Archived Article By Tom Fitzmorris Originally published December 12, 2007 Thinking About Zinfandel It happens to me every year. Right after I get past the Beaujolais Nouveau (that takes me less than a day), thoughts of Zinfandel enter my mind. Something about it seems right for the holidays. I know one of those somethings: few wines are better for mulled wine than Zinfandel. Its high alcohol survives the cooking, and its intensity stands up to the spices. But Zinfandel makers (and lovers) might take exception to that deployment. Zinfandel just barely escaped with its life. Just when the California wineries were about to start ripping out the old vines bearing that grape, into the marketplace rushed white Zinfandel, a wine with such universal appeal that it instantly became the favorite real wine of the beginner class of wine drinkers. (That it was cheap helped, too.) It still comes as a surprise to a lot of people that Zinfandel is a red grape. Indeed, it typically produces a very full-bodied red wine when vinified in the normal manner. (White Zinfandel is made in an abnormal manner, hence its blush color.) A few years ago, wine buffs and winemakers alike decided that Zinfandel was an underrated resource, and they began giving it the same attention they showered on Cabernet and Chardonnay. Some wineries--notably Ridge--were doing this all along, so it wasn't exactly an unblazed trail. Predictably, what came out of this was a superb wine, with the added charm of heritage. Zinfandel is unique to California, where it's been part of the vineyard since the earliest days of winegrowing there. I have almost loved Zinfandel for years, but one thing bothered me about it: its alcohol level is high. The nature of the grape is that it gets very ripe before it's really ready for the press, and that results in a very high level of alcohol--almost always over fourteen percent. The problem with this is that alcohol and pepper do not go together well. Pepper is an irritant (it makes your palate more sensitive to other flavors, which is why we like it in our food). If you apply alcohol to an irritated section of flesh, it stings. No good. And a real challenge when trying to pair up the wine with Creole food. Some of the Zinfandels I've had lately, though, are so enormous in their fruit component that the alcohol fades into the background where it belongs. Some great examples come from Seghesio. That Sonoma winery makes both a regular issue and one made from grapes from old vines. Old-vine Zinfandels are a real treat; they make many fewer grapes, but pack a lot of concentrated flavor. This one was so dense it suggested chocolate in its flavor, but with none of the bitterness that implies. And I've already told you enough about those Gallo Sonoma single-vineyard Zinfandels, which are very reliable. I think all of us have had a lot of fun with the many different bottlings from Ravenswood. And then there's the kind of Zinfandel--Ridge, which leads the league in variety of styles. There are plenty more out there, and I'm looking for them. So many such are out there that there's an organization of makers and fans of this unique red wine from California. Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) puts on many events, including one annually here. Click here for lots of info. © 2007 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. news@nomenu.com