white zinfandel

[guajolote]

Everyone loves to pick on Roses made from zinfandel. Are they all bad? Very good rose wines are made from Grenache and other red grapes (which ones?), why not Zinfadel?

By the way, I've been drinking a very good salmon-colored rose from Italy, Cavalchina Bardolina Chiaretto.

[Priscilla]

An ongoing mystery, indeed. I think about this all the time. I love Zinfandel, I love roses, but abhor and protest the sugary so-called self-styled "white" Zinfandels. Seems to me that Zinfandel, as a grape identified so strongly with CA and its famous CA climate, oughta be made into some of the best most wonderful roses in the WORLD.

[tommy]

Everyone loves to pick on Roses made from zinfandel. Are they all bad? Very good rose wines are made from Grenache and other red grapes (which ones?), why not Zinfadel?

because they're made in california by california wine makers and marketed to americans who debate over Coke being better than Pepsi, or which power mix of "fruit drink" is better?

Edited June 9, 2003 by tommy (log)

[MatthewB]

Everyone loves to pick on Roses made from zinfandel. Are they all bad? Very good rose wines are made from Grenache and other red grapes (which ones?), why not Zinfadel?

because they're made in california by california wine makers?

tommy, you're such a tit.

[Priscilla]

Actually I have had not-bad, OK not-great, but not-bad roses of Grenache from Temecula, a Southern California winemaking area. Also blends of varietals in rose, from Temecula. Some are in the sugary style, and others are not quite so Cokey-Pepsiey.

You know, I really hate those chemicals-in-a-can. THEY are the REAL problem.

[Craig Camp]

White Zinfandel is a wonderful thing. Americans who are not brought up on the taste of dry table wines, but Coca Cola and Kool-Aid need an introductory wine and White Zinfandel has filled the bill nicely. Many thousands of consumers who love fine wines made their first step with White Zin.

My first steps were with Lancers's and Mateus Rose. These had the additional benefit of making fine candle holders for my dorm room.

Another important benefit of White Zinfandel is that it kept many wonderful old vine Zinfandel vineyards from being ripped out. Today some of those fines make some of the finest red wines you could want to taste.

DeLoach White Zinfandel is not half bad with some really HOT Thai food.

[Jason Perlow]

Well, just take a look at the largest producers of White Zin -- Sutter Home, Beringer, Turning Leaf. All stuff piled up in cases in front of the liquor store. Its so mass market it isn't even funny.

[tommy]

White Zinfandel is a wonderful thing. Americans who are not brought up on the taste of dry table wines, but Coca Cola and Kool-Aid need an introductory wine and White Zinfandel has filled the bill nicely. Many thousands of consumers who love fine wines made their first step with White Zin.

right. and that's why people make fun of it. it's wine with training wheels for wine drinkers with diapers.

i'd guess that a good amount of people btwn 25 and 35, who might now be very much into wine, got their start with white zinfandel. i know i did. and yes, it sure did go well with thai food. now, however, i'll probably buy a rose from france or spain for that application, just in case anyone i know walks into the restaurant.

[Priscilla]

I can say this about white Zinfandel there are people I like to whose homes I am invited on which occasions the dread white Zinfandel is the lesser of the evils on offer. And I'd drink it anyday anytime instead of chemicals-in-a-can.

What I want is something called rose made by a CA winery with whatever lovely blend of grapes the talented winemaker adjudges appropriate that costs <$10./bottle and is delicious.

[MatthewB]

i'd guess that a good amount of people btwn 25 and 35, who might now be very much into wine, got their start with white zinfandel.  i know i did.

You sure you didn't get your start on wine coolers? And then moved up to white zin?

[jackal10]

We drank a Blossom Hill Zin 2000 last night while listening to Trinity College Choir sing Madrigals from punts on the river. Petillant. Good summer quaffing wine, unchalllenging and a bit one diemsional, but excellent in context.

We followed with Rolly Gassman 2000 Gewurtz, and then a Coonewar Botrytic Affected Gewurts 1995

Heaven!

[hollywood]

I can say this about white Zinfandel there are people I like to whose homes I am invited on which occasions the dread white Zinfandel is the lesser of the evils on offer.  And I'd drink it anyday anytime instead of chemicals-in-a-can.

What I want is something called rose made by a CA winery with whatever lovely blend of grapes the talented winemaker adjudges appropriate that costs <$10./bottle and is delicious.

Have you tried this?

[KatieLoeb]

Have you tried this? 

Excellent suggestion! I LOVE the Vin Gris from Bonny Doon. Very tasty, dry and fruity, delicious summer wine, and/or "brunch wine" as it compliments egg dishes and light fare quite well.

Unfortunately, California seems to be White Zinfandel country. Other countries make yummy pink wines though, that fit into your price parameters. Some of the grenache roses from Spain are very delicious as well, and pretty budget friendly. Marques de Caceres makes a quite potable Garnacha Rosato that's reasonably priced at around 10 bucks. A Tavel Rose can be had for around $11-12 too. Any of these wines are great with a Nicoise Salad, a bowl of Boulliabaise, a slice of quiche, etc.

Curiously, for all the maligning it gets, when tasted side by side with various foods and other wine options, white zin matches up pretty favorably, and usually doesn't have any truly horrendous reactions with food that would make you go YECH, like other wine/fod pairings might.

[rich]

The only problem with WZ is the winemakers who insist on making it sugary. There have been a couple of very pleasant WZ's released over the years. The best I've ever tasted came from Fritz (1989). Others of note were made by Babcock (1993), Buehler (1996-7-8), Firestone (1993, 97) and Windsor (2001-2). I haven't purchased any others recently, so I'm not sure what's still available.

Several years ago, I was told Ridge produced one. I never saw it and their New York distributor never received any (if, in fact, it was ever made).

[hollywood]

Several years ago, I was told Ridge produced one. I never saw it and their New York distributor never received any (if, in fact, it was ever made).

Could be a similar name, i.e., Echo White Ridge, Stony Ridge or Rabbit Ridge.

[chantrelle]

I actually got my start on Strawberry Boons Farm

But you know you've got to keep the White Zinfandel on hand for the ladies...until you can afford the Cristal

And ya, the Bonny Doon pink is rather tasty, but i have such a problem drinking pink wine! Randall Graham lives up the street from me, parks his Citroen on the street and occasionally too close to the curb so when it lowers itself, it gets stuck....but that has nothing to do with the wine!

[guajolote]

Have you tried this?   

I just bought a bottle ($8.99). will try it tonight with some grilled chicken.

[KatieLoeb]

I just bought a bottle ($8.99). will try it tonight with some grilled chicken.

That sounds perfect! Let us know your thoughts after the tasting.

[KatieLoeb]

If you can find it and since you already like it, Corte Gardoni makes an absolutely luscious Chiaretto.

[Bux]

The current problem is that serious wine drinkers will be too suspicious of white Zin's reputation at this time to be likely to try a better white or pink Zin, so there's not much point in making one. the market for good rosés is small in this country. In fact too many Americans have too great a problem drinking rosé wines. Fortunately I have plenty of French and francophile friends who believe rosés are the al fresco wines.

[tighe]

I don't drink white zin by itself, but it was demonstrated to me at a wine/food interaction seminar that it is an excellent match for pepper steak. Really, try it.

[tommy]

In fact too many Americans have too great a problem drinking rosé wines. Fortunately I have plenty of French and francophile friends who believe rosés are the al fresco wines.

hopefully that's changing. i've seen a change even on egullet over the last 2 years. there are several threads on roses with people champing at the bit to learn more. i know i have.

[Carema]

The history of white Zin is funny. early days (late 1960s early 1970s) Bob Trinchero was making Zinfandel and used a tried and true method (saignee= to bleed) of concentrating red wine by letting a little of the juice run off freely as to increase the must to liquid ratio. This is an old method by far. In order not to waste this free run juice it is often fermented to dry (producing dry roses). Bob would sell this at the winery and is was delightful and popular amongst locals and visitors. One years, fermentation arrested itself spontaneously, yielding a sweeter pink wine and the pople went gaga over it and well being a businessman Bob did the thing that he did and then suddenly giant haired 1980s people were drinking Sutter Home white zin like there was no tomorrrow. Real Rose, saigneed and fermented to full dryness is a wonderful thing. It works with a lot of those difficult to pair veggies like artichokes and the like. Tavels (southern Rhone AOC known for pink) are wonderful and pack a Punch at 15% alcohol. I drank Tavel during the Superbowl and it went great with spicy nachos. I got drunk too.

[Mark Sommelier]

A few years ago some enterprising winemaker introduced White Merlot to cash in on the merlot craze. It seems to have fizzled.

[Mark Sommelier]

My first steps were with Lancers's and Mateus Rose. These had the additional benefit of making fine candle holders for my dorm room.

Craig, I can see we are the same age.

My first wine drunk was in high school on some concoction called Bali Hai. It could politely be described as tumescent Hawaiian Punch. In college, the traditional Friday night activity in our dorm freshman year was to collect $2 each from my suite mates and buy a case of Boone's Farm Apple Wine for $12. One night, one of my fellow waiter friends and I chipped in $12.50 a piece and split a bottle of 1970 Lafite Rothschild which we bought for the outrageous sum of $25. It has been downhill ever since....