The Amateur Wino

When you hear the word Zinfandel what do you picture?  Up until about 3 or 4 years ago I would always picture a chilled glass of rose colored wine.  The ever popular White Zin.  Even if you are a wine “newbie” you are sure to be familiar with this variety.  But did you know that the Zinfandel is actually a RED wine grape?

It’s true!  The Zinfandel has been around since the 1880’s and was originally bottled as a red wine.   I use the term “originally” loosely because the production of Zinfandel as a red wine is still going strong.  However, WHITE Zinfandel outsells the red variety 6 to 1!  So just how did the production of White Zin come about?  Good question.

The Zinfandel grape grows “like a weed” in California thriving on the warm weather and sunshine.  So not surprisingly it was first made into a rose` wine in 1869 by El Pinal winery in Lodi, California.  ”A rose` wine?”, you ask.  Well, generally all wines that are neither white, nor red, but pink in color are considered rose` wines.   However, some say that the White Zin is not a true rose` because of the method used to create it and the sweetness that results. 

See, a rose` wine can be produced in several ways, one of which is known as bleeding, which is usually the method for creating a White Zin.  In bleeding, the wine maker begins by producing a ‘batch’ of red wine.  He then removes some of the liquid from the batch just before fermentation in order to increase the color and flavor of the red wine.  This removed juice is fermented on it’s own and viola, a new wine is born.  This method produces a sweeter wine since it has spent little time in contact with the skins of the grape where the tannins live.  Sweeter varieties of rose` wines are more commonaly known as a Blush.  The method of creating a true rose` wine, however, is by removing the skins prior to the wine becoming a deep red color.  When this method is used the resulting wine has spent a bit more time with the skins and so even though it will be a light wine, it may contain more characteristics and overtones of a red wine.

While commonly considered a refreshing wine to sip during the summer months, due its sweetness, the White Zinfandel pairs very nicely with spicy foods, balancing out the “fire”.  According to my wine reference book, ‘The Everything Wine Book’, it also goes well with the “complex seasonings of Far Eastern Cuisine”.   

I personally agree with the concept that White Zinfandel is the wine that “new” wine drinkers ‘cut their teeth’ on.  Lets face it, we are a society of sweet lovers, and the residual sugar content of this particular wine is very high.  Yum right?  But along with that, drinking White Zin, or any other rose`, allows the drinkers palate to be retrained to appreciate the dryer flavors prevalent in other wines.  See, the Zinfandel is not the only grape that can be or is created into a rose`.  Merlot, Malbec and even Cabernet Sauvignon have been made into rose` wines.  If you’re eager to try different wines and expand your wine collection, but can’t seem to break free of that sweetness you love in the White Zin, perhaps you could try a rose`.  If you can’t find them in your local grocery store you can visit a store such as BevMo for a selection of rose`.  No BevMo in your area?  No problem, the Internet is a great place to find what you’re looking for.  

Until next time….. Happy tasting!!

Trackback URI | Comments RSS