Kent Rosenblum passed away on September 5^th, 2018. 

Before there were the current big three of Turley, Carlisle and Bedrock [or whoever your favorite Zinfandel producers might currently be], there were the three Rs of Zinfandel: Rosenblum, Ravenswood and Ridge. 

Kent Rosenblum of Rosenblum Cellars, Joel Peterson of Ravenswood and Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards pretty much created the category of Zinfandel as an artisan wine. They paved the way for the quality and variety of amazing Zins that we now get to enjoy on a regular basis. 

Karen and I have had the great pleasure of meeting one of the Rs, Joel Peterson of Ravenswood and also now Once and Future Wine Company, a few times. 

Sadly, we never got to meet Kent Rosenblum and our lives are poorer for that. There are many moving tributes online and I encourage you to seek those out. 

Being a great pioneering winemaker was only part of who he was. He was clearly a good friend to many as well as, most importantly, being a wonderful husband, father and grandfather. 

We’ve been fortunate to meet Kent’s daughter Shauna Rosenblum of Rock Wall Wine Company as she carries on the family tradition. Our condolences go out to her and to the rest of Kent’s family and friends. 

More from ZAP [Zinfandel Advocates & Producers] – used with permission, including the photo:

A bright light has gone out in the Zinfandel community. Beloved husband, father, grandfather and Zinfandel pioneer, Kent Rosenblum died unexpectedly at his home in Alameda early September 5. He was 74 years old.

A founding board member of ZAP, Kent served continuously on the board since the organization started in 1991 and was president in 1997. Throughout the years, Kent was an enthusiastic champion of ZAP’s mission. He was a tireless advocate, always dreaming up new ideas and generously hosting ZAP events (remember Good Eats & Zin!). Most recently, he was working on a new membership passport initiative that will be unveiled this fall. There is so much more to say about Kent’s contributions. He was a leader by example and his was a life well lived.

Heartfelt wishes and remembrances are flowing in by the hundreds and hundreds from all over. Kent touched countless people, not only with his winemaking, but his charming wit, compassion and exuberance were infectious. He created a lasting legacy in the Zinfandel world that lives on with his winemaker daughter, Shauna at Rock Wall Wine Company.

We are deeply saddened by his passing and extend our sincerest condolences to Kent’s wife, Kathy, daughters Shauna and Kristen, his brother Roger, sister Pamela and his granddaughter, Skylar. He was a devoted friend and will be missed dearly.

Rebecca Robinson
Executive Director

Michael Perlis has been pursuing his passion for wine for more than 25 years. He has had the good fortune of having numerous mentors to show him the way, as well as a wonderful wife who encourages him and shares his interest. After a couple of decades of learning about wine, attending events, visiting wineries and vineyards, and tasting as much wine as he possibly could, he had the amazing luck to meet Eve Bushman. Now, as Contributing Editor for Eve’s Wine 101, he does his best to bring as much information as possible about wine to Eve’s Wine 101 faithful readers. Michael is also Vice President of Eve Bushman Consulting (fka Eve’s Wine 101 Consulting) http://evebushmanconsulting.com/ and President of MCP Financial. Michael can be contacted at michaelthezinfan@aol.com or michael@evebushmanconsulting.com.