I think Zinfandel is like the Barry Manilow of wine and wine grapes. Often maligned, not given the respect it deserves, yet seemingly has many faithful followers. Zinfandel? That's the sweet, pink wine, right? Actually far from it! White Zinfandel became so wildly popular in the '80s and '90s that Zinfandel became more often known as that gulpable sweet wine rather than by the traditional style. The original version of Zinfandel is a dry, inky, full bodied, fruit laden red wine loaded with blackberry and spice. Personally I think Zin is a very cool varietal. It's' the closest thing we have to an American varietal. It's origins were a mystery for ages but DNA profiling has shown it to be a Croatian grape brought to California around 1850. Since then, California has pretty much been the only place Zinfandel is culivated and vinted, other than in Italy which calls it Primitivo.

Many wine enthusiasts write off Zinfandel as simply too fruit forward and soft to be compared with the likes of Cabernet Sauvignon or even Merlot. But like most varietals, Zinfandels come in a wide variety of styles depending on the producer and the quality of the fruit. If you prefer a more delicate, earthy expression of Zinfandel, check out Ridge Vineyard's Geyserville Zinfandel. It's a great example of how complex Zin can be. If you embrace Zinfandel's rich, dark blackberry character, try Seghesio's Sonoma Zinfandel. It's juicy dark fruit is balanced out by a soft tannin structure. Lodi and Paso Robles generally produce more fruit forward, soft Zins while Sonoma and Napa produce some nicely complex Zins like the Ridge I mentioned above.

If I had to pick one, I think I'd choose Zinfandel as my favorite red varietal as far as sheer wine drinking enjoyment goes. In fact, I might just unashamedly enjoy a glass tonight while listening to Barry Manilow.