Zinfandel - summer cookouts are coming!

Now that the snow appears to be gone -- finally -- it's time to think about grilling outdoors. And when the grill gets fired up, I get fired up about Zinfandel. I'm talking about that robust, juicy red wine, not that sweet pink stuff called White Zinfandel.  By the way, there is no white Zinfandel grape, but don't get me started.

Zinfandel is a dark-skinned grape that produces rich, full-bodied, jammy red wines that are packed with fruit and spice and have soft tannins and a lush mouthfeel. All of this makes them a good pair for hearty grilled food marinated in the mixture of sweetness and spice of barbecue sauce. 

 

Zinfandel-based wines are usually medium to full-bodied and can taste of fresh berries, black pepper, and spices. Old vine zins, made from vines that are typically more than 50 years old, produce wines known for their intensity and flavor.

Considered California’s signature grape, Zinfandel is the same grape as Italy's Primitivo, which is mainly grown in Puglia.  However, the grape didn't originate in Italy or the United States. In fact, documentation shows that zinfandel came to California in the 1800s from a collection that Austria obtained during its rule over Croatia. Testing confirms that zinfandel and the ancient Croatian variety “crljenak kaštelanski” have the same DNA structure.

 

There are many good inexpensive Zinfandels available these days, but be forewarned that most are pretty high in alcohol, often more than 15 percent. Because of that, you can sometimes really taste the alcohol in the wine. There's a term for that...you say the wine tastes hot. It's not a good thing, it means the wine is unbalanced.

 

The most recent issue of Wine Spectator cited the Kirkland Signature 2011 Old Vines Zinfandel from Sonoma County as a best value wine,  so I thought it was worth driving over to find it. I've been pretty pleased with the wines produced for Costco. They are generally high quality at an affordable price. My big complaint about the wines is the Kirkland logo. It's not exactly attractive when placed at the top of the bottle's label. While the wine might be really good -- and the Kirkland wines are definitely good enough to share with friends -- you may not  want to bring the bottle to a dinner party.

 

But invite some friends over and pour a Kirkland wine blind and compare it against some higher priced competitors. If people don't see the logo, you'll see what I mean. In fact, try doing it with the Kirkland 2011 Old Vines Zin. It's only $9.99 and is a lot of bang for the buck.  This wine has a whopping 15.5 percent level of alcohol, but it's so balanced, you'd never know.

 

It's also whopping in flavor. The Kirkland Old Vines Zin is a big, bold wine that is bursting with fresh berry fruit and spice. It's certainly worth trying for $9.99.

Another good one I found at Costco for the same price is the Ravenswood 2011 Old Vines Zinfandel from Lodi. It's a little more subdued...not so in your face. But also rich and delicious.

#wine #zinfandel #lodi