Foxglove Zinfandel, Paso Robles California 2019
Background
Paso Robles is right in the middle of California. Almost equal distance from L.A and San Francisco. It’s a decidedly hot region with very fertile soil and a rich agricultural and vinicultural history. Foxglove Wines are produced by twin brothers Bob and Jim Varner, the winemakers of the highly acclaimed Varner and Neely Wines, who make great Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. For the Foxglove project the brothers get to have fun with Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Zinfandel is as close as possible to what can be called California’s indigenous grape. Wines from Zinfandel have been made there since the late 1800s, and it is widely planted all throughout the state. It was originally thought that Zin was identical to southern Italy’s Primitivo grape, but recently the grape has been definitively linked to Croatian genetic origins.
Starting in the 1980s, a semi-sweet blush wine made from Zin and marketed as ‘White Zinfandel’ emerged, which accidently tricked the wine drinking public into thinking that Zinfandel was not to be taken seriously, but this massive success ensured that many of the oldest plantings survived through a time when most grape growers were ripping up vines and replanting more fashionable Cabernet and Merlot.
Tasting Notes
Zinfandel’s most unique element is that grapes on the same bunch will ripen unevenly, which leads to a great mix of fruit flavours in the wine (it can seem at times dried out and ‘raisinated’, while still having tons of fresh blackberry, raspberry, blueberry notes – all the berries!) Zin is particularly suited to the warm climate of Paso Robles and the Varner brothers do a remarkable job of maintaining a vibrant palate while incorporating all of that amazing Cali fruit.
Food Pairing
Young Cheese – This wine is a berry bomb, and there are few things better with berry flavours than CREAMY flavours. Ricotta, Queso Fresco, Fromage Blanc, Bocconcini. The wine will make the cheese seem sweeter. Just because this is a grape that has some weight to it, doesn’t mean you always have to have it with heavy, meaty dishes.
Peanuts – This wine does the job of the jelly in a perfectly balanced PB&J. Maybe you serve your BBQ ribs or chicken with an Asian style peanut sauce. Or maybe your side dish is an almond-heavy green bean salad. The fruit in the wine will balance out the fat and richness of the nuts.
Dark Soy – Deep fruit flavours in wines like this tend to bring out the nuanced sweetness in the ferment of the soy sauce, and in turn, the soy seems to bring out a dark savoury character in the wine. Instead of seasoning and marinating your BBQ-ables with salt and pepper, try soy, ginger and chili instead.
Cheat Sheet - The Urban Vineyards of Vienna
The great vineyards of Europe have a lot to explore and appreciate in terms of terroir. You can learn about the soils, and the elevation, the precipitation and temperature. But a big part of what makes some of these vineyards historically significant is their proximity to major cultural and financial centers. Champagne and Chablis are up the river from Paris, and Tuscan wine was popularized because all the cool kids in Florence were drinking it. This isn't to say that this is the ONLY reason why these wines are popular. But the extra money and attention you get when you’re close to a major city is a significant factor in how much people will invest in these wines.
Vienna has some historically significant vineyards right on their doorstep. As we mentioned in the Zahel writeup, these wines fuelled the arts, culture and politics of the city during much of The Renaissance, when Vienna was the center of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. These wines were the everyday drinkers of famous Venetians like Mozart, Strauss, Beethoven, Klimt, actress Hedy LaMarr, and the guy who invented the Pez dispenser (it’s true, look it up).
As you can see on the map, each vineyard has it’s own unique terroir. Bissamberg is way up north, Nussberg has high elevation, and Laaerberg is southern, flat and sunny. As we’ve seen with this week’s Zahel Grüner, the single-vineyard Vienese wines can be a lot of fun.
There is also a special DAC (Austrian wine designation) called Gemischter Satz, which is a blended white wine made of at least 3 different grape varieties, all harvested from these urban vineyards. They’ll use Riesling, Grüner, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and a few others. As mentioned in the Zahel writeup, Austrian wine making is always of the highest quality, and these Gemischter Satz wines are a real treat if you can find them.
Interested in getting to know some delicious wines a little bit better? Subscribe to our newsletter and get access to great offers on carefully curated wines as well as live, in-person seminars. All wine packages come with a small booklet containing not just tasting notes but also cool factoids about wine producers, regions and food pairings.