OUR FAVORITE
ZINFANDELS
October 2000

Under $20

1996 Valley of the Moon Sonoma Valley Zinfandel

Tasting notes: The 1996 Zinfandel has intense aromas of raspberries and black pepper.  Elegant, delicate fruit and spiciness carry beautifully through the finish.
Our notes:  This is a very interesting Zinfandel that may prove to be difficult to find.  We happened upon the winery during our last visit to Sonoma and were pleasantly surprised.  The Valley of the Moon is a region of Sonoma County that is famous for its Zinfandel production.  This winery has done a wonderful job of getting the perfect amount of spice into their 1996 Zin.  Zinfandel should be spicy, and Valley of the Moon has mastered it.  They have also done a great job with their bottle design.  It's a very unique label.  Usually, we recommend staying away from inexpensive wines with cool bottles, because they are usually trying to lure you with neat labels rather than with the merit of their wine, but this is not the case here.  Enjoy!

Visit the Valley of the Moon Winery Home Page

Over $20

1996 Renwood Grandmere Zinfandel

Tasting notes: None
Our notes: There were no tasting notes to be found, but I can tell you that this wine has a full bouquet of blackberry, black pepper, and raspberry.  This is a wonderful, complex Zinfandel that will overwhelm your senses of smell and taste.  Prepare for a full-bodied Zinfandel when you uncork this one.  It is wonderful.  Renwood Vineyard does everything in limited production, so get these while you can.  All of their bottles are individually numbered.  There were only 2,000 bottles of the Grandmere Zinfandel produced in 1996.  They can be found for around $25, and they are well worth every penny.

Visit the Renwood Vineyard Home Page

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