In my humble opinion, Ridge makes the best Zinfandel in the country.  Plain and simple.  I’m admittedly not a huge Zin drinker because the super high alcohol, sweet style doesn’t appeal to me.  In fact, some Zins are so sweet that I’m sure there is residual sugar, much like dessert wines.  That fact got me wondering why I like the Zinfandel grape at the hands of Ridge’s capable winemaker.  So, I read the label.

Though most modern wine labels focus on pretty pictures (gimmicks), Ridge actually includes useful information on theirs.  There I discovered the answer to my question.  Ridge Lytton Springs only contains 14.4% alcohol.  It’s not uncommon to see Zins above 16%.  It’s also perfectly dry.  Since sugar equals alcohol, the picture is all of the sudden becoming clear.  Reading on, the label actually says that they had to rush to pick their grapes before they got too ripe!  Now, I love ripe wines as evidenced by the fact that I have written numerous times about my fondness of Chris Ringland wines!  But for Zinfandel, a little restraint goes a long way.  Parker agrees.  He gave this one 93 points.

Lytton Springs pours a slightly transparent, but nonetheless dense ruby color.  On the nose blueberry is complemented by vanilla oak flavors.  The palate is incredibly balanced – ripe but with Bordeaux-like restraint.  The Petite Sirah component, which makes up 21% of this wine, adds a beautiful depth and texture.  This is an absolutely delicious wine.

I believe the 2008 is slightly better than the 2007, which was also very good.  If you are a fan of Ridge wines, or like a more retrained style of Zinfandel, I would highly recommend this wine.

Buy Here: 2008 Ridge Lytton Springs $29.95

Robert Parker 93 points

“Striking, intense black cherry and blackberry fruit with some spice and earth jump from the glass of the 2008 Lytton Springs, a blend of 74% Zinfandel, 21% Petite Sirah, and 5% Carignan. Dark ruby with a nice tannic overlay, the wine was aged 15 months in American oak. Spicy, impressively rich, with good acids and loads of concentration, this is a beauty to drink over the next 5-7 years. “

This week I posted a question about Ridge Zinfandels on Facebook and got great responses.  This got me thinking about Zinfandel today when I stopped into LA Wine Co.  Luckily there was an enormous stack of this INSANE deal right in the back to feed our loyal fans’ Zinfandel fever.  This is $6 cheaper than the lowest price I can find in the country.  I haven’t had a chance to taste it yet but with over 100 cases already sold I wanted to alert our readers before it’s no longer available.  The 88 point Wine Spectator score and the reputation should speak for itself.

Buy Here: 2005 Renwood Old Vine Zinfandel $6.99

Wine Spectator 88 points

“Dense and concentrated, yet offers a rich core of pure wild raspberry fruit, with accents of white pepper, dried cherry, fresh sage and loamy mineral. Drink now through 2011. 24,226 cases made.”

Tobin James is known for their Zinfandel, Syrah and their “country party” themed tasting room in the heart of the Central Coast’s Paso Robles wine region.  If you’re ever in the area, it’s worth checking out their tasting saloon and picking up one of their signature star patches for the memory book.  Their wines are well reviewed, popular and range in price from $12 to $150.

Producers like Tobin James are often contracted to make wines for “private label” applications at grocery stores or restaurants.  Rumor has it, Tobin James created the Titan Hills label for one of those private label projects, but somehow the deal fell through, so we the consumer are left with an incredible value they call “Fiasco”.  Maybe the name hints at how this wine made it to the market?

This weekend, I drank a bottle of Orin Swift’s $35 “The Prisoner” – a wine I really enjoy – and would call Titan Hills “Fiasco” very comparable.  That’s high praise for a wine 1/5 the price.  It’s not listed anywhere, but my understanding (and taste) suggests that this is a Zin, Syrah, Petite Sirah blend.  This wine has a sweet, alluring nose and bright, juicy, full bodied taste with a spicy finish.   It’s without fault, and a perfect daily drinking complement to Trader Joe’s turkey bolognese, as I discovered tonight.

In a world with so many sucky $10 wines, it’s great to find a case worthy value that beats that magic $10 mark handily.  Titan Hills might be a generic name, but what’s inside the bottle is anything but.

Buy Here: Tobin James 2008 Titan Hills “Fiasco” Red Blend $6.99

Wasn’t I just saying there is no real old vine wine in the U.S. except Zinfandel?  Now is your opportunity to taste some of the finest wine from vineyards that are 115 years old!  The location of these vineyards might be a surprise to many.

The Cucamonga Valley in Southern California’s Riverside County is the location of some of the oldest vineyards in the United States.  In its heyday, before Prohibition, it was home to more vineyards than Napa and Somoma counties combined.  But alas, many of those vineyards were let go during prohibition and later overtaken by urban sprawl as Los Angeles grew to encompass multiple counties.

The few vineyards that are left make some of the country’s best Zinfandel and Norman’s “Old Vines” certainly doesn’t disappoint.  If you’ve had Opolo’s Zins and enjoy the ripe, jammy, style, you are going to love this wine.  It’s not shy at 16.2% alcohol but the nose has more blackberry than alcohol and the taste is sweet with notes of caramelized sugar.  The concentration from the old vines is apparent in the blockbuster Zin, but the 7 years of age have calmed the tannins down and made this a perfect drinker now.

Hard times call for desperate measures and at $4.99 per half bottle (!), there is no way the winery is making money here.  Of Norman Vineyards wines, Robert Parker has said:

“Some of the finest Zinfandels ever tasted. These are jammy, full-bodied, thick offerings meant to be consumed for their boisterous, exuberant gustiness over the next 3-5 years.”

If you like Zinfandel, and I know many of our readers do, get a case of these half bottles.  Over half of the enormous stack of cases was sold yesterday after the LA Wine Co. email went out.  I wish I had taken a picture because I happened to be there buying a few bottles when they were unloading them and I was shocked at how many cases there were.  The other half will probably sell after this post goes out so order online for in store pickup or nationwide shipping.  Enjoy!

Buy Here: 2004 Norman Zinfandel Old Vines 375ml $4.99

There really aren’t very many stand-out domestic red wines under the $10 price point.  So discovering Marietta Cellars’ Old Vine Red non-vintage “Lot #52″ bottling was a real pleasure for me.  And isn’t pleasure what wine is about after all?  You don’t drink it to quench your thirst.  If you do, it might be time to take a vacation from the vino…

Pleasure is the name of the game with this wine and you don’t have to believe me.  Here’s what Robert Parker has to say about this perennial value:

“If readers have not yet learned the formula here, it is: Marietta Cellars equals high quality, modest prices and considerable pleasure!” – Robert Parker

What is it made out of?  Who cares?  It tastes like good wine.  Seriously, it’s mostly Zinfandel with a kitchen sink worth of other varietals.  This wine is fragrant, spicy and ends with a surprisingly long finish.  It has house wine written all over it and most importantly, it’s one of those bottlings you can rely on year after year for unbeatable value.

LA Wine Co is once again the lowest price in the country at $9.95, beating the competition by a minimum of 84 cents, making them the only one beating the $10 mark.

Buy Here: Marietta Cellars Old Vine Red Lot #52 $9.95