Wines to Trust: Red Zinfandel

In this week we celebrate the Fourth of July, how about an All-American wine that is sure to set off fireworks on your palate? Red Zinfandel. This is a wine that is brash and aggressive...too often the description that American tourists get when travelling abroad. But I digress...

I was excited to read Wine Spectator's recent article on the 2004 and 2005 California Zinfandel vintages. They say that these wines are continuing to grow in quality. And, interestingly, these two vintages offer a glimpse of the two characters of Zinfandel. There have always been, in my admitedly limited experience, two directions Zins can go: big/bold/jammy or more refined/elegant/spicy. Both have a place in my cellar. Wine Spectator says go for the 2004 vintage if you like your Zins jammy and pick up the 2005 bottlings if you like them with plenty of fruit, but tempered with more of the cracked black peppery characteristics that can be in a truly great red Zinfandel.

There are always a few bottles of Zinfandel in my "cellar." And, quite often, they come from one of the "three r's": Ravenswood, Ridge and Rosenblum. All are dependable year after year, with value bottles in the mix. But there are plenty of good ones out there.

In my continuing series on "Wines You Can Trust," inspired by a list put out by Food & Wine magazine, here are a couple of Zinfandels you should try.

Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel ($11)
This one definitely falls in the jammy category. There's blackberry and boysenberry fruit in there, as well as a tang of pomegranate. Behind it all is a nice touch of vanilla and spicy clove.

Rancho Zabaco Heritage Vines Zinfandel ($17)
This wine is at a higher price point and you get more subtlety for the extra buck or two. It has a nice firm core, suffused with blackberry and dark cherry flavors. And just a touch of that black peppery quality that I think makes Zin a great wine with all sorts of hearty food.

Of course, there are others out there. I suggested the Sebastiani Sonoma County Zinfandel as a great wine with barbecue. Another great match for barbecue or burgers is a wine on our house list: Rosenblum Vintner's Cuvee Zinfandel.

So let the fireworks begin...with a glass of a truly American wine. Patriotism demands it, don't you think?