Ten Bargain Zinfandels Worth a Try

Over the past few weeks we’ve been focused on Zinfandel and it’s finally time to do the wrap up.  The majority of these Zins are from California, but one Italian Primitivo is thrown into the mix just for fun, and that’s the only one that came in with a price under ten bucks.

The classic pairing for Zinfandel is barbecue, but these will also go well with other grilled meats and strong cheeses.  Pizza or pasta could also be a possible match for Zinfandel, but don’t bother with lighter foods.

Top Zinfandel Pick

Our favorite in this Zinfandel Roundup is the X Winery Lake County Nova Vineyard Zinfandel.  This has some classic Zinfandel cola characteristics and a whole lot more.  Luscious berry flavors abound on the palate, entwined with spicy white pepper notes.  The mouth feel is pure velvet magic.  This is an awesome Zinfandel!

Best Bargain Zinfandel

In this round-up I would not say there was an uber-bargain priced Zinfandel.  But then, I should reiterate the point that we didn’t taste many that were under $10.  Perhaps we’re getting too snobbish for our own good.  But when it comes to quality-to-price ratio (QPR), it’s actually a tie between the Four Vines – Old Vine Cuveé and the Francis Ford Coppola – Director’s Cut.

The Four Vines is full of red fruit flavors and black pepper.  It’s a bright and lively Zinfandel with vibrant acidity.  The Francis Ford Coppola Director’s Cut also has great acidity, but is more of a dark fruit Zinfandel.  It shows some blackberry, chocolate and complex spices.  Both are tasty.  But truth be told, I wouldn’t turn down any of these ten Zins: