Five Top Wines For Thanksgiving And National Zinfandel Day

Author Gina Birch

November 15th, 2023 5:23 AM

“I always have a bottle of zinfandel on my Thanksgiving table. Everything except the turkey is so full of flavor that any other wine is going to pale in comparison.” That quote is from Cindie Barker, manager of Blue Coyote Supper Club in Fort Myers. I always hear her words as the holiday approaches and I’m making decisions on wines to open. Pondering that question once again, I put together a list of the five top wines for Thanksgiving and National Zinfandel. The national day to recognize this sometimes misunderstood grape falls on the third Wednesday of November. It’s just in time for Thanksgiving and for Wine Wednesday.

National Zinfandel Day

I’m always amazed at the number of people who think zinfandel is nothing more than the sweet, pink wine known as white zinfandel. However, zinfandel is a red grape that makes robust red wines. They are known for being jammy with dark and red fruits, spice and black pepper. Yes, it can be made into a rose. However, they are nothing like a white zin.

Zinfandel was once a dominant part of the U.S. wine scene, widely planted by Italian immigrants. In fact, some vines that were planted in the 1800’s still exist in California. The Zinfandel Advocates & Producers, or ZAP for short, is an organiztion dedicated to this grape that is thought to originate in Croatia but revered worldwide.

They have a great website featuring all kinds of info about the grape and California winemakers who love it. ZAP created a state-wide zin trail for other zin lovers. The site gives info on where to taste and even has recipes for food and wine pairings. It’s a great resource.

One of my first introductions to great California zins was decades ago when I visited both Chateau Montelena and A Rafanelli. Then over the years it was great names such as Martinelli, Turley, Seghesio, Robert Biale, Saddleback Cellars, Ridge, Peachy Canyon, Bricoleur, Limerick Lane, and so many more. If you want to try something new for Thanksgiving, it’s zin for the win.

Here are five wines to try for National Zinfandel Day

• Maurtison Wines

  Share

  I confess to a bit of bias when it comes to Mauritson's zinfandels. I'm friends with the winemaker. However, even critics agree that Clay Mauritson does great things with zin grown in Sonoma's Rockpile AVA. Clay makes numerous zins including single vineyard wines like the one pictured. It is small production and worth the effort to find.

• Chateau Montelena

  Share

  Chateau Montelena is world famous for its cabernet and chardonnay. But man do they produce a good zinfandel too. It's medium bodied, full of blackberry and mocha with a little savory note.

• Quivira Anderson Ranch Zin ’19

  Share

  Quivira is another Sonoma winery that is producing some lovely wines. I tried the Anderson Ranch Zin during a visit to the winery this summer. It had lots of dark berries, even a little bit of cola, but still manages to be lively. This would be great on a Thanksgiving table.
• Truett-Hurst Zinfandel

  Share

  I recently shared a bottle of TruettHurst Rattlesnake Rock with a chef friend who loved its layers of flavor and how good it was with the variety of food on the table. It was full, velvety and balanced.

• Frank Family

  Share

  This is another go-to for me. Frank Family makes great zinfandels along with a port made from zin. In addition, they produce some fun sparkling wines that are perfect for the holidays. The last Frank Family Zinfandel I enjoyed was this 2021 and it was fantastic with a sweet and spicy BBQ sauce.

Get The K-Rock Report Delivered Right To Your Inbox

Get the latest Rock and local stories you need to know about, plus exclusive contests, games, and more.

Email *

Subscribe

By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.

Author Gina Birch

Category:

• Trending Locally

Tags:

drinking wine,Red Wine,Wine Reviews,Wine Tasting