Shopping for a Bottle of Zinfandel

  Buying a bottle off the shelf is always a bit of a crapshoot because you can never be sure it's one you'll really enjoy. This can be tougher when shopping for a Zinfandel because of the different styles available. They go from structured, firm and ageable to soft and jammy and drink now plus, of course, there are ones in between. What hints can you get from the label?

Old vines in Dry Creek Valley

Where the grapes are grown

  Zin grows in many different climates from cool to warm to hot with all changing the characteristics of the wine. Regions in Sonoma County going from cooler to warmer would be Russian River Valley, Sonoma Valley, Dry Creek Valley, then Alexander Valley. An example of a hot climate area for Zinfandel is Lodi.

  Zinfandel from a cooler area like Russian River Valley can be higher acid making it more refreshing and food-friendly compared to one from a hot area like Lodi. Lodi Zins are soft and lush so it depends what you're looking for.

  If you want to shop by region I'd suggest looking for Dry Creek Valley or Rockpile on the label. For me this almost guarantees a wine I'll like if the alcohol level isn't too high.

Alcohol level

  This is key for me, but it's important to know there is a lot of "slop" allowed in the alcohol percentage on a wine label. For instance a Zin labeled 14.5% might be 13.5 or 15.5 -- a really huge swing as the difference in a wine at the former and the latter wold be huge. Most wineries tend to be pretty honest.

  California Zin tends to be higher in alcohol than most other wines as it's the style many people like. So do you want soft and jammy or structured and reserved? If you don't know try some Zins below 14.5% and some over 15% and decide for yourself. It often depends on your use of the wine. That is, in a cocktail hour setting the softer ones might be fine. For dinner I want the lower alcohol versions. And since I tend to age my wines a bit after purchase I want the lower alcohol ones because in my experience the fruit bombs do not age well.

Old vine

  You see this term on many Zinfandel labels. It can be a style of wine that's concentrated, bolder, higher alcohol, and maybe even seem a little sweet, but there's no guarantee of any of this. Seeing old vine on a label doesn't mean it's a better wine. What might be interesting is if a certain winery makes an old vine and a "regular" Zin get one of each and see the difference for yourself.

The meal

  If it will be a dinner wine then it's fairly easy to pick a style based on the meal. Anything with a sweeter sauce then the big and jammy style. Something hearty and maybe more acidic or vinegary then the more reserved, lower alcohol wines.

A favorite, but you've
got to age it

The winery

  Some have a reputation for making a certain style of wine. If you are familiar with another wine from them you'll have a decent idea of what this Zinfandel will be like. Some Sonoma County wineries with a good reputation for their Zinfandels are Bella, Carol Shelton, Deloach, Dry Creek Vineyards, Mauritson, Mazzocco, Quivira, Ravenswood, Ridge, St. Francis, Seghesio, and Wilson. There are many more. Actually, Sonoma County is a great place to experience Zinfandel as there are so many and in all  different styles.

  There are also great Zins from Napa Valley (Baile, Storybook Mountain), Amador County (Deaver, Easton, Sobon), Lodi (Klinker Brick, Macchia), Paso Robles (Peachy Canyon, Turley). And there are many more.