Zinfandel Port

[Georgie]

Charles Krug Peter Mondavi Family Reserve Zinfandel Port. This was on sale in a local shop. I bought it because it said Port, but I am wondering about the Zinfandel in the name. All the other Ports I've bought simply said Port or Porto and other than the words Ruby or Tawny there was nothing else in the name. Anyone care to enlighten this novice? Haven't tasted it yet. $9.99 500 ml 18.4% alcohol

[winoweenie]

Hi Georgie. It's vinified rhe same as Port from Oporto except the grape varietal is our Zinfandel. Have had some very old, for American, Zin Ports that were extremely good. If memory serves I posted on an 85 or 86 Sierra Winery Amador vintage port that was quite good a year or two ago.Try it, teach, you'll like it. ww

[Georgie]

Thanks WW. I'll let you know what I think when I crack it open.

[Georgie]

I am sipping as I type and this is really good stuff! Think I'll have to go back to the shop for more of this while it's on sale. OK, novice question again. There's no year on this bottle and the label says that it is "a blend of three unique vintages." What does that mean? Three different years?

[winoweenie]

BINGO!. WW

[Georgie]

Hmm, I'm still trying to figure out how this works. Does the winery plan to hold back some of it's wine from each of three years to combine to make port? Or is it sort of left over and they hold it to combine with future vintages? Rather like dinner at my house after three or four nights? Forgive me for being so simplistic, but I'm trying to learn.

[Thomas]

Georgie, it could be planned or it could be unplanned, or it could be a combination of the two. There are no rules, no regulations, no formuli for wineries to follow.

The winery might have had a vintage with too few grapes for any production quantity; might have had poor quality in one year so saved some of the juice for an opportunity to blend away; might have taken three years to produce the kind of wine they wanted to produce by design.

The "unique vintages" quote, however leaves me to suspect that they used grapes unusable for table wine--that is the cynic in me talking, or is it the realist???

On one other note: purists would not like to refer to wine produced outside of Oporto by the moniker Port--kind of like the Champagne issue.

[Georgie]

Thank you, foodie. That term "unique" sent up a little cynical flag in me, too. I've often used "unique" to describe a child during parent conferences! It rates right up there with "special" and "free-spirited." Well, whatever the cause of the three "unique vintages", the combination was a very tasty one! I appreciate your explanation. Thanks!

[Thomas]

Being a sometimes pedant, I would point out to the winery (if I had the chance) that every vintage is unique; that is why we talk about and identify vintage dates, and that is why the word rears my cynical head when used on a label to identify an unidentifiable.

[Georgie]

You make a very good point, as usual, foodie. I went back to get another bottle of this and told the wine merchant how much I liked it. He said when he tasted it at auction, he loved it, and bought all they had. "They're not making it anymore," he said. Well, I guess that makes sense seeing how it's a blend of three vintages. I'm wondering if I should go buy more...winter is long...

[This message has been edited by Georgie (edited 06-29-2003).]

[Georgie]

I opened* the second bottle of this tonight and it still wows me as much as the first. Wonder if that shop has any more of this..
*For the first time I used a waiter's corkscrew instead of a rabbit ears style. I did it! I'm rather proud of myself! It's life's little victories that add up....

[Innkeeper]

Good for you. Carry one in my pocket all the time, and frequently comes in handy. Have to admit, that at home, the ole screwpull is a lot easier to handle.

[Georgie]

Tonight I opened bottle #3 of this delicious stuff. Had one glass, then another, and promptly went out like a light in the easy chair. It's potent!

[Skeeter]

Ahh, good. That means Reason #4,381 to Drink Port: Perfect Cure for Acute Insomnia.

(Like I NEED a reason to drink Port... but thanks, anyway, Georgie.) [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img]

[winoweenie]

Life is Grand, Eh Teach?!!!!ww [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Auburnwine]

Georgie, have you tried the Aussie muscats yet? If not, I'm going to hassle you until you do!

There's more to life than Port (Yikes! Can't believe I just said that).

[Georgie]

The closest I've come thus far is the South African one I posted on in this forum. Haven't found an Aussie yet.

[Auburnwine]

Ah, I just read your South African post. Sorry, I'll try to be more patient in my missionary zeal.