California Celebrates Zinfandel

By all accounts Zinfandel is America's heritage varietal and California's favorite son among wine grapes. Because of its uniquely American roots and immense popularity, festivals devoted exclusively to Zinfandel have been celebrated annually for nearly two decades.

THE PASO ROBLES ZINFANDEL FESTIVAL - March 14-16, 2008

For over a half century Paso Robles wineries have considered their region uniquely suited to Zinfandel production. Some of the most respected Zinfandel producers have been offering premium wines made from Paso Robles fruit for almost as long. Ridge, Rosenblum, and Turley offer spectacular examples.

The Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival will celebrate it's 16th annual event in 2008. It's a five hour event that includes a live auction, a silent auction, and a grand tasting of Zinfandel wines from over 40 Paso Robles producers. The event takes place at the California Mid-State Fairgrounds. The 2007 festival auction featured many offerings of collector's wines, such as a single lot of seven 5 liter colorfully etched bottles of the festival's Collaborative Zinfandel Blends from 2001 through 2007. That went for $5000! Also offered were vacation packages, private dinner parties at the wineries, a ski package, and a weekend with winemaker Gary Eberle for two couples that included a private flight to Harris Ranch in California's Central Valley for Sunday brunch ($3,250)

All through the two hour auction guests are treated to beautifully prepared hors d'oeuvres and servers make sure that empty wine glasses are promptly attended to.

The highlight of the festival is the three hour grand tasting. More than 40 local wineries proudly offer their wares. There's little variety, of course. It's Zinfandel only. But the spectrum of wine styles made possible from this single grape is remarkable.

For those with a serious interest in wine, festivals such as this provide the opportunity to discover regional distinctions. Do Paso Robles Zinfandels differ from those from other regions in any clear way? Some say that they often display certain notes of black pepper and minerality, particularly those from the west side, where most of the smaller and older wineries are located.

All public grand tastings are characterized by a steady crescendo as more people arrive on the scene and few leave before the end of the event. Conversations become increasingly louder and even the largest convention hall becomes filled to capacity as guests enjoy unlimited access to great food and the best Zinfandels the region has to offer. So popular is the Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival that both the Live Auction and Grand Tasting are usually sold out days before the event.

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