This article first appeared in Newsbreak on November 2023
Thanksgiving is a holiday where we gather to spend time with friends and family. It is a time to share in the joy of each other company with great food and wine. Zinfandel is the quintessential choice for a Thanksgiving feast. With notes of stone fruits, wild berries, sweet spice, and smoky undertones, Zinfandel has been a staple on all Thanksgiving tables. You can expect wines that are jammy, fruity, and intense. It is reminiscent of the autumn season with hints of candied fruit, blueberries, cranberries, cinnamon, vanilla, and cloves on the palate.
With its cornucopia of flavors, it is the perfect accompaniment to a cornucopia of traditional Thanksgiving dishes. Zinfandel is a versatile grape and winemakers make it in a variety of styles from light to full-bodied, making it a perfect pairing to a variety of Thanksgiving dishes. Jammy fruit notes, nice acidity, and easy tannins make Zinfandel the deletable choice with your Thanksgiving turkey. Thanksgiving is an all-American holiday and will pair perfectly with these 8 all-American Zinfandels.
Frank Family Vineyards Napa Valley Zinfandel 2021
A fresh and approachable expression of Zinfandel, showing a complex, intricate layering of aromas and flavors. This wine conveys clove spices, dark plum, and just-picked violets on the nose followed by crushed black pepper, thyme, and creamy mocha on the palate. The wine has velvety textures of fine-grained tannins with underlying acidity that lift the wine into a long finish.
Meyye Palachchak Amador County Zinfandel 2015
Aromas of ripe cherries, nutmeg, and dark chocolate, followed by intense cedar, tobacco leaf, and a hint of black pepper. Flavors of raspberries, cocoa, and cola explode yet, are constrained by structured tannins and oak leading to a long linear finish.
Rombauer Vineyards California Zinfandel 2020
The wine bursts with bright fruit aromas of cherry and red plum, with notes of vanilla, holiday spices, and lavender all jumping out on the nose. Plum flavors continue to the palate, joined by layers of raspberry jam, mocha, clove, and white pepper. The mid-palate is soft and creamy, framed by fine tannins and ending with a long, lush finish that will leave you wanting another sip.
Barra Mendocino Reserve Zinfandel 2020
Deep ruby red in color with fresh aromas of black currant, cherry, and raisin with hints of mint and cigar box that expand on the nose. Fruit-forward elderberry and olallieberry come through on the palate, as hints of white pepper, cardamom, black olive, and smoky clove intertwine to create an approachable yet intricate wine with a smooth and satisfying finish.
Dutcher Crossing Bernier-Sibary Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2018
The 2018 Bernier Sibary Zinfandel shows its complexity and layers right from the start. Aromas of black cherries, blackberries, and plums flow into floral and spices. Smooth tannins leave a long memorable finish.
A. Rafinelli Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2021
Mouth-watering and fresh. The palate expresses notes of raspberry, red currants, pomegranate, elderberry, and a playful hint of cola together with a layered complexity of cinnamon, cacao, tobacco, and cedar wood. Youthfulness is the first impression, but the palate reveals a balanced charm that will continue to evolve.
Turley Zinfandel California Old Vines 2021
From over 20 ancient vineyards across California, the Turley Zinfandel expresses ripe blackberry, black cherry, black raspberry, classic spice, and concentration rounded out by juicy acidity and soft tannins. A seriously satisfying wine with inherent depth, complexity, and grace.
Ridge Lytton Springs Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2021
The nose has expressions of red and black raspberries, white pepper, fennel, sage, dark chocolate, and sarsaparilla. Full-bodied with notes of blackberry and ripe plum; juicy acidity, excellent midpalate weight, and a lengthy finish
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