Ottimino is a vineyard that produces nothing but Zinfandel. Most of their wines are in the $30+ price range, with the exception of their Zinfinity brand. The vineyard for Zinfinity is right next to the Rancho Bello vineyard in the Russian River Valley, but they are quite different. The vines for Zinfinity are the youngest […]
If you’re into movies, I’m sure you know the name Francis Ford Coppola as a great director. And if you’re into wine, you’ve probably noticed that his name is on some wines too. In fact, he’s behind more wine than you may realize. In addition to the wine that bears his name, he is also […]
This past week, issue #10 of Mutineer Magazine hit the shelves, including my Wine Steals column which is all about Zinfandel in this issue. There’s one Zinfandel I didn’t include in the article, despite the fact that it may be the one wine more people ask me about than any other and that one is […]
The name on this wine is a new one, but the winemaker is not new to wine. Mark Gendron has been producing wine for a good 20 years and founded JanKris winery back in 1990. He recently sold JanKris and is working on some new winemaking ventures, namely JK Estates and Wildfire Cellars. Stray Dog […]
The next wine I want you to consider to spice up your Valentine’s Day is a Zinfandel. Spicy is a word often used to describe Zinfandel—as well as some foods that go well with it. Although it can be a spicy wine at times, it’s really a fairly dynamic wine that can be produced in […]
The series on California Zinfandel is complete—finally—and here is the summary of 25 Zinfandels under $20. Zinfandel tends to be a love it or hate it variety, and those that love it find themselves paying more and more for it lately. Yes, the better Zinfandels are ticking upward with their prices. So, we thought it […]
This is a wine that I hadn’t even heard of until I saw it on the shelf and I picked it up on a pure whim, but I’m glad I did. While I hadn’t heard of this wine, I did have some confidence in giving it a try because of the distributor, Hand Picked Selections. […]
Mandolin is a small California winery run by Philip Zorn and Matt Shortbridge. It appears that they are no longer producing Zinfandel, but you may still come across this 2003 Lodi Zinfandel from them, as I did. There’s a nice intensity on the nose of this Zin. It has a bit of cedar, plum, cherry and oddly enough […]
At $19, this is one of the more expensive Zinfandels I’ve reviewed in this series—but it’s also one of the best. I am often critical of more expensive wines, as they are frequently no better than other wines at half the price. In this case, if you’re willing to splurge a few extra bucks (over […]
The Hayman & Hill brand comes from Cellar Door/Pacific Wine Partners, who manage a number of different wine brands. Cheap wine aficionados are probably familiar with their Red Guitar brand, known for tasty and affordable Spanish wine. Hayman & Hill is focused on single varietal, appellation designated, Californian wines produced by David Hayman and Dennis Hill. 2003 Dry […]
