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White Zinfandel is a relative newcomer to the world of wine. That's not to say the zinfandel grape is new. Bottles of wine were first labelled with the name "Zinfandel" as far back as the 1880s in California. First, in the 1980s red wine was touted as having medicinal effects and a red wine boom hit the US. California started planting zinfandel by the county, because it grew so well in that state. Then white wine rose in popularity, and the wineries with acres of zinfandel grape planted wondered if they could make a wine out of it. Thus white zinfandel was born.
In essence, to make a white zinfandel the winmaker peels the red skins off the red zinfandel grapes. Without those skins, the resulting wine is light in color, sweet in flavor and without the harsh / rich flavors found in red wines. This is how blush wines are made.
"One out of every ten bottles of table wine opened in America is white zinfandel." -- Sutter Home
White zinfandel is a pale-rose wine colored that's very sweet. It has gained immensely in popularity since the 1980s, and sadly it is often looked down on by "real wine drinkers" because of its youth and sweetness. This is sad because every wine has its place in the grand palate of flavors. Yes, white zinfandel is light and sweet. But this is perfect in some situations - say a hot summer day with a crisp fruit salad. It's also a great way for non-wine-drinkers to get used to the flavors in wine, without being put off by a heavily tannic monster wine.
Beringer Vineyards is the most popular producer of white zinfandel. White zinfandel is often a wine that new wine drinkers will "enter into wine drinking" with. A society that trains people to love super-sweet soda and Hi-C creates adults that have very sweet taste buds. White zinfandel is a way to slowly retrain those palates to appreciate the dryer flavors.
White zinfandel is delicious with cream-based-sauce with pasta, with fish, pork, and other "lighter" meals. It tends to have citrusy and light flavors - orange, vanilla, strawberry, raspberry, cherry. In addition, new white zinfandels have fruit juices added to them right before bottling to create new flavored versions.
White zinfandel should be drunk at around 54F which is much warmer than fridge temperature (around 35F). A too-cold wine hides all of its flavors. It's like eating a frozen pizza in its frozen state vs nice and warm. Let your white zinfandel warm up a bit if you keep it in the fridge before drinking it, so you can appreciate those gentle flavors it has in it. White zinfandel is NOT an aging wine and should be drunk within 6 months.
White Zinfandel wine is a blush wine made in California from early-picked Zinfandel grapes. The red grapes are quickly separated from their skins during crushing and fermentation so that the resulting White Zinfandel wine is very light pink; thus White Zinfandel wines have far less color, alcohol and flavors than normally fermented Zinfandels.
White Zinfandel Wine
By Steve Austin
White Zinfandel is a great starter wine because it is light and refreshing and sweet. The flavors are delicious and the price is always right. New wine drinkers would do well to experiment with White Zinfandel.
White Zinfandel wines have gained acclaim with many local and non-local wine enthusiasts. The light strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors are coupled with just enough acid to balance the modest residual sugar in this wine. The soft pink color catches the eye and the fruity bouquet begs the first sip. White Zinfandel wine is best served chilled with a nice picnic or try putting it in the freezer and serving it a little slushy. There’s nothing more refreshing on a warm summer day.
White Zinfandel Wine Tip:
Within White Zinfandel wine, a light creaminess is evident, with a refreshing crisp finish. Delicious enjoyed well-chilled as an aperitif, White Zinfandel wine is perfect partner to all types of foods, particularly those which have slight heat or spiciness such as Asian or Latin cuisine.
ARTICLE SOURCE: http://ezinearticles.com/?White-Zinfandel-Wine&id=40678 |