Date: Fri 11-Oct-1996

Publication: Bee

Author: DONNAM

Illustration: C

Location: A12

Quick Words:

Zinfandel-Sauvignon-Wisdom-red

Full Text:

(notes on red wine choices for cooler autumn months, 10/11/96)

Wine Wisdom-

Red Wine Offers A Nice Warming Effect For Fall's Cooler Months

BY STEVE SMALL

The leaves are changing. The days are getting shorter. The sweaters are coming

out of the closet. I am starting to drink more red wine.

If you held a gun to my head and I had to choose one type of wine to drink, my

wine of choice would probably be Zinfandel. It is important to note the

difference between White Zinfandel and Zinfandel. White Zinfandel is light

bodied, pink, and fairly sweet. It is called White Zinfandel to distinguish it

from Zinfandel, which is dry and red.

Good Zinfandels usually have a terrific spice and fruit flavor I find very

appealing.

Those in the $6 per 750 ml bottle price range, like Woodbridge or Gossamer

Bay, tend to be light-bodied and fairly fruity. Cline Zinfandels are my

current favorites. They make a number of different and very good Zins. These

include a lighter California Zinfandel, the medium-bodied Contra Costa County,

and the rich and ageable Reserve and single vineyard Zins. They even make a

dessert wine from the Zinfandel grapes that are harvested very late, when the

grapes are almost like raisins and loaded with sugar.

The best Zinfandels have great fruit flavors, yet they are definitely dry

wines. They are a great match with light tomato sauce dishes and roast pork.

Zins are also flavorful enough to enjoy sipping by themselves.

The other red wines that deserve a special mention are those from South

America. Chile and Argentina have been producing Cabernet Sauvignons and

Merlots for centuries. With California wine prices continuing to rise, the red

wines of South America currently provide excellent value.

Santa Julia from Argentina has produced a red wine from the Malbec grape that

sells for about $5 a bottle. Malbec is widely grown in Argentina but rarely

found in most other wine-growing countries. The Santa Julia Malbec is a dry,

hearty red wine that is just right for hamburgers or steak.

Cabernets and Merlots from Chile's Los Vascos, Santa Alicia and Santa Rita are

also superb values for under $10 a bottle. I am not as concerned about rising

French and California wine prices as long as Chile and Argentina continue to

provide good wines at low prices.

A nice glass of red wine has a nice warming effect as we head into the colder

months. Although I have only skimmed the surface on the myriad wines

available, you certainly can't go wrong with a nice California Zinfandel or

Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon.

(Steve Small is the proprietor of Steve's Liquor Store, at 71 South Main

Street in Ricky's Shopping Center, Newtown.)