On Wine  

How Long Should You Age Your Zinfandel?

Wine

by Fred McMillin

 

Your wine shop has a display of affordable Zinfandels that are one through five years old. Which should you buy?

Chardonnay and Cabernet

Earlier (When Will Your Wine Taste Best?) we made similar studies of the USA's two most popular varietals and found:

Chardonnay—Best two years after the vintage date. One year old and three year old bottles averaged lower scores,

Cabernet Sauvignon—Best to wait until five years old.

Now on to Zinfandel.

The Study

My tireless tasters have tackled 48 Zins in recent months. The wines were from one to five years old with prices from $10 to $26.

The Results

  • 1 Year Old—Cleary scored lowest of the five groups.
  • 2 Yrs. Old—Improved over one-year group, but still next to the bottom.
  • 3 Yrs. Old—Distinctly better than the first two.
  • 4 Yrs. Old—Still improving.
  • 5 Yrs. Old—As good as 4 years, but not better.

Conclusion

My tasters found that these affordable Zins reached their peak in four years, one year earlier that the Cabs.

Postscript

Here are the best Zins of each group.

  • 1 Year—Frey, $11 Mendocino
  • 2 Yrs.—Sobon, $16 Amador County
  •             —Lake Sonoma, $22 Dry Creek-Saini
  • 3 Yrs.—Sobon, $20 Fiddletown
  • 4 Yrs.—Trentadue, $18 Dry Creek Valley
  •             —Adelaida, $25 Paso Robles
  •             —Sunset, $18 Suisun Valley
  • 5 Yrs.—Deaver, $25 Sierra Foothills

Credits

Statistics by Nora Molabola and Juliet Velasquez

 

And a Final Wine Smile

We know vintages are very important to wine lovers. For example, in California 1997 was clearly superior to 1998. Which reminds me of the great Babe Ruth, the Sultan of Swat. After he received a salary increase, the Babe was asked by a reporter if he wasn't embarrassed by the fact that he was making more than the president of the U.S.A.

The Babe: "No. I had a better year!"

 

About the Writer

Fred McMillin, a veteran wine writer, has taught wine history for 30 years on three continents. For information about the wine courses he teaches every month at San Francisco City College (Fort Mason Division), please fax him at (415) 567-4468.

 

Copyright © 2007, Fred McMillin. All rights reserved.

 


Wine Archive

 
 

This page created August 2007


 

The Global Gourmet
Return to the
Global Gourmet®
Main Page

 

Mother's Day Recipes
Mother's Day Gift
and Menu Guide

Memorial Day Recipes
Memorial Day Recipes

 

AddThis Social Bookmark Button

AddThis Feed Button

 

Global Gourmet®
Shopping
Gourmet Food, Cookbooks
Kitchen Gadgets & Gifts

 
Search this site:

Advanced Search

 

Departments

Kate's Global Kitchen
Kate's Books
Cookbook Profiles
Global Destinations
I Love Desserts
On Wine
Shopping

new green basics New Green Basics
cooking kids Cooking with Kids

Archives
Conversions & Charts
Forums/Message Boards
Search

About the
Global Gourmet®
   Contact Info
   Advertising
   Feedback
   Privacy Statement

 
IACP Cookbook
Award Winners

Fish Forever
Local Breads
Asian Flavors (Jean-Georges)
Morimoto: Japanese Cooking
Chocolates & Confections
Julia Child
Cook with Jamie
The World Atlas of Wine
Food: The History of Taste
Cook Everything Vegetarian
All Cookbook Winners

JBF Cookbook
Award Nominees

Egg
My Bombay Kitchen
Revolutionary Chinese
A Baker's Odyssey
Great Bar Food at Home
Chez Jacques
Super Natural Cooking
Lidia's Italy
Geography of Oysters
Cheese Essentials
Vegetable Harvest
All Cookbook Nominees

Classic Cookbooks

Betty Crocker Why It Works
The Bon Appétit Cookbook
Joy of Cooking
Fifth Taste...Umami
The Professional Chef
New American Cooking
Vegetable Love

 
 

 
 

Copyright © 1994-2008,
Forkmedia LLC

 

 

 
 

Become a Chef:
Best Culinary Schools

 

Everything Kitchens
Coffee Makers, Blenders
Espresso Machines

 

The California Wine Club
Wine of the Month Clubs
Monthly Wine Club Gifts

 

Cheap Flights
Online Shopping

 

Groomsmen Gifts
Grooms Wedding Guide
Bridesmaids Gifts

 

Mom's Recipes

 
 

 
 

Everyday Italian
Top Cookbooks
& Gift Ideas

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tenerife
Weight Loss Diet
Women's Vests
Vending Machines