Looking for Spice? Ravenswood Zinfandel (NV)

Aug 20 2009

Summer’s over. School’s starting. Time to get excited about leaves changing, football games, school work and fuzzy sweaters. While summer asked us to drink chilled, crisp, light wines, fall requires something bolder.

What wine?

I tried a glass of Ravenswood Zinfandel (NV). The deep, dark red wine promised some level of complexity and the zinfandel did not disappoint.

The taste was of round, ripe lush fruit with hints of spice. The fullness of the fruit begged to be paired with a thick, juicy rare steak. Unfortunately, I paired it with a sushi plate of white tuna, salmon, whitefish and shrimp. For my meal, a cold, unfiltered sake would have been the better pairing.

I would prefer to pop the cork on a bottle of Ravenswood Zinfandel on a cool, crisp fall evening and enjoy it solo. With mid notes of berry and plum before a spicy finish with vanilla to balance throughout the experience, a glass of Ravenswood Zinfandel is strong enough to stand alone.

Though I enjoyed my glass of Ravenswood Zinfandel on a private patio in downtown Boulder, my poor pairing choice triggered a “wish I were in the South” moment, if only for the to-go cups.

An drank the Ravenswood Zinfandel ($7.00/glass) at Japango, on Pearl Street Mall. For taste, color, scent, experience and complexity, An gives the Ravenswood Zinfandel at Japango a 3.5 out of 5.