In-store wine tasting today and tomorrow
Join us Thursday 8/2 and Friday 8/3
From 3:30 to 6:30
To taste the following wines:

Dancing Bull Sauvignon Blanc, California This refreshing white is a great bottle of wine to have on hand (chilled in the fridge, of course). Its bright flavors of grapefruit and melon fill the mouth as its mouthwatering acidity sweep through to the finish. Great for lighter food such as chicken and fish. Frei Brothers Sauvingon Blanc, California This sauvignon blanc is very elegant and sophisticated. Pear aromas lead to a medium bodies white wines. The palate is interwoven with notes of peaches, mango, lime zest, and pineapple. The finish is crisp with just the right amount of acidity. Beautiful by itself, it pairs well with chicken, shrimp and roasted red peppers. Montinore Pinot Gris, Oregon This is a regal white. A bouquet of aromas on the nose give insight to a lovely and elegant canvas of ripe fruit flavors. Melon, oranges, honeysuckle, apple, and lime zest create layers of flavor. Thirst quenching, its acidity is perfect for this warm summer evenings when you want a simple meal to focus on a spectacular wine. Really great value for the money. Montinore Pinot Noir, Oregon Soft aromas raft from the glass offering cinnamon, clove, and roses. The palate is filled with notes of strawberries and strawberry leaves. There is a kiss of cola on the mid-palate and finish. The tannins are soft, yet add a sultry structure to the overall balance. Rancho Zabaco Heritage Vines Zinfandel, California Most zinfandel aficionado know that old vine juice is pretty special. Eric Cinnamon, winemaker for Rancho Zabaco is very proud of this wine. Heritage Vines is a blend of 85% zinfandel, 13% petite sirah, and 1% cinsault. This full bodied red smacks of ripe red raspberries, black berries, vanilla, clove, and a touch of licorice. Perfect for some mushroom burgers off the grill.

We will be discounting each bottle of wine being poured, during the tasting hours.

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Zinfandel
Those who don't know this grape may suffer from the misconception that 'red zin' is the same as the soft, sweet, blush wine called white zinfandel. Those of us who know it, love it. Zinfandel is a spicy red, brimming with ripe berry flavors, sultry tannins, and full-bodied alcohol levels. Fans of zinfandel will opt for a well-crafted glass of this red wine just as quickly as a glass of cabernet sauvignon.
     Zinfandel has an identity that is unique to the United States in that it has no other wine to measure itself against. The Italian version of this grape, primitivo, is grown in massive quantities, rarely being bottled as anything more than a quaffable, everyday wine. In California however, zinfandel is gaining stature and is being produced in ways usually reserved for grapes of noble standing, like cabernet sauvignon and pinot noir. Zinfandel is often grown as a lower yield grape, which produces better quality wines. It can be aged in expensive oak barrels and stand a few years in a collector's cellar with impressive results. Old zinfandel vines are cherished for their densely fruity flavors and mineral tones, even though their output is a fraction of a younger vine.
     According to research at University of California, Davis, the trail to zinfandel's roots doesn't end in the sunny southern reaches of Italy. An ancient grape call crjenak, found across the Adriatic Sea to the east in Croatia, is thought to be this grape's ancestor. Regardless of where zinfandel got its start, this grape is viewed as the only variety unique to the United States. There is no other area anywhere in the world that produces zinfandel with the kind of distinction as it receives in the United States.
     Zinfandel ripens unevenly because its berries differ in size. This forces vineyard managers to choose between harvesting the ripe berries with some under-ripe berries or waiting and harvesting the ripe with the over-ripe. Either method is a balancing act against time. Some growers remedy this problem by harvesting only the perfectly ripe berries over a few weeks in several sweeps, which adds to the cost of the wine. A zinfandel that has under-ripe berries has a detectable flavor of green pepper, while over-ripe berries produce the unmistakable raisin-like flavor. A touch of green pepper or raisin adds an interesting facet, yet the method of crushing only the ripe fruit produces a very rich wine. For the zinfandel drinker, the balance between style and budget is a tricky thing, but surveying the choices is lip smacking good work.