Top 7 California Zinfandel Wines to Taste Today

Zinfandel is a delicacy of California. Vividly known for their delicious and bold taste, the Zinfandel wines are prepared with red, dark, mouth-watering fruits such as raspberries, cherries, and blackberries that are blended together with tobacco and the right amount of spice.

If you pay a visit to California’s vineyards, you can see a diverse range of red grapes planted in more than 10% of the vineyards. An affordable and mouth-watering beverage, Zinfandel is practically exclusively produced in the United States.

Since 6000 BC, wine fans have adored Zinfandel which is made from grapes from some of the world’s oldest vineyards and is an ideal choice for anyone trying the wine for the first time.

Zinfandel wine is what you have been seeking if you want a distinctively flavored wine that can be enjoyed on almost any occasion. This guide will help you in navigating the various varieties of zinfandel and selecting the ideal bottle for your next gathering. In the sections below, you will discover what zinfandel is, the types of zinfandel, and the top 7 Zinfandel wines that you should try in California.

Key Takeaways

• Zinfandel yields powerful, full-bodied red wines.
• The ripeness of the grapes during harvest determines the rich flavor of Zinfandel.
• Wines from somewhat cooler places have more red berry tastes, and wines from warmer regions have more black fruit and spice flavors.
• Lodi, California is the home to some of the best and oldest Zinfandel vineyards, where some of them are over 100 years old.

What Is Zinfandel Wine?

Zinfandel is a black-skinned grape wine that has a strong and rich flavor. Zinfandel can be a robust, parched red wine or a softer, semi-sweet deep red wine, depending on the method employed to manufacture it. Zinfandel’s diversity makes it a popular choice among both the beginners and experienced wine drinkers.

The Zinfandel vine, which originates in Croatia, is used to make both red and white Zinfandel wines. The grapes arrived in the United States in the mid-nineteenth century, eventually settling in California.

Two Types of Zinfandel 

Red Zinfandel

It’s made from black-skinned Zinfandel grapes and is naturally a red wine. The deep shade of the Zinfandel produces a red wine that is beautifully pigmented, nuanced, and medium-bodied. To get such a nuanced flavor profile in red zinfandel wines, much thought is required.

Because red zinfandel wines are fermented with extra attention to retaining their freshness, they are exceedingly dry. Red zinfandel has one of the highest alcohol concentrations of any red wines in the market.

White Zinfandel

White zinfandel is one of the highly popular blush wines. This means it’s a very light red wine, basically rose color with only a tinge of crimson from the grape skins. Blush wine, often known as rosé, lacks sufficient red color to be classified as red wine. Hence, it is viewed in a distinct group.

It is a bit lighter in color as compared to red zinfandel. It is also one of the sweetest available wines because of stuck fermentation, which occurs when yeast organisms die before they complete converting the sugars in zinfandel grape juice to alcohol.

Top 7 Zinfandel Wines To Try In California

1. Bedrock Old Vine Zinfandel

Nothing compares to Bedrock’s Old Vine expression in the world of zinfandel. Bedrock company shows what a Zinfandel should taste like. Founded by Morgan Twain-Peterson in the year 2007, Bedrock Wine company knows what wines are all about. They focus on small production of wines in California, but their best to date is Zinfandel. One of the reasons behind this is Morgan’s passion for Zinfandel. When you consider the wine’s flavor, quality, and price, it’s clear that it’s one of the greatest buys on the market.

2. Limerick Lane Zinfandel

Zinfandel is made from vineyards that were planted in the early 1900s by Italian immigrants. This wine is a monument to the hands that have maintained these grapes for over a century, as it is seamless and has remarkable purity of taste and aromas. The gloomy, chilly, and windy Limerick Lane Zinfandel has earned a reputation for producing outstanding Zinfandel in California, and this particular Russian River Zinfandel is no exception.

3. Seghesio Old Vines Zinfandel

Zinfandels from Seghesio are typically paired with substantial foods and have a fantastic selection of wines to choose from. This Old Vine Cuvee is made from grapes from head-pruned vineyards in Sonoma’s Alexander and Dry Creek Valleys, and these Zinfandel have been refined for decades. 

Bing cherries, wood, and a hint of licorice abound on the wine’s dense and powerful tongue. The Zinfandel has notes of juicy blackberry, baking spices, and shrubbery. A broad mid-palate of delicate tannins and intense firmness follows a lush entrée of plum and cherry syrup.

4. Monte Rio Cellars Dry White Zinfandel

Monte Rio Cellars, developed by Patrick Cappiello and Pax Mahle, focuses on a wide range of lesser-known varieties, winemaking techniques, and growing places around California. White Zinfandel is a sweet rosé that acquires its color from skin contact with its namesake grape. 

With this fully dry White Zinfandel, Monte Rio harkens back to a legendary Cali offering. This is not a sugary, sickly mass-market aesthetic, but rather a sharp, contemporary approach. The tangy cherry and strawberry syrup flavors of this thirst-quenching bottle are vinified bone dry.

5. Grgich Hills Zinfandel

Although Napa Valley is best known for its rich, ripe cabernet sauvignon-based wines, when made by the right hands, Zinfandel from the region should not be overlooked. These wines have the same flavor and are just as simple to drink as cabernet, but for a fraction of the price. 

Grgich Hills Zinfandel is crafted from grapes cultivated organically in the center of Calistoga. The grapes are planted in gravelly loam soil and are exposed to lots of sunlight. Their Zinfandel is brewed exclusively with native yeasts and aged for 18 months in neutral French wood. Blackberry, sweet clove, boysenberry, and a tinge of citrus explode from the wine’s deep, entire core.

6. Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel

Cline Family Cellars, founded by Fred and Nancy Cline in 1982 is a family-owned and maintained vineyard in Oakley, California. The spicy, juicy strawberry, coffee, and chocolatey flavors of Ancient Vines Zinfandel make this delicacy. This mouth-watering lush vintage with ripe fruit and gentle tannins is a wine that you can never take your hands off. The wine’s fermentation in new and old wood has given it a slight vanilla flavor that goes well with the ripe fruit flavors. 

7. Chateau Montelena Zinfandel

The Napa Valley Vineyard Chateau Montelena is most known for winning the white wine category in the historic “Judgment of Paris” wine competition. The smells of vibrant raspberry and flowery top notes are followed by cedar, dry berries, plums, the distinctive Zinfandel briarberry, and dusty chocolate. 

Fresh red cherry and rich blackberry aromas balance out the dried fruit undertones well. Density and richness, and also flavors of raspberry preserves, dried blueberries, and cherry candies, balance and complement the freshness of the Zinfandel on the tongue. 

Wrapping Up

Zinfandel wine tasting in California is a must-do for wine lovers. The majority of Zinfandel wines are juicy, full-bodied, and high in alcohol, which is why everyone loves Zinfandel. California has something for everyone, from informal tastings to intricate wine and food matching experiences—whether you are a zinfandel aficionado or have yet to learn what makes this grape so unique!