SMOKIN!

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Wine Club at Julie's

Date: April 11, 2015
Theme: Zinfandel ... with Smoked BBQ brisket
Company: Shereen, Reem, Jacquie, Andrea, Anna, Melissa, Sara-Rose

 Menu:
Smoked Brisket
Smoked Lasagna rolls
Roasted potatoes

Smoked beans
Green beans with shallots
Apple & Cabbage Coleslaw
Apple Crisp

 Lessons of the night:
Zinfandel is considered California's heritage grape.   
We tested 'regular' vine vs 'old vine' Zinfandels. While there is no legal definition for what classifies a vine as 'old', some California vineyards are over 125 years old, and there is a general belief that older vines give better, more intense flavoured wine. Overall I think we noticed a difference, and found the old vine selections more full-bodied than their younger counterparts.

 Wines:

 Dancing Bull Zinfandel
LCBO 00669499, $13.95
Excellent, light wine - liked by all, would buy again. 
(Even went nicely with the Chicago mix!)

 Cline Zinfandel
LCBO 00489278, $15.95
Nobody really liked this one... even went as far as calling it "sangria worthy" although it improved a bit with the Chicago mix (what wouldn't)?

 Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel 2013
Vintages 678698, $17.95
Excellent - this was the top pick of the evening. 

 Smoking Loon Old Vine Zinfandel
LCBO 00272393, $14.95
Really liked this one, especially with the beef brisket.
Would buy again.

 Vintners Blend Ravenswood Old Vine Zinfandel 
Vintages 359257, $17.95
A couple of us have had this wine before and liked it, but for some reason it tasted a bit more acidic than what we'd remembered. Perhaps the food pairing? Perhaps because it followed the others?
Forgot to mention - the picture on the label is a popular tattoo in the US, who knew?

 Zinfatuation Zinfandel
LCBO 274746 $19.05
Good, but a bit pricey compared with the other delicious options.

 Here they are in order of preference (I think!)





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