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by Fred McMillin
for March 2005
It's America—
Baseball, Apple Pie and...ZINFANDEL!
Prologue
Oh mirror, mirror, on the wall,
Which Zin is fairest of them all?
The Competition
"I make the best," said Paso Robles.
"No, I make the best," said the Sierra Foothills.
Sonoma, Mendocino and Napa all joined the chorus.
So we put six bottles from each district in sacks, and the panel picked out...
The Fairest of Them All
| Rank | The Zinfandel | |
| 9th | Paso Robles—Castoro Cellars Cobble Creek, 2001, $18 | |
| 8th | Sierra Foothills—Sobon Rocky Top, 2002, $18 | |
| 7th | Sonoma—Rosenblum Monte Rosso, 2001, $18 | |
| 6th | Napa—Blockheadia Ringnosii, 2001, $28 | |
| 5th | Paso Robles—Peachy Canyon Especial, 2001, $30 | |
| 4th | Foothills Sierra—Deaver Amador County, 2001, $20 | |
| 3rd | Mendocino—Graziano Old Vine, 2001, $20 | |
| 2nd | Sonoma—Lake Sonoma Winery Saini Old Vine, 2001, $20 | |
| 1st | Mendocino—Blockheadia Ringnosii, 2002, $24 |
Comments
1. The world's foremost Zinfandel authority, Charles L. Sullivan, does not find one of the above districts superior to all the others. Our tasters agree.
2. Prices—In a recent tasting of California Cabernet Sauvignon, the average price of the top nine was $50. The average price of these Zins is $22! At our next dinner party, I'm pouring Zinfandel with James Beard's marinated flank steak.
ConclusionIf I see any of these on sale, I'm buying for sure.
And a Parting Chuckle
Speaking of prices, a sign in a local wine shop reads:
In God we trust.
All others must pay cash.
Credits
1. Charles Sullivan's Zinfandel, 2003, U. Of Cal. Press
2. Conducting tasting—Edgar Vogt; Data—Ophie Mercado
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About the Writer
Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. For information about the wine courses he teaches every month at either San Francisco State University or San Francisco City College (Fort Mason Division), please fax him at (415) 567-4468. |
This page created March 2005
Copyright © 2005
electronic Gourmet Guide, Inc.