Zinfandel Winner

Hello Wine Lovers!

Last night I had a wonderful (you won't believe the price) wine with a steak cooked on the grille. Fuego Old Vine Zinfandel at $6.99 a bottle. That's right, $6.99 a bottle and notice I said wonderful. It is bright purple in color and has smoky blackberry and blueberry on the nose,with spice and a long lingering finish. Deep dark berry flavors, supple texture and bright minerals add complexity to this wine. It drinks like wines costing three times the price!

Lets talk a minute about Zinfandel. This varietal can be traced back to the Primativo grape grown in the heel of the boot in Italy and also traced to the Croatian grape Crljenak Kaštelanski dating back to the 17th Century. It produces a deep red robust wine with a high sugar content which translates to a high alcohol content, in many cases well over 15%. Zinfandel vines are quite vigorous and grow best in climates that are warm but not too hot, because grapes may shrivel in hot weather. Zinfandel's has a thin skin and grow in large, tight bunches that are sometimes prone to rot on the vines. The fruit ripen fairly early and produce juice with high sugar levels. If weather conditions permit, the grapes may be late harvested to make dessert wines. Zinfandel is often praised for its ability to reflect both its terroir and its winemakers style and skill. Grape vines grow for over 120 years and start to produce less fruit after about 20 years. This wine is made from "Old Vine" grapes which simply put, the vines are old which produce smaller grapes, which in turn have more intense flavors. At least that is the plan.

Whatever the case may be... run don't walk to your favorite wine merchant and buy this stuff!

Cheers!

J