Top local zinfandel wines for the holidays

Posted: 10:33 am, November 23, 2014 by Publisher Scott Brennan

A list of the best Paso Robles wines for the holidays would not be complete without a section on zinfandel. It’s known as the Paso Robles heritage wine. Great zinfandel wines from Paso Robles are typically full-bodied, fruity with aromas of berries, sometimes jammy, and usually of moderate to high alcohol content. They should pair well with roasted turkey, lamb, red meats and anything Italian you might be making for the holidays.

Best zinfandel wines for the holidays

Peachy Canyon 2012 Zinfandel “Snow”

Bianchi 2011 Zinfandel – $32
This zin is fruity and delicious. It offers dark berries and vanilla spice with a hint of sweetness. It’s a zinfandel blend with 25-percent primitivo. It spent 19 months in new French and neutral oak barrels. It’s 16-percent alcohol.

Burbank Ranch 2012 Zinfandel Estate “Fall Colors” – $34
This is a fresh, fruit-forward zinfandel with hints of raspberry, cherry and spice. It has a velvety texture that will go well with grilled meat and fowl. It’s 15-percent alcohol.

Dunning 2012 Private Reserve Zinfandel – $38
This vintage is bold with rich full-bodied flavors of berries and spice with a hint of new French oak. It’s packed with the flavors of Paso Robles’ westside dry-farmed zinfandel fruit. It’s 15.5-percent alcohol.

Peachy Canyon 2012 Zinfandel “Snow” – $38
Peachy Canyon is known as one of the best zinfandel producers in Paso Robles. This wine’s fruity bouquet offers cherry pie and plum. It follows through with flavors of black cherry and smoky cedar with a touch of sweetness. This wine is packed with flavor, yet full of finesse, leaving you with a lingering finish. It’s 14.8-percent alcohol.

Pomar Junction 2012 Zinfandel – $34
This wine displays intense flavors of berries, cherries and pomegranate. Its supple tannins pair with rich meats such as lamb, roasted duck or turkey. It’s 14.9-percent alcohol

Vista Del Rey 2012 Zinfandel – $25
This dry-farmed wine is a delicious, lighter-style traditional zinfandel, rather than the fruit bombs some wineries are producing. It has notes of wild berry, plum and cherry. It will pair well with just about any holiday feast. It’s 15.2-percent alcohol. It has the best price point of this list.

Best Paso Robles wines for the holidays

Editors note: I thought it would be a great idea to recommend local wines for upcoming holiday parties and dinners, but I had no idea how much participation we would receive from wineries. Over the last week we received about 100 entries. I was originally planning a list of 10 or so of the best wines, but after tasting and tasting and tasting, there were just too many solid, well-made wines to recommend. So we decided to break up the list of top local wines into categories. The recommended wines are in alphabetical order.