Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel

Name: Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel
Color: Red
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: California
Region: Lodi
Price: $8
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We had the Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel this weekend and really enjoyed it...For the price, less than $10, it is an extremely good bargain. It's nothing to get too excited about but it definitely fits the bill for a great value wine. We remembered liking this wine when we tried it at the Safety Harbor Wine Festival. The flavors and aromas are of big, dark fruits, with cherry and vanilla. The tannins were smooth and the finish was medium in length...All in all, a very good wine.

I also just realized that it's been quite awhile since we've had wine at home to post about. We've had a few glasses at restaurants, most notably a terrific Pinot Noir at Carmel Cafe & Wine Bar that I really need to track down. But our drinking at home has slowed down a bit...We need to fix that!!!

Four Vines Zinfandel Old Vine Cuvee

Name: Four Vines 'Old Vine Cuvee' Zinfandel
Color: Red
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2006
Country/State: California
Region: Paso Robles
Price: $12
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We had this wine on Christmas Eve with a dinner of barbeque pork and ribs. It was delicious and paired very well with the BBQ. The wine was medium to full bodied with dark berry flavors with some smoke and oak spices. It was very smooth and juicy and was exactly what I was looking for in a Zinfandel to go with our meal. This was an excellent value and one I will gladly buy again.

7 Deadly Zins

Name: 7 Deadly Zins
Color: Red
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: 2006
Country/State: California
Region: Lodi
Price: $15
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)

This was the wine I picked out to go with our Thanksgiving meal. I decided to stick with a big American wine to go with the holiday. Krista made Sangria, and the rest of our family was content with their "wine" of choice - namely white zinfandel.

The 7 Deadly Zins has received many recommendations from many sources online, so I decided to give it shot. I'm glad I did. It was delicious. Raspberry, blackberry, and black cherry dominated the nose and the taste, but it was balanced out by some peppery spice and a little whiff of nuttiness. When I first opened it, the wine was a little oak-y, but that blew off after about 30 minutes of air. The wine was terrific on its own, but also went well with all of the turkey, stuffing, green beans, mashed potatoes, etc...It didn't overpower the food. It was really silky smooth and very tasty.

I highly recommend the 7 Deadly Zins and will definitely buy more in the future.

Barefoot Cellars Zinfandel

Name: Barefoot Cellars
Color: Red
Varietal: Zinfandel
Vintage: NA
Country/State: California
Region: Various
Price: $6
Stars: 3 (out of 5)

Not bad for a $6 wine...The Barefoot wines are usually very reliable and serve as good values across all varietals. I drank this wine last night after dinner when the kids were in bed as I watched the Magic beat the Cavs to advance to the NBA Finals!! The nose was similar to most Zinfandel based blends I've enjoyed, with cherry and raspberry being the dominant aromas. The taste was primarily cherry, raspberry, and vanilla. I didn't really pick up on any of the spice that I usually find in Zins. Also, it was not as full bodied as I would have preferred and tended to be a little more towards the off-dry side instead of dry...Overall, it was a decent wine for a great price.