Zinfandel gets a bad name, mainly because its mother grapes are used to make the low-alcohol, lowly regarded rosé known as white zinfandel.
As you’ve probably noticed, all grapes, whether light- or dark-skinned, have translucent pink flesh inside. Red wines (and whites) get most of their color and flavor from the complex compounds in the grapes’ skins. When the juice made from zinfandel grapes is separated from the crushed skins before fermenting, the result is white zinfandel — low-voltage, simplistic, and quaffable. My unfortunate source on winemaking and wine history, Wikipedia, tells me that the modern method and recipe for producing white zinfandel was discovered almost accidentally, but that once its commercial potential was discovered, it quickly became unstoppable.
But for all that ill repute, zinfandel can make a very decent wine when left to its own devices. Today’s wine, an economy zinfandel from Sonoma County in California, is a sweet, yet well-bodied wine, equally suited for drinks with friends or for sipping with dinner. It won’t be the best wine you ever drink, but if you’re in the mood for something a bit less dry than normal, it’s a nice change of pace.
How’s it look? Dark and opaque, and much more purple than red — something between royal purple and indigo. The legs are thin, especially for a sweet wine like this, but the wine does coat the glass well after it’s been swirled.
How’s it smell? Fairly ordinary — mid-range, nondescript fruit notes with some light floral touches. I don’t notice any tannins or other such harsh touches. That’s a bit surprising, since the bottle tells me this zinfandel is 15 percent alcohol by volume.
But how does it taste? Again, solid, but fairly ordinary. There are sweet berry notes — blackcurrant, or maybe plum. By now, this 2008 wine has aged fairly well, so the tannins are almost nonexistent, and the high alcohol content only serves to clear the palate after every sip. Overall, this a nice, if uncomplicated, wine. I’ll drink it again.
What should I eat it with? I realize it’s mid-winter, but anything grilled — meat or vegetable — would be nice with this zinfandel. Any simple oven-roasted or broiled dish would work as well. Maybe a nice sweet, savory sausage? German meatballs?
Tweet This Post 
