Ridge East Bench Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma 2021

If you like big, fruity red wines with a little spice to them, Zinfandel is a wine for you. Though this grape came from Croatia, we most commonly see it grown in California now, and it can be amazing.

Zinfandel is a funny grape. It doesn't ripen evenly, so you'll see grape bunches where some of the grapes are dark and very ripe, and some are still green, and some are anywhere in between.

This image comes from Sonoma County Tourism

So what does that mean for us as wine drinkers? It means that in a glass of Zin, you get the big, fruity, very ripe flavors that are almost jammy, but you also get a hint of tartness from those underripe grapes. It's a pretty fantastic combination when you get a good one. If you're a Cab drinker, Zins are also big and red, but are generally more fruity and less earthy, often ALMOST tasting sweet thanks to all that fruit.

Katie tends to think Zins aren't really deep thinking wines, but more of a good-time party wine. They're fun to drink!

Ridge Vineyards is a well-known Zinfandel producer, and they make great Zins. This particular Zin smells almost sweet, it's so fruity. Even when you taste it, the wine itself again almost tastes sweet. It's bursting with ripe fruit--cherries, raspberries, strawberries--with some vanilla bean notes mixed in, courtesy of the oak it's aged in. We enjoyed drinking this wine, and it's a good example of Zinfandel if you're a fan of Zins. It did trend a little more jammy and a little less tart and spicy like some Zins, but not too much so.

Food pairing idea: foods with sweet barbecue sauce

In a nutshell,

The wine: B+

The price: $45 at Jacob Liquor

Would we buy it again? perhaps not for the price, but we did like it