN74, Absinthe, Bix, Boulevard, Gary Danko, and THIRTY-TWO more of the top restaurants in town.

In Zin-master Bill Knuttel’s opinion, the 2013 is the richest and surely the most complex Teira Zinfandel to date. Brilliant purple, with luscious aromas of crushed red and black fruits and cracked pepper, plus a scent of rose oil. Darkly concentrated on the attack, packed with blackberry bramble, gobs of black raspberry, and black cherry preserves. Finishes with superb length and persistence. Serve at 58 degrees, inside and out, all summer long.

$26 release price. $12 by-the-glass all over town. A STEAL at $14.99 per bottle today on WineAccess. All orders placed today will ship next week — shipping included on 6 bottles or more.