The Best Zinfandels in California: Tasting at ZAP 2010

With a line snaking halfway around the parking lot by 2:00 PM, it might be easy to say that Zinfandel might be one of the more recession proof wines in California. The fact that very good bottles can be had for about $20 certainly means that there’s probably a lot more Zinfandel being consumed these days than, say, Meritage blends. Once inside the annual Zinfandel Advocates and Producers Festival it was clear, however, that far fewer wineries were pouring this year than in the past, though the crowd was no less lively (I didn’t stay until 5 PM when people normally are at their sloppiest and most boisterous). It’s a little bit of a shame, however, as the 2007 and 2008 wines on offer were on the whole, quite good. Both vintages seem characterized by good acidity (especially the 2007s which seemed more perfect in terms of ripeness levels) and my favorite producers’ wines were quite uniformly excellent. I tasted about 220 wines this year, focusing on my usual combination of folks I know well and those I don’t, with an effort to try a bunch of the newest members of the ZAP association, who were clearly marked in the tasting booklet. For those willing to spend between $20 and $35 on a bottle of wine…

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