Varietals: U-Z

Dry Creek Zinfandel: Foods to Pair with, and Meals that Call for, Dry Creek Zinfandel

Zinfandel—the grape Americans call their own. The story of Zinfandel mirrors the multicultural heritage of our country and the struggle of immigrants to make it in a new land. From white to red and sweet to dry, this is a grape that has been reinvented to suit the changing tastes of wine consumers across the country. Originally from Croatia, the grape showed up in the US with Italian immigrants in the 1800s (who called it, as it is still known today in Italy, Primitivo). More than a century later it was nearly extinct with vines ripped up in favor of international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. But the huge popularity of white Zin in the 1980s and 1990s saved the grape from obscurity and nowadays the finest expression of Zinfandel comes not from Croatia or Italy but from California where it is produced as a dry red wine that can be light bodied and chockfull of ripe fruit or rich and inky with high alcohol and port-like characteristics.

Wines to Go Buy This Week: "Comfort Wines" - A Zinfandel by Glenn Hawk and Tulip Hill's Cabepulciano (yeah you read that right)

I live in San Francisco and January weather here means 50 degrees and rain. Constant bone-chilling rain, or so it seems. And before the rest of America emails to remind me how good I have it and how freaking cold it is in New York or Ohio or whatever other frozen tundra they call home, I'm just gonna say that when you are cold, you are cold, and comfort food -and comfort wine- goes a long way towards warming your heart when Old Man Winter starts to have his way with you. So with this in mind, I bring you two comfort wines you should go buy this week.   

Glenn Hawk Zinfandel - I typically don't gravitate to Zinfandel. I associate Zins with "cocktail wines", that is, wines that are delicious for a few sips of a single glass but can be a bit too fruity and overwhelming for those of us who tend towards enjoying multiple glasses. So I don't recommend many Zinfandels simply because I don't drink many of them. Every once in a while I stumble back down the Zinfandel path and am reminded of how good the varietal can be. I recently tried the 2009 Glenn Hawk Zinfandel from Livermore Valley (just south of Napa in the shadow of Mt. Diablo).

Best Zinfandel (For the Money)

IntoWine.com asked our wine experts to recommend the best value Zinfandel.  Here are there top picks for a good bottle of Zinfandel at an affordable price point:

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Feudi della Medusa Albithia Vermentino 2006 - IntoWineTV Episode 99

Italian Island Wines. Host Lisa Kolenda and wine experts Bartholomew Broadbent, Edward Ruiz, and Rob Renteria taste and discuss the Feudi della Medusa Albithia Vermentino 2006 from Sardinia.

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Campo al Mare Vermentino 2008 - IntoWineTV Episode 97

"Italian Whites". Host Lisa Kolenda and wine experts Bartholomew Broadbent, Cezar Kusik, and Rob Renteria taste and discuss the 2008 Campo al Mare Vermentino from the Bolgheri region in Italy.

California Zinfandel Wine Vintage Chart

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California Zinfandel    
2010 88 D/H
2009 89 D/H
2008

Vermentino: Italy's Liguria Region Produces a Nice, Crisp White Wine

Vermentinos are not native to Italy; they were originally brought by the Spanish.  At the beginning of summer, I discussed the Vermentinos of Sardinia.  There is another region of Italy that excels in Vermentinos, the region of Liguria. 

Refreshing White Wine Recommendations for those Hot Summer Nights

The dog days of summer are once again upon us. Whether your remedy to beat the heat is a cool pool, a shade tree, or a blasting air conditioner, it always helps to have a relaxing beverage to help ease the pain. IntoWine.com asked our panel of wine experts to recommend refreshing white wines for those hot summer nights:    

"On a hot summer evening, I look for a chilled white wine.  I also find that if the wine has a bit of sweetness, it offsets the heat a bit.  My go-to wines on these evenings tend to be Rieslings.  Rieslings are one of the most versatile wines for matching with food.  They are especially great with light summer fare such as a salad or fish or fruit.  They also make easy sipping on their own.

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