Red Zinfandel – Exuberantly American

In his recent Wine School column, Eric Asimov described Red Zinfandel as being a “polarizing” wine. With its robust fruit, full body, and high alcohol, there will certainly be those who love Zinfandel and those who find it to be too much of a good thing. But whether you’re a neophyte, an expert, or still on the fence, now is the perfect time to pull some corks, because the 2012 vintage is a knockout.

The Back Story

The grape itself has a long history, having originated in Croatia as Tribidrag. It is also called Primitivo, where it flourishes in Italy. But its greatest success is in California, where it is used to make red and “white” Zinfandel. This can be a little confusing, as the highly popular white zinfandel is actually a sweet rose or ‘blush’ wine. Red zinfandel is almost always dry, although the fruit flavors can be so exuberant that it can be jammy at times. There are also more restrained styles of Zinfandel, with somewhat lower alcohol and a dryer fruit profile.

Old Vines

Love ‘em or leave ‘em, Zin represents great value. Many producers use fruit that comes from very old vines, up to one hundred years old and more in some cases. Old vines produce smaller yields and increase concentration and depth. And Zinfandel is a true American wine, having traveled from afar to a place where it can fully express its unapologetically extroverted personality. With Labor Day approaching and summer nearing its end, get ready to fire up the grill and treat yourself to an American classic – Red Zin.

Ridge East Bench 2012 Dry Creek Valley

Deep purple with pink on the rim. Plummy nose with light spices, berries, minerals and smoke. Powerful, sexy, complex nose. Red and black fruits with chocolate on the full-bodied palate. Mouth coating tannins and a long, powerful finish with fruit and tannins. Great balance. Fresh, with mouthwatering acidity. Very integrated in all aspects. Drinking great now, and it really wowed our staff. With air, earth develops on the nose with a hint of band aid (a medicinal aroma) that follows through to the palate. A full-throttled wine, loaded with pleasure. 100% Zinfandel. $32.99

Ridge Geyserville 2012

Opaque purple color. A bit more restrained than the East Bench with smoke, blue, and black fruits on the nose. An elegant, full-bodied palate with red and black fruits that could use a few years in the bottle but is nonetheless a pleasure to drink right now. Has great structure, depth and complexity. The blend is 71% Zinfandel, 19% Carignane, 7% Petite Sirah, 1% Alicante Bouschet and 1% Mataro (Mourvèdre). $37.99

Bedrock 2012 Old Vine Sonoma Valley

When I was first getting into wine, one of my favorite wines was the Ravenswood Vintner’s Blend Zinfandel. So it comes as little surprise that I would totally enjoy the Bedrock Wine Company’s Sonoma Valley Zin, since the founder and winemaker at Bedrock is Morgan Twain-Peterson, the son of Ravenswood Winery founder Joel Peterson. Very pretty ruby/purple color. Subtle nose with flowers, spices, and berries. The rich texture reminds me of a top Northern Rhone Syrah from a hot vintage, such as 2009. Delicious, full-bodied palate with dry extract, spice, berries and cherries. Abundant but smooth tannins. Good balance. Long finish. $29.99

Selby 2012 Sonoma County Old Vines

Dark red with pink and brown highlights. Blackberry and soft spices on the nose. Very round and smooth on the palate with good balance and structure. Full-bodied and packs a punch but has depth. Great Zin at a minimal price. Old Vines with an average of 65 years from Alexander, Dry Creek and Russian River Valleys. 760 Cases produced. $14.99

–Christian Botta

Interest in Sake is Heating Up!

A recent sake tasting at Garnet demonstrated that interest in sake is on the rise. When many of our customers were asked if they would like to taste a selection of sakes, their response was, “Oh, yes! Please!” It’s clear that they are intrigued and open to experimenting, yet many sake newbies have questions. With this in mind, let’s take a look at sake types, grades, serving, and how to choose the best sake for you.

Rice Milling

Rice milling is the key to sake quality. As more of the outer portion of the rice kernel is milled or ground away, a higher quality sake is produced.  Other important factors include whether or not alcohol is added, pasteurization, and filtering. The categorization of sake can be a little confusing, but we’ll do our best to make things crystal clear.

Sake Categories and Grades

The most basic type of sake is Futsu-shu. More alcohol may be added than in the higher grades, and there is no minimum rice milling requirement. Junmai sake is a step up in quality. Although the milling rate must be listed on the bottle, there is no minimum requirement. No alcohol may be added. Honjozo grade sake requires that 30% of the rice must be milled away; alcohol may be added. Tokubetsu means “special,” and is a designation that can be added as a pre-fix, as in “Tokubetsu-Junmai.” Gingo grade sake must have at least 40% of the rice milled away. There are both Junmai Gingo and plain Gingo sakes. Paying attention? Alcohol may be added to the Gingo, but not Junmai-Gingo!  Top grade sake is called Daigingo, which must have a minimum of 50% of the rice milled away. It can be either Junmai-Daigingo or just Daigingo, in which alcohol may be added. Top Junmai-Daigingo have an ethereal smoothness that is worth seeking out, although the prices are high.

Another type of sake which many sake lovers know is Nigori, which is unfiltered. This produces a cloudy, milky effect and heavier, softer texture. Many Nigori are somewhat sweet on the palate, although there are Nigori that are strikingly dry. Sweet Nigori make perfect dessert sake. Namazake designates sakes that are un-pasturized. They have a round texture and beautiful depth. Some are faintly sweet, with earthy round flavors. They are good for aperitifs, with the meal, or after dinner enjoyment. Both Nigori and Namazake must be refrigerated.

Sake Producers

When choosing a sake, in much the same way as when choosing a fine wine, the producer can’t be overemphasized. Top producers to look for include Ichishima, Wakatake, Nanbu Bijin, and Eiko Fuji, although there are many other producers of fine sake, including some in California, such as Sho Chiku Bai. What do top producers do that the others don’t? It’s mainly about the care that goes into the brewing, quality of rice, and other factors. Some top producers may mill at a higher rate within a given quality designation than is required. For example, Ichishima’s Futsu-shu sake has a 35% average milling rate, higher than the required rate for Honjozo.

Dry Vs. Sweet

Customers often ask me, ‘Is sake sweet?’ Not generally. There are some sweet sakes, such as a sweet nigori or specialty sakes that are flavored and usually low in alcohol, and mostly made for the U.S. market. But the majority of sake is technically dry with only a slight fruitiness, and some are aggressively dry.

Serving Sake

OK, so now you’ve got your sake – how are we going to serve it? Many people think of sake as being served warm in little cups or box-shaped cedar vessels, and of course you can still do that – it creates an extremely cozy effect, and brings out different flavors and textures. The best sakes are meant to be served chilled however, and a medium-sized wine or other type of glass will help to enhance the aromatics.

The names of many sakes describe the desired results: Demon Slayer, Super Demon Slayer, Drunken Heart. Is it my imagination or does sake have a special, calming effect that few other libations provide? There is something about a good Nama or Daigingo that seems to melt away the worries of the world. Let your own palate and by extension, spirit be the judge. And don’t forget to join us for a one day sake sale at Garnet on August 20, 2014, where there will be a 10% discount on every bottle of sake sold. We will also have an in-store sake tasting that day from 4:30 to 7:30pm – don’t miss it!  –Christian Botta

Welcome

Welcome to Garnet’s brand new wine and spirits blog! Please stop by with us virtually and you can read and learn about wines, wine regions, spirits and other beverages, plus news and events, and personalities in the wine and spirits industry.

Thanks for checking in and see you around!

-Garnet