A Wine Lover's Weekly Review of $10 Wines - A Beringer White Zinfandel

In this article we are going to be tasting arhubarb aroma; touch of fruit sweetness in flavor;
rosé wine, with a white name that comesdelicate, soft finish. Serving suggestion: Soft
from a red grape. Zinfandel is perhaps America'scheeses; Thai or Indian food, as a party sipper, or
only indigenous European-style grape variety. Ituse in a Sangria. And now for my reactions.
makes fruity, powerful red wines. But it also is theAt the first sips the wine was quite sweet with
source of White Zinfandel, an extremely popularnice acidity. Its first pairing was with small,
rosé wine that accounts for about 10% ofassorted pieces of barbecued chicken. The wine
the wine volume sold in the United States. On itswas refreshing with bright acidity. I had the feeling
own, White Zinfandel is the third most popularthis is a fun wine, the kind you drink at a party
American "varietal" wine. The Zinfandel grape iswhere wine is about the last thing on anyone's
vinified into this curiously named rosé sixmind. I wish it were less sweet. It maintained a
times as often as into the traditional red.candy taste with roasted eggplant smothered in
One of the worst wines that I ever consumedgarlic. When this white Zin faced a white bean and
was a popular White Zinfandel. On the advice ofred pepper dip it lost some of its sweetness,
our legal department I won't be naming names,which upped it a notch in my estimation.
but I vowed never to drink another WhiteThe next meal consisted of Kube (also called
Zinfandel. But a few years later someone broughtKibbe); ground beef slow cooked in crushed
a different producer's version to a dinner at ourwheat jackets accompanied by Swiss Chard and
house and I felt compelled to taste it and not talkBok Choy. The wine's acidity almost
about the past. That also to be unnamed versioncounterbalanced its sugar. The more I consumed
wasn't too bad. So I thought I would try another.the happier I was with the wine's acidity.
But first a few words of wine trivia. WhiteMy final meal was centered around a red onion
Zinfandel became so popular that it preventedomelet accompanied by smoked salmon on the
ripping out some of the oldest vines in the US.side. The Zin was quite fruity but still sweeter
The producer of this bottle, Beringer is the oldestthan I would like while its acidity remained. In the
operating vineyard in Napa Valley. One morepresence of the smoked salmon the wine was
comment before our review, don't tell wineround and not quite so fruity. The combination
connoisseurs that you're serving them a Napawas pleasant but undoubtedly most of the credit
Valley Zinfandel if this be your wine. They will getwent to the smoked salmon.
the wrong idea, and perhaps not be amused. WeI ended the bottle with two local cheeses. In the
will look for a red Zinfandel to review. But don'tpresence of a yellow Cheddar the wine was fruity
be surprised if it doesn't come from Napa Valley.and sweet. It is almost as if the cheese wasn't
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that wethere. When paired with a more forceful white
taste and review are purchased at the full retailHavarti the wine was fairly round with diminished
price.sweetness.
Wine ReviewedFinal verdict. I wouldn't buy this wine when I'm in a
Beringer White Zinfandel 2007 10.5% alcohol aboutserious mood. But if I just want to have fun and
$8wash down selected nibbles, I wouldn't mind
Let's start by quoting the marketing materials.another round. Does this mean that I'll return to
Tasting Note: Pale rose color; strawberry andretaste my first White Zinfandel? Never.