All American Grilling Wines

As a proud flag waver for America’s own grape, Zinfandel, Zin epitomizes California. Known as the quintessential California grape variety.  Much of the appeal of this American treasure comes from the grapes complexity. At the same time, Zinfandel tends to be very approachable and a shoe in for casual summer gatherings. 

Style And Stylish - 

This uniquely American fine-wine grape has a history of moving in and out of fashion. Classic red Zinfandel has fruit aromas of dark cherries, plums, raspberries and blackberries and can range dramatically in style. These stylistic variations influence how the wine will likely pair with food. The styles you may encounter include:

• Medium-Full Body; expressive fruit with some barrel age; often spicy
• Full Body; ripe, higher alcohol, often more tannic and oaky
• Late Harvest; dessert style, sweet, port-like, high alcohol

All About The Food - 

Unlike many other reds, Zinfandel is very compatible with food and especially loves the grill. Food pairings that work well include: 

• Heartier dishes that have been grilled, braised or smoked. 
• Many salty dishes as Zin is better then most reds due to its forward, sweet berry fruit.
• Fruit based sauces particularly those with berry fruits.
• Sharp cheeses like Manchego and washed rind cheeses like Taleggio.  

A Few Zin’s To Try - 

I recently participated in a 2009 Sonoma County Zinfandel tasting (yes, it was fun) and here are my top picks:

• Seghesio Family Vineyards Home Ranch
• JC Cellars St. Peters Church 
• Carlisle “Carlisle Vineyard” 
• Ridge Vineyard Pagani Ranch 
• Ravenswood Sonoma County

Red, White and Green Wine?

Can there be Green wine? The Green wine category showcases the wines and wineries that use sustainable, organic and/or biodynamic practices - both in the vineyard and/or winemaking process. As we look back on Earth Day 2012, I hope you'll be interested in discovering a few eco-friendly wine styles to toast the planet!  

Biodynamic

This particularly intense school of agriculture has both organic and spiritual aspects. Biodynamic agriculture views the farm as a single organism, with the plants, animals, crops, soil, air and celestial influences, such as the moon and stars, all interconnected. By balancing these elements, the farmer, in theory, makes his property self-sustaining, thus eliminating the need for artificial nutrients or pesticides.

Natural 

A small, strict, mostly French movement, "natural" winemaking uses organic grapes that are farmed and picked by hand, and are fermented with native (not manufactured) yeasts. No sulfites or other additives go into natural wine.

Organic

The use of the term organic is defined by the USDA: For a wine to be labeled organic, the vineyards from which the grapes are picked must be farmed without synthetic fertilizers, conventional pesticides or genetically engineered plant material. In addition, sulfites cannot be added to the wine as a preservative. 

Unfortunately, wines made without sulfites can re-ferment or oxidize in the bottle. That’s why many winemakers who use organic grapes also add sulfites. If their wines contain less than 100 parts per million, they are still permitted to label their wines "made with organic grapes."

Sustainable

Although there are no government standards for sustainable agriculture, practitioners generally promote both ecological and social responsibility by avoiding pesticides and synthetic fertilizers, and by enriching soil with cover crops and composts.

What does it all mean?? Wine drinkers who really care about how a wine is made need to get to know its producer. After all, it’s the integrity of the winemaker that matters more than any certification process. And when you find a winemaker with both talent and integrity, you’ll probably find the best wines, natural or otherwise.