Drink Wine With Me

Archive for the ‘Zinfandel’ Category

From time to time I will include in my blog wines that aren’t necessarily expensive but go slightly above the $25 per bottle parameter that is the premise for this blog.  One such wine is from the ever popular producer Ridge out of Sonoma County, CA-the Ridge Geyserville Red 2007.  Ridge has been producing highly rated red wines for over 40 years.  This is the first of their wines that I have tasted.  The Geyserville Red is a zinfandel blend composed of 58% zinfandel, 22% carignane, 18% petite syrah, and 2% mataro.   This variety has an earthy aroma with flavors of blackberries and plums.  Notes of pepper, spices, and some light oak were also present.  The presence of tannins and acidity give way to a really nice finish.  This wine has all the character and flavor that I look for in red.  If you are looking for a good quality wine to take to a dinner party this would be an excellent choice.  It retails for approximately $35 per bottle and can be held for a decent period of time.  Ridge Geyserville Red has been rated 91 points by Wine Spectator.

After what has turned out to be a crazy and intense week at work I came home and opened up a bottle of Zen of Zin Old Vine Zinfandel hoping it would help me decompress a little.  What I wasn’t expecting was an excellent bottle of wine.  Zinfandel is usually my go to red when I am out on the town.  I love it’s richness and full deep flavor.  This version is much lighter than what I am used to even though it is 13.5% alcohol .  The aroma of coffee is very pronounced upon opening.  I tasted juicy berries and lots of spice but the best thing about this wine is that there are definite chocolate notes.  This is mentioned on the bottle and amazingly enough that flavor came through with every sip!  This Zinfandel is an extremely versatile wine.  It is great on it’s own but also makes a great companion to your dinner and can carry right on through with dessert.  I would say this is a perfect choice if you are entertaining or need to take wine to a party.  Zen of Zin is bottled by Ravenswood in Sonoma, CA.  It retails for under $15 and is readily available online and in stores.