Showing posts with label ZAP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ZAP. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Lange Twins Lodi Zinfandel 2010


Zin lovers are frothing at the mouth, chomping at the bit - they can’t wait, already.  The ZAP Festival - Zinfandel Advocates and Producers - is an annual immersion into the world of the Zinfandel grape.  Each year San Francisco turns into Zin City as devotees flock there by the thousands to sample Zin after Zin.

Randall and Charlene Lange, of Lange Twins Family Winery and Vineyards, were kind enough to send me a sample of their Zin, thinking I may want a sneak peek at it before they pour it at ZAP.  If you are attending, they would love for you to stop by the table and say hi to Steven Folb and Andrea Roselli, the lucky team members who will pouring.

The Langes are a fifth-generation farming family.  All nine members of the clan are involved in the operation of the winery, which opened in 2006.

Lange Twins is certified “green” by Lodi Rules Sustainable Winegrowing, California’s first third-party sustainable winegrowing program.  The winery passed an independent audit of their viticultural practices to achieve that honor.  The Langes see themselves not just as farmers, but as stewards of the land.  They appear to take that position seriously.

There is a lot of Zinfandel planted in the Lodi AVA, where the warm days and cool nights prove to be just right for California's heritage grape.  The Langes have some comments on their website about the 2010 vintage, which they say fell under the heading of “challenging.”  They say, “2010’s fruit quality varied not only between appellations but between neighboring vineyards. When a clear blue sunny day was seen in the Clements region, the heart of the Lodi and Clarksburg Appellations were still under fog. This led to specific lots delivering intense flavors, whereas others were not as memorable.“

The Langes say having estate vineyards spread out over the area gave them the opportunity to blend grapes from different vineyards, one of which was planted in 1903.

Winemaker David Akiyoshi learned his trade while working for the Mondavi company.  He believes in true varietal expression and feels that wine’s natural place is on the dinner table next to some food.  Oh, he’s also a restaurateur.  At his School Street Bistro in downtown Lodi, you’ll not be surprised to find that Lange Twins is the house wine.

The Lange Twins 2010 Zinfandel is a potent wine, carrying a 14.9% alcohol number.  The suggested retail price is $15.

The wine shows medium color in the glass - a pretty, ruby red hue - and medium density in the mouth.  The nose gives off quite a bit of alcohol early, so a full decanting is advised.  Big, jammy blueberry aromas are laden with spice.  Vanilla from the oak is there, but I also pick up cedar and a note of cigar.  The tannins are full and firm, even when the bottle is open for three days.  In that time, a brambly flavor comes through.  The palate is full of fruit and spice as well, with a long-lasting finish in which ripe blackberries are the final memory.


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Thursday, December 15, 2011

WIN A TICKET TO ZAP ZINFANDEL FESTIVAL GRAND TASTING


ZAP Zinfandel Festival

January 2012 will bring the 21st annual ZAP Zinfandel Festival to San Francisco.  It's a great event staged each year by Zinfandel Advocates and Producers, a non-profit organization devoted to the love of, and passion for, the wines of the Zinfandel grape.  The organizers came together in the belief that "Zinfandel deserved recognition as a highly respected varietal that could compete with the finest wines around the world," according to the ZAP website.

The four elements of the 2012 ZAP Zinfandel Festival are outlined here, and Now And Zin has tickets to the Grand Tasting on January 28, 2012 that you can win!  More on that at the end of the article. 

If you'd like to become a card-carrying Zinfandel Advocate, hit this link and join.  An Annual Advocate Membership is $44 and includes up to two people.

There are four events comprising the three-day ZAP Zinfandel Festival for 2012:

Epicuria is a walk-around exploration of food and Zin pairings.  50 wineries and their Zins will be paired with 50 of San Francisco's top epicurean creators working in the ZinKitchen.  You may want to skip lunch on this day, because you'll want to try them all.  Thursday January 26th from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. at The Concourse, 635 8th Street at Brannan, San Francisco.  Tickets are $95 for ZAP members, $125 for non-members.

Flights: Forums of Flavor is an in-depth seminar-style tasting featuring themed flights of Zinfandels presented by the winemakers.  Plenty of insights into the true nature of Zinfandel are in store.  It's a one-of-a-kind tasting opportunity which fans of the variety should not miss.  Friday January 27th from 10:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the Westin St. Francis Hotel, Union Square, 335 Powell Street, San Francisco.  Tickets are $60 for ZAP members, $75 for non-members.

Winemakers' Dinner is a Las Vegas-style benefit.  Wines for the dinner are chosen by the winemakers, and you can take part in the auctions.  It's a glamorous event, so you are advised to dress to the nines.  Proceeds will benefit ZAP programming, education and Heritage Projects.  Friday January 27th from 5:00 - 10:00 p.m. at the Westin St. Francis Hotel, Union Square, 335 Powell Street, San Francisco.  Tickets are $225 and include an annual Advocate membership for two.

Grand Tasting: From A To Zin allows you to explore all things Zin, including hundreds of barrel samples and new releases.  Taste away and meet the winemakers while you find out how many of them have red hair.  Keep score on ZAP's ZinTracks map.  Saturday January 28th from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. at The Concourse, 635 8th Street at Brannan, San Francisco.  Tickets are $49 for ZAP members, $59 for non-members and $69 at the door.

The 2012 ZAP Zinfandel Festival promises to further ZAP's mission - to celebrate the appreciation for American Zinfandel and its role as America's "Heritage Wine."

You can win a ticket to the Grand Tasting: From A To Zin from Now And Zin.  

We have been graciously provided with four tickets to the Saturday tasting, which will be given away by random drawing on January 16, 2012.  Enter the contest between now and January 15, 2012 by visiting the Now And Zin Wine Blog and adding your email address in the box labeled "SUBSCRIBE VIA EMAIL."  You will then be eligible to win, and you'll receive email notifications of new posts on the Now And Zin Wine Blog.  All entries must be made by January 15, 2012 at 11:59 p.m.  Four email addresses will be selected at random, and you will be notified if you are a winner on Monday, January 16th.  Only one entry per email address, please.  Duplicate entries will be thrown out.

Please enter only if you plan to attend the event in San Francisco, as the tickets can be claimed at the event only by you and are non-transferable.  Good luck!