Continued...Flavor Profiles:The flavor profiles of Zinfandel wines are as diverse as the wine styles made and growing regions utilized to make them.  The grape’s uneven growing habit is what gives it its signature taste profiles.  A well made wine from this varietal will give you acid and tart fruit from the greener grapes; red and black cherries, black berries, raspberries and boysenberry from the ripe grapes; and the taste of plum, sometimes prunes, and raisins from the overripe grapes in the cluster.  These fruit characteristics are often described as brambly (like a blackberry) or jammy when more overripe and contributes to the amazing complexity of a well made Zinfandel wine. The wines made from this grape are also known for their spicy side, most noticeable of which is black and white pepper along with some cloves and anise, a bit of an herbal characteristic as well as tea, cola and coffee.  These wines are usually aged in French or American oak and usually carry a good bit of vanilla, caramel and sometimes cedar notes.

But there is the amazing ability of Zinfandel to demonstrate a taste of place, or terroir, a fact that can be extremely misunderstood by people who are not completely familiar with Zinfandel and its ability to be a great grape.  One famous wine writer has stated in print that the Zinfandels from Lodi are what has given Zinfandel a bad name and seemed to think only Sonoma can produce good Zins.  No disrespect to Sonoma; they do make incredible Zins, but this individual has obviously never had one of the great Zins being made in the Lodi region today.  These are wines that demonstrate an amazing complexity of fruit and spice in a not overly tannic style with a silky or satiny mouthfeel.  Take a trip to Amador County and you will find great fruit forward wines with deep, very intense flavors and more tannin than Lodi. Stay in the Foothills, but head up to the higher elevations of El Dorado County and you will often find a wine more reminiscent of a Bordeaux style red wine; elegant, with great complexity and nice acid levels that make it an excellent food wine.  But that is just the beginning; Zinfandel will continue to change as your travel the state; morphing to match the climate and soil of the region.

Wine Pairing Considerations: Because Zinfandel, like Syrah, can be made in many different styles and body types from dark and tannic to sweet and even in a very famous blush style; White Zinfandel, there is no short answer to the question of what foods should be served with these wines.  Probably the best attribute in the food pairing realm that Zin has is its great spicy side that allows it to be paired with foods with a little kick, such as Latin food and also works quite nicely with foods that have herbal qualities, like rosemary or thyme.  The fruitiness of Zinfandel allows it to be served with salty foods and sauces containing fruit; something many red wines cannot do.  But this is a wine that can stand up to a grilled food as well, with grilled chicken being a particularly good match.  Zinfandel is also great with dry cheeses like parmesan, cheddar and Gouda and if you have a big, intense Zin it will taste great with big red meats hot off the barbeque.   If you have a Port style or late harvest Zinfandel consider serving it with a not too sweet fruit based dessert, like a cherry Grenache, chocolate covered strawberries or a blackberry torte, but you can also serve it with a chocolate cake with a dark chocolate frosting.  So the short answer is that Zinfandel can go with most any food, you just need to understand the style of Zinfandel you are serving.