How many people can say they’ve been lost in a vineyard? How many were lost because you were chasing a giant glow in the dark, blue sparkly Zinman? (Well at least that’s what we think he looks like…)
What is a Zinman, you ask? That’s a great question! After two years of attending Perry Creek Winery’s annual “Hunt for the Zinman” event…we still don’t know. All we know is that it is truly one of the funnest winery events we’ve been to…ever!
Winery Overview
Information current as of January 2018
Tasting Cost:Â Free (excluding Cobra wines); groups of 8 are subject to $10 per person tasting fee waived with purchase. Winery tours and cheese plates are available if arranged ahead of time.
Hours:Â Monday-Sunday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
In town/Rural/Remote:Â Rural but near other wineries
Location:Â 7400 Perry Creek Road, Somerset CA
Quality of Wines (1-5 smiley faces): 🙂 🙂 🙂
Winery Style:Â Friendly & Fun; During non-event times: Rustic & Low-key; During Zinman event: Energetic Party Zone and Unique.
Space for Weddings & Events:Â Lawn picnic area, good for medium to large size groups.
Website:Â http://www.perrycreek.com/
The Traveling Wino loves wine fresh from the vine!
Perry Creek reels you in with this hook: for $40 per person you get a decadent steak dinner along with delicious dessert and even more delicious wine…flowing free. Although it’s not typical, on this special night, you are allowed to park your RV, camper or trailer, or better yet pitch a tent on their picnic lawn area. The Wino loves any event that supports responsible drinking (aka…no drinking and driving), so this is icing on the cake.
Then after dinner the real fun begins. The winemaker, Dieter, takes the group on a hike through the vineyard with only the light of glow sticks to guide you…as you eagerly scan the acres of rolling vines in the hopes you’ll see the elusive Zinman. At strategic spots throughout the guided tour, you get the pleasure of tasting Perry Creek’s latest wine releases.
The first year I attended the event, I thought for sure I’d find the Zinman. But alas…I made a rookie mistake. I went wine tasting before the event. I’m not even sure what we had for dinner but I do remember trying to figure out what the hell we were looking for.
Was it a person dressed in costume? The Zinman is their signature wine and there’s a painting of the mascot on the label. Maybe that’s what we are looking for? Is it someone with a stuffed Zinman running through the vineyard? For the love of wine…what are we looking for???
Honestly, by the time we were halfway through the tour, I didn’t care. The fellow hunters were so much fun! The staff serving goblets of wine were so much fun! Being out in the vineyard at dusk was so much fun! I nearly forgot about the Zinman.
We took a couple of stabs at it though as we saw twirling glow sticks in the distance. Was that him?!?! Mr. Wino ran off to find him. Wait! There’s another twirling glow stick in the other direction! My fellow wino and friend MaryAnn ran off to hunt him down. And I watched in delight as I chatted with the staff pouring my drink. I looked over the dark vineyards wondering how I was going to find my group again.
Amazing sunsets are just one of the perks of the Perry Creek Hunt for the Zinman event.
Then taking another sip of my delicious Zinfandel, I decided they’d figure it out. Minutes later my hubby returned empty handed. No Zinman. Half hour later MaryAnn returned with tales of almost grabbing a stranger…mistakenly thinking he was the Zinman.
This year we were better prepared – we decided to limit our wine tasting before the event. Perry Creek served an amazing steak dinner and their newest releases before the hunt. We donned ourselves with glow sticks and glow lights. We had wine in hand. We were ready for the hunt. But again wondering, what are we hunting?
We started on the tour. MaryAnn in her genius chatted with one of the youngsters helping with the event. She got the inside scoop. Apparently it is VERY clear when you find the Zinman. Someone is dressed as him. There is a trail to him. Armed with this knowledge we were more determined than ever to find the Zinman.
But again I got derailed. I chatted with this nice couple from Sacramento. I stopped at every tasting table. I took selfies with the grapes. But Maryann was focused, determined. This would be the year. We lost her in the vineyard half way through. She reappeared 45 minutes later. She was excited and told us her adventures.
The food is delicious at Perry Creek Winery’s Hunt for the Zinman.
She spotted a twirling glow stick in the distance. She started weaving through the vineyard getting immersed in the tall vines that surrounded her to the left and the right, guided only now by the general memory of where she saw the spinning glow last. After weaving through for about 10 minutes she was about to give up when she turned the corner and saw a glowing blue trail of sparkles. A trail of solid blue lovely glimmering crumbs. Was this THE trail to the Zinman?? She followed it. Then she saw it clearly. An arrow made of glow sticks!! She realized it must be pointing in the direction of the Zinman! She excitedly picked up her pace on the blue sparkly trail.
Then it occurred to her. If she found the trail, someone else would too! So she headed back to scoop up the glowing arrow. No one else would find him now! Then she headed back down the glowing blue sparkly trail. She traveled another few rows and spotted another arrow. Then another, and another…each time taking them with her to deter the other Zinman hunters. After about 15 minutes of this she came to a crossroads that was not clearly marked. Should she go left? Right? It was at that moment she realized just as Hansel and Gretel did in the fairytale….she had taken her glowing breadcrumbs with her and the dimly lit sparkling trail might not be enough to get her back.
Paranoia set in. Were there wild animals out there with her in the dark? How would she know when she couldn’t see beyond the vines? Was one waiting in the distance now…ready to pounce? What if she went the wrong way? Would she wander out into the real wilderness? What if her Wino friends got distracted and left her there (hard to believe she thought that!)?
What was that sound? And that?
The beauty of the vineyard transformed into a creepy, dark terror for MaryAnn. She spotted the dimming trail of blue behind her and quickly scrambled to get out of the vines. She wove frantically through the vineyard searching desperately for some sign of blue to get her back to the group. Finally she heard it in the distance. The welcoming sound of obnoxious drunk winos making their way down the main path on the last leg of their vineyard journey. She made it!
View during the vineyard tour at Perry Creek’s Hunt for the Zinman.
MaryAnn finished her story…breathless and wide-eyed. Mr. Wino and I looked at her with silence as we processed this crazy tale. We looked at each other and without hesitation…burst into laughter. What the…?!?!
We all wandered down the main road back to our tents. MaryAnn insisted it was true. Mr. Wino and I reassured her we believed her. We headed back to our tents to end the night, heads swirling with thoughts of the Zinman…and Perry Creek’s Zinfandel.
When we awoke we crawled out of our tents, slowly, unsteady, feeling the fun from the night before. We looked around at the carnage of empty wine bottles, dead glow sticks, droppings of dinner trash, and toppled wine glasses. That was one hell of a night!!
In the end we still hadn’t found the Zinman. But we had gotten closer. We knew what we had to do next….we’d return! This time we’d be better prepared. This time we’d drink less. This time we wouldn’t get distracted. This time we’d sweep the vineyard like the most elite Navy SEALS!
Wait…what are we looking for again?
– Traveling Wino
If you’ve attended the Perry Creek Hunt for the Zinman and you have a better clue what we’re looking for, or if you’ve had better luck catching that slippery rascal, send us a note. We’d love to hear more about your adventures with the elusive Zinman.
