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Turkey wine V: All-American zinfandel for feasts of fire
Patriotic pride alone make Zinfandel my favorite red for Thanksgiving. A wine of such mixed ancestry and stories (Italians, Croatians and Hungarians all play a part); it is best described as a uniquely American grape. Certainly it was a favorite of the Italian pioneers who planted much of northern California with hearty reds at a time when farming depended on human and animal muscle.
2007 Seghesio Zinfandel Rockpile Road ($29.99)
Zinfandel’s peasant heritage and its spicy brambly taste make it perfect for the adventurous table. If your turkey is grilled or smoked with a red pepper/garlic rub, or the bird is stuffed with cornbread fired up with spicy sausage, chipotle and onion, Zin’s your Vin. To me Zinfandel is a bright red square on almost any crazy quilt of Thanksgiving flavors.
Zin also lets you go high and low, light and heavy depending on the crowd. Following the three Rs, Ravenswood, Rosenblum and Ridge is a good start. Another R, Rockpile Road in Dry Creek Valley
2006 Rosenblum ($29.99) and 2007 Seghesio ($29.99), from a grand old family in Zin.
For a big crowd however, you can’t beat anything in the Cline and Bogle spectrum, starting at $9.99.
2 Comments to Turkey wine V: All-American zinfandel for feasts of fire
Nice picks and good points Chris. I would only add the 2007 Rancho Zabaco Heritage Vines Zinfandel from Sonoma. It is an outstanding value and the best Zabaco has offered in many years. It is a steal at 11.99.
Boy are you right about Zabaco. This is one of Gallo’s finest efforts. It may be a giant company but those old vines are individual heroes.
November 27, 2009