Mortgage Updates

For all my reader friends this article is of a more personal note... It is a rewrite of the first blog written on the new web site started by my hubbie Rick and I.  We have long enjoyed food, wine and travel and are now sharing this information on our new personal website aptly named " Adventures in Food & Wine with Rick & Ingrid : click here to visit  We welcome you to join us - and comment any time! *****
 
The Zinfandel grape came to California in the mid 19th century. These vines more than a century old are still producing wine today (old growth vines).  The Zinfandel grape was very popular among early Italian immigrants, who liked hardy red wines from home. The origin of the Zinfandel grape has been a mystery until recently. Through DNA testing, Zinfandel grape roots have been traced back to Croatian grape named Crljenak.The Zinfandel grape is one of the most widely planted wine grape in California.The Zin is a very prolific producer, capable of turning out approximately 8 tons per acre.
 
The Zinfandel grape is widely planted, but it's a not an easy grape to grow. The grape is very susceptible to bunch rot and shatter( the fruit doesn't set properly in the spring). Deciding when to harvest can be a real problem. The Zinfandel grapes ripen very unevenly an make harvesting at the right time a real problem. If picked to early the wine will taste simple and green. If the grape is picked to late the alcohol soar to 15-16% or more with the flavor turning pruny.  

Ten years ago we planted our Zinfandel vineyard on the sunny North slope of our property.   Over the last several years wine making has been a fun family affair.  It is amazing how the micro climates flourish in our vineyard.  As harvest draws close the daily refractometer readings can vary 8 degrees form section to section.  We try to pick to have a must with a 23 - 24 brix. This will produce a wine with 12 - 13% alcohol. To obtain the full body wine we like, wine maker Rick ferments these grapes 8-10 days on the pulp with the caps punched down 2 -3 times a day to achieve maximum complexity and extract the maximum amount of pigment.  After a secondary frementation we age our wine in 60 gallon American Oak barrels for 9 -12 months.  The result a full bodied velvety Zin! (see photos below)
 
Zinfandel is a great grill friendly wine, which pairs well with beef (smoky flavors) poultry and game birds. Zinfandel has very distinct aromas of cherry and berries; like Raspberries and Blackberries. 
 
Wine recommendations are shown on the website.
Posted by INGRID PIERSON on August 27th, 2009 10:31 PMPost a Comment (0)
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