Zinfandel wine party

[DenverWine]

Hello, I have a question about food parings with Red Zinfandel wine. I plan on hosting a tasting party featuring mainly California Red Zinfandels, although I do have a bottle of Jory (New Mexico). I was planning on having a tasting of these wines centered around a dinner of grilled steak (rib-eye?) but I am curious as to side dishes, specifically salad dressings, fruit and vegatable parings, and cheeses, or breads that would go well with this wine. I was thinking of something along the lines of dark chocholate for dessert, but am open to suggestions. Thanks for any information!

[Innkeeper]

Hi DenverWine, and welcome to the Wine Board. Be sure to jazz up the steak with smoke and mild spices, lest it just be cabernet fodder. Stay away from acid in the salad and veggies. Blue cheese dressing much better than one with vinegar. Stay away from tomatoes. Zin is not known for being overly acidic. Salty cheeses and most any bread would go nice. For the chocolate you might look for a late harvest zin.

[ddf68]

I don't have much to add to IK's suggestions, but I thought I'd add my welcome as Coloradans are few and far between on this board.

ddf

[Drew]

CABERNET FODDER!!!!!! WW, DID YOU READ WHAT HE CALLED CABERNET???

Drew

[winoweenie]

Drew, It's hard to justify answering a WITHSTAND members attact on our most beloved of grapies. " Forgive him Bacchus, for he knows not what he sayeth " WW

[Innkeeper]

Didn't call cabernet that. Called simply grilled steak that. You guys who slosh too much cab tend to get things turned around.

[winecollector]

Sounds to me like he's back-pedaling guys....

[cpurvis]

IK, it sure would simplify threads if WW, Drew & 'wood'collector learned to read above the elementary school level. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

And my! my! aren't those boys jumpy 'bout cabs these days?

cp

[winecollector]

cpurvis- "woodcollector" I love it!

[Thomas]

Ok guys, get into your respective corners for a tag-team:

woodcollector (priceless) over by the wood shed.

ww over by the bookshelves, preferably where English resides and some of it rubs off.

IK, you move over to the white wall (wallboard of course, no wood there).

cpurvis is the wild card here, but he has proven a sharp wit with that woodcollector jab that I think he gets the crown even before the match begins.

Drew--well, with your credentials we'll make you the referee--just the facts, man.

[Innkeeper]

Hopefully the original poster, who brought none of this on his/herself will only read the first two replys. Hopefully the moderator will delete the rest.

[wondersofwine]

I've auctioned off wine tastings at our annual church auction (we're obviously not Baptists). I offer appetizers and a dessert and tastings of six to eight wines. One year the appetizers included both sauteed mushrooms and large mushroom caps stuffed with a crabmeat mix (something like Spanish tapas). I think the sauteed mushrooms would go well with Zinfandel and have a delicious odor of their own.

That brings up a question on my part. What wine do you guys recommend with ratatouille?

[wondersofwine]

Sorry, guys. I just noticed by scrolling a little further down the answer to my question about wines with ratatouille. I don't care for southern French wines much so would probably go with the zin, Italian wine, or a Beaujolais.

[Innkeeper]

All sound good. Would go with a lighter zin, e.g. '99 Cline Plain Ole; a Cru Beaujolais, e.g. Moulin-A-vent; or (best bet) one of the lighter Barbera de Asti's.