Grown in Santa Margarita Ranch, the southern-most part of the Paso Robles AVA, I found this delightful zinfandel amazing on its own and perfect for pairing with food. It offers pretty, ripe flavors of briary blackberries, black cherries, and spicy pepper notes. It’s a tad high in alcohol but you won’t notice given its balanced aromas and flavors. It’s as good for sipping alone as it is at the table. A perfect choice for grilled New York, flank steak, or ribeye, you could enjoy this just as much with a sausage pizza or a good cheeseburger. Made by winemaker Mike Sinor (of Sinor-LaVallee), you can’t go wrong with this excellent zinfandel. Available for $17 retail at the Santa Margarita tasting room on the other-side-of-the-grade, I plan to buy several bottles to age in my cellar.
This article appears in Oct 3-10, 2013.