My Love Affair with Zinfandel

I love Zinfandel. Maybe it is because I am a native Californian and will always be at heart, no matter how long I live in Oregon, that I love this grape so much. Zinfandel is a grape native to California, thriving in climates that are hot and get extreme sun during the day. The hot sunlight makes the Zinfandel grapes juicy and bursting with bold multidimensional flavor. My favorite Zinfandels are Old Vine, which come out of the Lodi/Stockton area, this area stays hot all day and doesn‘t cool off at night, unlike the other Zinfandel growing coastal areas. The term "Old Vine" means that the grapes are more than 50 years old. Old Vine Zinfandel grapes don’t yield as bountiful as a crop as new zinfandel grapes and so are not always popular with vinters, but in my opinion, the Old Vine grapes produce the most rich, intense, big flavor Zinfandels. Another popular area known for growing Old Vine Zinfandels are the Amador County/Placerville areas. Old Vine or not, the Zinfandel regions in California all put their unique stamp on the varietal; with each region producing distinctly different Zinfandel wines . The good thing is you don’t have to be choosy, Paso Robles, Sonoma , Mendocino , Lodi , Amador, And Russian River Valley are all turning out stellar zinfandels.

The grape is catching on in popularity in other wine regions throughout the United States, but the best ones come out of California. I have tasted some expensive bottles from Oregon and Washington, but they don’t measure up to even the cheaper California ones. Zinfandel tends to be higher in alcohol content than other varietals and Old Vine wines usually run in the 14.5 % plus category. Because of this, Zinfandels lend themselves very well to food, especially meat, pastas, tomato based dishes, and other outdoor barbecue fare. If you haven’t tried Zinfandel yet, or are looking to try others, these are 2 affordable Old Vine wines that can be found pretty easily: Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel 2007 (Lodi) contains those classic bold berry smooth flavors and Renwood Old Vine Zinfandel 2005(Amador County) for those who like a spicier kick to their Zin. Gnarly Head was the first wine I had after being pregnant, and what a moment of bliss that was after 9 months, even if after half a glass I loudly declared “I feel drunk!” to my father no less. The first time I tasted the Renwood was alongside a savory goat cheese crepe at Le Happy in Portland, and boy did it make me happy =)