Don’t Call it RED Zinfandel

It’s Zinfandel . Just Zinfandel. It is not “Red” Zinfandel.

Why does this bother me? Because I have a love/hate relationship with White Zinfandel , and the confusion that has arisen since its creation. Let me explain.

Zinfandel was on the ropes. In the 70s, winemakers were considering ripping out the unprofitable Zinfandel vines and replacing them with something that had a better monetary return. Like Cabernet, for instance. A winemaker’s attempt to make a Rosé resulted in a “stuck fermentation ,” a fermentation in which the yeast dies off earlier than it should. He tasted the wine two weeks after this problem occurred and decided that this pink sweet stuff should be sold.

It was an instant hit. The Great Unwashed loved it immediately (and yes, I was a card-carrying, chest-thumping member of the Great Unwashed at one time) and White Zinfandel became a household word as well as accounting for more sales of a single varietal than any other. The Great Unwashed has no taste.

So what does this have to do with anything?

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Cruising the Wineries of Mexico - History and Schedule

The upcoming wine cruises in October and December are creating a lot of buzz among Wineauz in Vegas! Before we talk about the details, let me tell you a little about the history of the wineries in Mexico. There are many skeptics who are still stunned that such wineries exist. I had a great time doing the research, and found quite a bit of surprising information. What I’m relating here is just a microcosm of the information and history of these wineries and wine region.

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Cruise News

The cruise event took place at MARC’S Italian Steakhouse in Summerlin, and it was terrific. The wonderful patio, with the wines, the incredible food, and, of course, the great company of those who wanted to learn about the winery cruises (yes, that’s a plural) turned into quite the informational social hour. Naturally it was gratifying to see that many of those found out about the event via Vegas Wineaux website and blog (insert “Woo hoo!!” here).

As mentioned above, there are two winery cruises to Ensenada coming up. The first is October 31, and the second is December 8, 2008. And they look like they’re going to be an experience that travelers won’t soon forget.

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AWS pours Paso Robles – Écluse

On Saturday, April 19, at Marché Bacchus, our own Andy Ashbaugh, President of the Las Vegas chapter of the American Wine Society, poured some of the portfolio of Écluse winery of Paso Robles.

OF COURSE I was there!

Before I get to the wines, let me tell you a little about Écluse winery. One of the smaller wineries on the map, they began as grape growers for several wineries. This gave Steve and Pam the opportunity to interact with such Paso Robles wine notables as Linne Calodo and SummerWood. They used the lessons learned in this process to make the decision to craft their own wines, and have gone from grape growers to award-winning winemakers in just a few seasons. Read more

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THE Vertical. Robert Young Estates Winery Scion Shines

The first thing I have to do is to thank Issa and Nura Khoury for introducing me to Scion a couple (or more) years ago. It was in late 2004 that they had a tasting at their store on Eastern – which was their only location at the time – and one of the wines was the Scion. I remember tasting it and being blown away. I promptly ordered a couple of bottles, and the rest, as they say, was history.I had planned for this vertical for quite some time. As a member of the wine club, I was in the unique position of acquiring this wine on a regular basis, and I knew I had to share it with my friends when the opportunity arose. I used Evite to invite a few people who I knew were real fans of great Bordeaux blends and only regret that I was only able to accommodate a small portion of the people I wanted to be there.

So how did the tasting go? You be the judge!

Thanks to Kelly Pafford of Robert Young Estates Winery for supplying literature and Wine Club apps for the tasting. It was wonderful having the winery so involved with their members’ activities.

There were five years served. 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. The first thing that should be stated at the front is that each and every one of these vintages was fabulous. Here are comments from everyone as we poured and paired during the evening:Decanted for little over 30 minutes, the 1999 was a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, and 13% Cabernet Franc. Velvety on the tongue, it displayed earth, cigar box, black cherries, plums, and just a touch of smoke. The tannins had integrated well into the wine and gave the wine an old-world character. There were nods all around as everyone sipped away! This almost tied with the 2000 as the second Wine of the Night.

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