The Laughing Raven is a small vineyard located in the northern part of Alexander Valley. We cultivate Sauvignon Blanc, Moscato Canelli and Barbera grapes. We strive for excellence in winemaking and particularly excellence in the expression of the characteristics of each varietal. ___________________________________________________________ * * * FREE GROUND SHIPPING OFFER * * * ___________________________________________________________ Orders must be placed online. Select from our choices to the left. ___________________________________________________________ "Finding My Voice" - Jose Zero, Principal I started to cook before I knew how to read or write. Cooking is up there in my subconscious mind as black and white dubbed to Spanish American television shows. The pasta is cooked when the sound of boiling bubbles is right and the red peppers acquire that particular taste when I cook them fast, then slow…. For a newcomer to the world of gardening and winemaking the nuances of tastes and particular queues of the garden can be easily lost. Producing a Sauvignon Blanc wine of characteristics that are not only determined but telling of the winemaker’s taste –his or her voice- can be difficult to achieve. Modern methodologies will help maintain a high level of quality, but without a voice there is no remembrance… no voice to hear. Of course four decades of cooking help a lot … Starting point The beginning was the geometry of the vineyard. With a large hill to the east the decision was clear that in order to catch as much sun as possible the rows will slope with a slight diagonal as to be perpendicular to the sun’s path in midsummer. The selection of the trellis was entirely a finding of Mark Lyon who without any hesitation proposed it as the Lyre that will tame Sauvignon Blanc. The selection of the “clone 5” as the Sauvignon Blanc variety and the adding of seventy seven Moscato Canelli was in a sense a decision somewhat contrived by circumstances and availability. This never diminished the correctness of the varieties. At harvest time this small patch has always returned generously the right flavors. Cooking in the garden The vineyard in the sun is very much like pot on the burner. The amounts of leaves and the exposure of the clusters to the light will regulate its level of maturation and sugar content. Day by day we follow the weather and prune, de-leaf (exposing clusters to the sun) and water as to obtain a highly citric mellow Sauvignon Blanc. Searching my voice in the wine will continue, but as of today that is my guiding light. ____________________________________________________________ Copyright 2007 Laughing Raven LLC