White Zinfandel was first crafted by Sutter Home in 1972, when a batch of dry ros (made from runoff juice thats been separated from the grape skins) got stuck mid-fermentation process. The White Zinfandel grapes are a type of grape that is used to make a popular type of ros wine. In fact, most white Zinfandels are meant to be consumed within a few years of their vintage date. Led by our pink Sutter Home White Zinfandel, Sutter Home for Hope has raised nearly $1 million since 2001 to support breast cancer research, treatment, and education programs across the United States. To achieve the pink color, winemakers use a technique called short maceration. I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. Whether you love it or maybe are not its biggest fan, White Zinfandel is a ros wine made using the Zinfandel grape. The flavors in Zinfandel range depending on how ripe the grapes are. These wines offer the refreshing qualities of white wine with the flavor characteristics of reds, and they pair well with food. They also criticize its sweetness, claiming that it masks the flavor of the grape. The skins of the grapes are responsible for the red color of red Zinfandel. Your Complete Guide to White Zinfandel: A Mistake Gone Right There are sweet and fruity flavors of strawberries, raspberries, and other red fruits. The remaining process is the same as for white wine. In my opinion, yes White Zinfandel is sweet and very cheap. To achieve the optimal temperature, you can refrigerate the bottle for about 2 hours before serving or place it in an ice bucket with ice and water for about 30 minutes. During the fermentation process, yeast consumes the grape sugars and converts them into alcohol. This gives wines freshness from acidity. Quite contrary to muscadine wine, a more obscure wine native to the southeast of the . The grapes used to make White Zinfandel are harvested early, before they fully ripen. Bob gave his pink-tinged wine a French name, Oeil de Perdrix (Eye of the Partridge), a descriptive term for white wines made from red grapes in France. It is made from the Zinfandel grape, which is typically used to produce a full-bodied and spicy red wine called Zinfandels. This leads to high sugar in the berries, which in turn makes for high alcohol wines. Youll also be able to taste fruity notes of watermelon and strawberry. However, even the sweetest ros is typically not as sweet as a standard White Zinfandel. 2. When the White Sox announced Taylor's selection late Sunday night, he was with his parents and one of his friends from high school at their home in Florence, Ala. His brother, Evan, is a closer for the Low-A Jupiter squad in the Marlins' organization, while a second brother, Collin, pitched for Arkansas and Alabama-Birmingham. Dry Medium-full Body Medium-high Tannins Medium-low Acidity +15% Alcohol Content (ABV) Flavors Cinnamon Strawberry Blackberry Tobacco Peaches Storage & Serving Serve at 40-55F / 5-12C Glass Type: Universal Decant: No Drink immediately Order White Zinfandel Online Get a bottle of White Zinfandel delivered direct to your door. Current history suggests it was imported to America during the early 1800s. White Zinfandel accounts for about 10 percent of the wines sold in the United States, and was an appealing way for a lot of wine novices to start to learn about winemyself included! Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a7fbcfbdf8d6f3bed5aa9b58b530d15b" );document.getElementById("d460d3eb39").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Hey! The longer the fermentation process, the higher the alcohol content of the wine. White Zinfandel is a type of ros wine that is known for its refreshing and fruity taste. The bled-off juice is then fermented separately to make White Zinfandel. If youre enjoying a sweet White Zinfandel, youll have lots of great options when it comes to food pairings! Personally, I wouldnt drink this on its own, but their summer cocktail recipe is a great go-to when entertaining a large group of friends and family. been credited with helping to save a ton of Old Zinfandel Vines that likely wouldve been ripped up to make more room for more popular varietals. Following this, Sutter Home made the unintentional discovery. The wine is still produced by Sutter Home Winery, as well as by many other wineries in California and other parts of the country. Ross are an incredibly popular warm-weather wine as they pair well with summer foods like fresh fish and seafood, vegetables, chicken, and soft cheeses. I always recommend adding bentonite for protein stability and then doing what you can to cold stabilize. All rights reserved. Enjoy and imbibe with hundreds of cocktail creations within our archives. Preparation. White Zinfandel is a type of Ros wine that falls between the categories of off-dry and sweet. I'm Dr. Vinifera, but you can call me Vinny. As the winemaker scratched their heads wondering what to do with thousands of gallons of sweet pink wine, they tasted it and decided it was pretty good. White Zinfandel wine is made from red Zinfandel grapes, the same grapes used in making the bold, big Zins California wineries are known for. can you cook with white zinfandel? - Test Food Kitchen White Zinfandel was first crafted by Sutter Home in 1972, when a batch of dry ros (made from runoff juice that's been separated from the grape skins) got "stuck" mid-fermentation process. The process of making White Zinfandel wine is . White Zinfandel should be served chilled, but not too cold. It performs well in warm, sunny regions and is very sensitive to terroir (because of its thin skins). Guide to White Zinfandel: Once the Most Popular Wine in the US - WineO Mark Beaujolais vineyards. Here are some food pairings that can enhance the flavors of white Zinfandel wine: Spicy Asian cuisine: White Zinfandels sweetness can help tame the spiciness of dishes like Thai curry, Korean barbecue, or Indian vindaloo. Can I store wine in a wine fridge thats turned off or doesnt work. What is White Zinfandel? - MyBartender 2. How is white Zinfandel made? | Wine Spectator Its sweet and fruity taste is also often credited with helping to introduce lots of people to the world of wine! A surprising 70% of all Zinfandel grapes are grown in the U.S., with about 10% in California alone! Wines For Beating The Heat In the simplest of terms, stuck fermentation means the yeast died off before eating off all the residual sugars and thus creating a very sweet ros. White Zinfandel is a versatile wine that can be paired with a wide range of foods. In fact, many ross are dry! Spices & Herbs: Think curry spice. You may be wondering, then, why White Zinfandel is sweeter than other ross. This gave the wine a sweetness that was unexpected but delighted by many customers. With long, warm (rarely hot) summer days, and very cool nights, that receive cooling fog and ocean breezes. That said, I would still drink it if offered because at the end of the day, its an easy-drinking wine with fruity sweet notes. Red Zinfandels did not attract interest from many consumers in the 1970s due to a combination of high alcohol content and taste. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Today, an estimated one in every five U.S. wine drinkers drinks White Zinfandel. In a tall, ice-filled glass or the bottom part of a shaker, add Captain Morgan spiced rum, wine zinfandel, pineapple juice and lemon-lime soda. Adjust acid as necessary to a higher level than a red wine: Dont be afraid to add tartaric acid to get that pH down and the titratable acidity (TA) up. The white zinfandel is made by promptly removing the skins of the grape after crushing, which creates a lighter-hued, lighter-bodied wine with lighter tannins and low alcohol. Trinchero had been making a dry version of a white Zinfandel, but then a batch stopped fermenting. MyBartender focuses on the world of cocktail making mixology and tips for becoming a better bartender. How can I make sure a bottle of wine has been stored properly before I buy it? Theyre great wines with great stories behind the bottle. Within the North Coast region, Sonoma is diverse in both soil and climate. This wonderfully delicious, fruit-forward ros might never have existed if it hadnt been for a happy accident. 1. And it was one of the most popular domestic wines by the late 1980s. Wine Spectator's expert Dr. Vinny explains optimal wine storage conditions. It has top notes of raspberry and lime, along with other natural flavors. These are popular for their sweet flavor, lower alcohol, and low price. What Is Difference Between Rose Wine And White Zinfandel? - Flight Wine Bar They only made around 200 cases to begin with, but at that time people kept coming back for this blush wine that had a sweet, fruity taste. Try ribs, grilled chicken, roast lamb, pulled pork, pork chops, blackened salmon, bacon-wrapped tenderloin, game meats, and burgers! Led by our pink Sutter Home White Zinfandel, Sutter Home also received Wine Spectators, Sutter Home Wine & Food Series: White Zinfandel. This helps support Wine with Paige. White Zinfandel is often abbreviated as White Zin and is an off-dry to sweet, pink-colored ros wine. White Zinfandel is a type of wine that is made from the Zinfandel grape. Take your winemaking skills to the next level. I look for a pH around 3.203.40. Some winemakers prefer to use grapes that are picked earlier to retain more acidity, while others prefer to use riper grapes for a fruitier flavor. WSET diploma seeker @haley.mercedes. All rights reserved. In fact, White Zin hasbeen credited with helping to save a ton of Old Zinfandel Vines that likely wouldve been ripped up to make more room for more popular varietals. Sutter Home also received Wine Spectators Distinguished Service Award in 1994 for having introduced more Americans to wine on the table than anyone in history, thanks to White Zinfandel. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the fine points of etiquette to the science of winemaking. However, if I have a choice between sweet wines, White Zinfandel wouldnt be my first, second, or third pick. Napa Valley has many volcanic soils and these make for rich, tannic, and smoky Zinfandel wines. The grapes are harvested and crushed, and the juice is separated from the skins. The demand for White Zinfandel resulted in extended commercial viability of old vine Zinfandel vineyards. Expect high alcohol (14%+ ABV) but with a rustic edge, as opposed to a jammy character. Part of white Zinfandels appeal, and that of any ros for that matter, is that its crisp, refreshing, and easy to drink. If youre never sipped a White Zinfandel before, dont let the name fool you! Vegetable Pairing: Go for vegetables with big flavor: Think caramelized onion, fire roasted red peppers or tomatoes, grilled eggplant, mushrooms, olives, zucchini, or even baked beans. Zinfandel grapes are known for their uneven ripening, which requires the bunches to be left on the vine to ripen fully, leading to high sugar in the berries. While I wouldnt be surprised if there were some winemakers making a blush wine that blends red Zinfandel grapes with white wine grapes, keep in mind that for a wine to be labeled Zinfandeleven a white versionit must be made from at least 75 percent Zinfandel grapes, according to labeling laws. How to Find the Best of White Zinfandel - Vino Del Vida Lets get started! Guide to Zinfandel Wine and How To Find Great Quality Is it a blend of red and white wines? Ferment cool/cold: As opposed to a red wine fermentation, where you want temperatures high (up to 90 F/32 C) to help you extract color and tannin from the skins, here your goal is to preserve aroma and crispness. The climate in the Lodi wine region is Mediterranean with hot days and cool nights. It pairs particularly well with spicier fare like Mexican and Asian dishes. Buy on TotalWine.comBuy on Target.comBuy on Drizly.com. My mission is to help connect wine lovers with great wines from across the world. Zinfandel wine is made from grapes of the same name that have black and blue hues. White zins tend to be lightly sweet with flavors of strawberry, cherry, and citrus. Federal . Its common to find wines labeled by variety in Puglia, although there are also some official wine regions that specialize in Primitivo. Personally, I wouldnt drink this on its own, but their summer cocktail recipe is a great go-to when entertaining a large group of friends and family. Then comes agingmost red wines age in oak barrels for about 1 to 3 years. How To Choose The Right Rose Wine For You? What many people don't know is that White Zinfandel is actually a type of ros wine, made in the same way. And the wine was sweet and fruity, as well as inexpensive, making it very easy to drink. Mix in club soda. You can also expect lively acidity because the elevation makes for cool nights (and preserves acidity). It seems every time I write about white Zinfandel, I get some hate mail from folks that cant stand it, and are quick to point out that its not a real wine. White Zinfandel: 8 Delicious Wines, Tasting Notes, How It's Made Required fields are marked *. As a commercial wine producer, I can definitely get behind that. By the mid-1980s, Sutter Home White Zinfandel was Americas most-popular premium wine. Currently, there is still a market for this type of wine; however, it only comprises a very small percentage of the total wine market. Chardonnay in the late 1990s became the most popular wine. Then, the wine grapes are pressed ahead of fermentation and is the first step in the winemaking process. Flavors: raspberry, cherry, blackberry, cranberry, sweet baking spice. Who says award-winning wines have to cost an arm and a leg?! Monitor the color of the juices released until its to your liking, then press immediately. It is not a wine that is typically aged for long periods of time. Also, when Ive had ross going through any kind of MLF, I experienced color that went from a pinky-purple (a hallmark of white Zinfandel) to pinky-orange. Mild Laundry Detergent. By purchasing directly through my recommendations, I receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. To make the wine, the winemaker crushes the grape and ferments the juice. Sutter Home White Zinfandel was originally called "Oeil de Perdrix." Bob gave his pink-tinged wine a French name, Oeil de Perdrix ("Eye of the Partridge"), a descriptive term for white wines made from red grapes in France. White Zinfandel wine is made from black and blue-hued wine grapes of the same name. Plus there was more competition from other off-dry(sweet) wines like Moscato. This is a wine to serve for a special occasion to special friends who can appreciate its finesse. Its usually made in a blush style, which means that it has a pink color. To control the alcohol level, the fermentation process is stopped before all the sugars are converted into alcohol. Hello there! This white grape accounts for a mere 4% of the vineyard area, but there have been . And don't forget to check out my most asked questions and my full archives for all my Q&A classics. White Zinfandel is typically manufactured for immediate consumption rather than for aging. 12 Great Vacation Wines - WSJ - The Wall Street Journal Zinfandel is notorious for uneven ripening, so bunches have to be left on the vine to ripen fully. Keep in mind that white Zin tends to be sweeter than other ross, because typically the winemaker will halt fermentation before all the sugar is converted to alcohol. Whether you are having fun at home or busy behind the bar of your local watering hole, we will supply you with the drink recipes to impress even the seasoned cocktail seeker. Most white Zinfandels are perceptibly sweet, though I like mine a little drier. And by then, many wine enthusiasts and wine connoisseurs considered White Zinfandel wine not a true wine deeming it only fit for wine beginners or those who dont typically drink wine. However, over time, White Zinfandel began to gain a more mainstream following, and it is now enjoyed by wine drinkers of all levels. Ask wine lovers and many will say White Zinfandel was first to fill their glass, later trying Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Pinot Noir. The juice is then fermented in stainless steel tanks at a cool temperature to preserve the fruity flavors and aromas. The winemaking process starts the same way as if you were making red Zinfandel the grapes are crushed, and fermentation begins with the skins on . How long before a Bordeaux blind tasting should I decant my wines? Wine 101 Learn About Zinfandel, Both Red & White words: VinePair Staff Zinfandel is synonymous with California wine. The soils here are rich and well-drained, giving wine tartness, acidity, and red berry notes. But U.S. laws require an English-language description, so a white zinfandel wine was included in small print. How Is White Zinfandel Made - Design Farm House Wine Spectator's expert Dr. Vinny explains optimal wine storage conditions. The White Zinfandel experienced a stuck-fermentation that year, stalling before all of the grape sugar could be converted into alcohol, leaving about 2% residual sugar. The wine was created by accident when a batch of Zinfandel grapes did not ferment completely, leaving behind a sweet, pinkish wine. This concentrates the remaining juice and skins, making a more intense red wine. This is the stuff that's made a comeback across the country over the years and is the wine we've come to. by White Zinfandel isnt actually white at all, its pink! White Zinfandel is a type of Ros wine that is made from the red Zinfandel grape. On Wine; 12 Great Vacation Wines For summer drinking that brings the beach to you, these wines made on far-flung islandsfrom Santorini to Tasmaniaare far more affordable than a plane ticket Sutter Home White Zinfandel Review (2023) - Worth A Try? - WinePros Come on in and make yourself at home. Copyright 2023 Wine Spectator. FILE - Pedestrians walk towards the Harvard Medical School, Aug. 18, 2022, in Boston. How is white Zinfandel made? White Zin typically has an AVB of 10% meaning its a bit on the higher side. Itll pair nicely with tangy cheeses, smoked meats, creamy pasta dishes, and anything with a little bit of kick. Sutter Home White Zinfandel, like most white wines, is best at temperatures of 45-50F (7-10C). The name White Zinfandel came about when the creator, Bob Trinchero, was trying to find a way to satisfy the regulators. Please check settings. Required fields are marked *. It can also be a good match for barbecue or smoked meats. Wine Spectator's expert Dr. Vinny explains the science behind legs, or tears, in a , Wine Spectator's expert Dr. Vinny gives tips for finding a trustworthy wine shop and making , Wine Spectator's expert Dr. Vinny offers tips for decanting red Bordeaux wines based on the , Wine Spectator's expert Dr. Vinny explains labeling regulations around Port, Champagne and , Wine Spectator's expert Dr. Vinny offers tips for serving red and white sweet, dessert and . CLIFF LEDE SAUVIGNON BLANC 2022 has the . Heres how: Pick grapes earlier than you normally would for a red wine: You want lower alcohol and more acid in your white Zinfandel to balance the residual sugar, so target Brix levels between 2123.5. First bottled by Sutter Home a little over 50 years ago, White Zinfandels popularity caught on like wildfire, and its remained a top-pick among wine lovers ever since! I'm Paige! In the making process of White Zinfandel, the grape juice has limited exposure to the skins, resulting in a pink color. At first, it was an error. White Zinfandel - Wikipedia Making White Zinfandel - WineMakerMag.com 11 Penn Circle I can tell you how red wine is generally made, but winemakers will add their own interpretation or twist to each step. The red variety is planted in more than 10 percent of all Californian. If you do decide to age your white Zinfandel, its important to store it properly. Itll pair nicely with tangy cheeses, smoked meats, creamy pasta dishes, and anything with a little bit of kick. Choose a yeast to maximize fruity aromas: I like the RC212 yeast strain for ros but other popular choices include BA11 and 71B. In the Trinchero Family book, he defended his decision to produce the wine: If we would have listened to the wine critics years ago, we would have never made white Zinfandel, but the people with the money (our customers) wanted it, and that was good enough for us.. Possibly. Is White Zinfandel dry? History, Tasting Notes & Pairing Tips July 13, 2023. Winemaker Rafael Jacinto Jofre has been crafting a select handful of varietals at Canyon Road Winery since 2004, and his White Zinfandel has delicious tasting notes of strawberry, cherry, and watermelon. Is it a blend of red and white wines? Holland PA 18966, 2023 | All Rights Reserved. Fred F., Columbia, Mo. I dont know how many cases of white Zinfandel are consumed in the United States each year but I know its a heck of a lot. White Zinfandel is a slightly sweet wine made from the red-skinned Zinfandel grape. Discovering white Beaujolais: 10 wines to try - Decanter September 3, 2022 by MD-Rasel Answer Cooking with white zinfandel can be a fun and interesting experience. White Zinfandels were purportedly created by Sutter Home Family Vineyards winemaker Bob Trinchero in 1975 through a chance occurrence during the fermentation process. The wine quickly became popular and helped to establish Sutter Home Winery as a major player in the wine industry. Learn About Zinfandel, Both Red & White - VinePair White Zinfandel wine is made from red Zinfandel grapes, the same grapes used in making the bold, big Zins California wineries are known for. It is often referred to as a blush wine due to its light pink color. It's also key to enjoying with caviar and smoked salmon. This is how White Zin got its sweet reputation, which some people love and others hate. Many modern winemakers are now making drier versions of White Zinfandel, modeled after the popular dry ross. Burrow, one of the game . Once fermentation is complete, the wine is separated from the grape solidspressed or drained away. If. Plus, it has a low alcohol content, usually around 10%, making it a perfect wine for casual drinking and social occasions. The wine was invented in 1975 and quickly became a favorite in the 1980s and 1990s. calls for coconut rum, pineapple chunks, lime juice, and lemon lime soda. Is White Zinfandel Sweet? - MyBartender White Zinfandel Sangria Recipe | Bon Apptit Statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on - The White House