Three great Zinfandels that you should try…

Thoughts on Wine From Partick Suleski

Zinfandel has long been a dirty word in wine circles, all too often reminding us of pink, sweet juice devoid of personality. Since the advent of the term “Old Vine Zinfandel” over the past few years, however, consumers have been less afraid of Zin and as such, the grape is coming into its own. Vineyards over 100 years old are again producing wine from Napa to Lodi, and are giving adventurous drinkers and enthusiasts alike the opportunity to see that when a quintessentially American wine is made in deference to the dirt, sun, wind and rain the results can be marvelous.

Here are three of my favorite zinfandels well worth a try:

Renwood Old Vine Zinfandel, Amador County $19.99

Amador County has been producing high quality Zinfandel as long as any other region in California, but it lacks the name cache of more popular zones like Lodi or Dry Creek. Nevertheless, here you’ll find Zin with a unique personality, best reflected in a good balance between fruit and spice character and an unusual color devoid of the deep purple seen in other areas.

 

Green + Red “Chiles Canyon” Zinfandel, Napa Valley

$22.99

Very little land in Napa is planted to Zinfandel, owing mostly to the fact that if the Zin vines are pulled up and replanted with Cabernet Sauvignon, the winery can make a lot more money with their new “Napa Valley Estate Cabernet.”  Thankfully, the folks at Green and Red are carrying the Zinfandel torch, and crafting beautifully expressive wines while doing so.

 

Victor Hugo Zinfandel, Paso Robles

$21.99

Paso Robles is a respected wine region, and Victor Hugo is a good producer.  Their label, on the other hand, has a tendency to make people walk right by it.  That’s a shame, because the folks at Victor Hugo do an excellent job of demonstrating how a “fruit bomb” Zin can stack up against competition from anyone.