Neat Thoughts About Food, Wine, Travel & More
I brought this California Zinfandel to a camping trip to pair with my World’s Easiest Baby Back Ribs and it was a nice pairing.
It’s deep purple in the glass with stone fruit and mocha aromas. For those of you who love huge fruit bombs, this is likely not the Zin for you. It’s medium-bodied with cherry and chocolaty flavors and a velvety mouth feel.
Pairings: Grilled meats, spicy food, barbecue
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): 94% Zinfandel, 6% Petite Sirah
Region: Lake County, CA, USA
Price: $30
Was fortunate enough to have a friend bring this bottle of the 2011 Williams Selyem Papera Vineyard Zinfandel to a dinner party where I was able to sample it. What a big, bold, beautiful Zin.
The inky black color of the wine as it hit the glass was just gorgeous. The aromas of jammy dark berries with chocolaty notes were intoxicating. Who could pull away from this nose for a sip? Me, of course, but with difficulty. Ripe raspberry and blackberry flavors abound in the mouth along with fig jam and mocha undertones. Simply a big, concentrated and delicious mouthful.
Thanks Marty and Joan for sharing!
Pairings: Lamb, grilled beef or game, blue cheese
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): Zinfandel
Region: Sonoma, CA, USA
Price: $70
I sampled this wine at the New York Wine Expo last week and the first sniff of this Old Vine Zinfandel screamed – BACON! Simply a delicious Zin with all a Zin should be – big, bold, chewy, peppery, licorice-laced and in this case, smoky. At this price point and from a solid winery like Rutherford Wine Company, buy a case and cellar it for a few years.
Pairings: Grilled lamb, BBQ ribs.
Style: Red Wine
Grape Type(s): Zinfandel
Region: Central Valley, CA, USA
Price: $12
I love Zinfandels and try to serve foods that pair well with it as often as I can. For Easter, I grilled rack of lamb and served the 2009 Four Vines Zinfandel Maverick with them for a great match.
This Zinfandel from Amador County is bold and beautiful. In the glass, it’s dark and viscous. On the nose, it’s powerful with ripe cherries and pumpkin pie spices. In the mouth it’s jammy with tons of juicy blackberries followed by a long, sweet finish. A meal in a glass, in the best possible way.
Wine Spectator – 90 points.
Pairings: Grilled lamb, peppery porterhouse steak or aged cheese.
Style: Red
Grape Type(s): Zinfandel
Region: Paso Robles, California
Around $15.
2006 Hendry Zinfandel
Dinner guests brought this bottle over a few months ago and I uncorked it last night and must say to my friends: you’re welcomed over anytime!
Wow, bright fruit, chocolate and spicy notes on the nose. This is not a crazy burning mouthful of high alcohol blackberry jam. This wine is beautifully structure with the right amount of tannins to make it a new favorite foodie wine.
Around $30.
Chateau Montelena Zin
I had the pleasure of tasting this wine at a small event hosted by Chateau Montelena winemaker, Bo Barrett earlier this year and thought it was a solid wine for a winery mostly focused on Cabernet Sauvignon.
The wine is beautiful in the glass with the darkest purple hue. On the nose, it’s oaky with tons of black fruit: blackberries, ripe raspberries and currant. On the palate, it’s what makes Zinfandel fans so loyal to the grape, spiciness, dried cherry with a big meaty mouthfeel and just the right amount of tannins. Well balanced with a long spiced finish.
Affordable for most and an ideal wine for those late afternoon BBQs where grilled red meat’s the star.
Around $30.
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