The Southwest Voice

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“Which wine could you possibly recommend for the Fourth of July celebrations, Ann?” I can hear the sympathetic clucks from the wine lovers’ gallery now. Hot dogs, hamburgers, barbecued spare ribs and tri-tip, salsa, baked beans, potato salad, homemade ice cream, strawberry shortcake, watermelon! Wow! The only all-American beverage to go with that big a variety of tastes is beer, or iced tea, or maybe Pepsi. Wines are European — they don’t belong at our picnics and barbecues. Wine just isn’t American even though we make some of the world’s best. It just doesn’t belong, right?
Wrong.

If it tastes good, complements the food, and you like it, it belongs. And besides, there really is an American wine — Zinfandel.

While it is true that the origins of this tasty red wine go back to Croatia, and it appears to have arrived in the East Coast well before the Gold Rush, Zinfandel was made popular (rescued from obscurity, too) right here in California, where it arrived by 1852 and was planted in both Napa and Sonoma counties in 1859. It was the most popular wine among miners and was planted throughout the state. It is a prolific grape and was widely used during Prohibition by home winemakers. Wine drinkers worldwide mention and acknowledge Zin as the American wine and California as its home.

It was a common red table wine up through World War II, but it began to decline in popularity and plantings until the advent of white Zinfandel in 1972, which became a phenomenal best-seller. It still is, by the way. In the 1990s, there was a resurgence of quality red Zinfandels and many of us firmly believe that you get “the most bang for your buck” with a fine bottle of delicious, jammy red from Carlisle, Ridge, Rosenblum, Seghesio, JC Cellars from Sonoma County, or Linne Calodo and Four Vines from our close-by Paso Robles area. Many more, like Turley, and Ravenswood, make wonderful Zins from all over the state.

OK, you’re going to drink it because it’s America’s wine. But I want you to discover how many types and tastes there are to Zinfandel. Take along a nice, semi-sweet Sutter Home or Beringer White Zin on your picnics. It’s a very pleasant wine to sip before the heavy main courses. Roses (ro-zays) or Blush wines are perfect for picnics.

With hamburgers and hot dogs, and dependent on how much mustard and relish is used, try a medium-bodied boysenberry-flavored red from Cline. When the barbecues are smokin’ and the beans are steamin’, pour a glass of deep jammy blackberry-taste from D-Cubed or The Maverick of Four Vines! Delicious — big, heavy foods with big, heavy, spicy wines that will add to the flavors.

For dessert, try a Zinfandel Port or a Late Harvest Zin. They’re terribly sweet, high in alcohol, and a drop or two will light up the night skies, along with the fireworks!

They do go well with the strawberries and/or ice-cream, though.
Give them all a try!

Questions? Comments? Send Ann e-mail at:acierley@etcrier.net