Zinfandel Gets A Moment In The Summer Spotlight

It’s not like the Zinfandel grape doesn’t get its fair share of time in the spotlight.  Zin festivals abound in California, the state which can justifiably claim Zinfandel as its heritage grape.  As the person who came up with the name of this wine-stained little corner of the worldwide web, I think there is always room for one more.

The folks at ZAP! - Zinfandel Advocates and Producers - are behind this new event.  ZAP’s Simply Summer Celebration will have its introductory splash on Saturday August 16, 2014 from noon to 3:30 p.m. at Ridge Vineyards’ Lytton West Vineyard, 1040 Lytton Springs Road in Healdsburg.

“The inaugural event will be held in Dry Creek Valley, a traditional home for great Zinfandels,” according to Mark Vernon, president, Ridge Vineyards and the 2014 ZAP president.  “The occasion is for consumers looking for a fun, casual and unique experience to taste among the vines. It’s Zin‐revival—a rustic ZAP tasting under the tent—mingling with the wineries, munching on authentic wood‐fired pizza and mixing it up with the people who share our passion for Zin,” he continued.

ZAP’s Executive Director Rebecca Robinson expects the Simply Summer Celebration to be a new “must-attend” event, as the Zinfandel Experience in January has become.  “New traditions are rare. Thatʹs what makes ZAPʹs Simply Summer Celebration so special,” says Robinson.  “On August 16th, some of the worldʹs highest quality Zinfandels will be served in the heart of Northern Sonoma.”

Tickets for ZAP’s Simply Summer Celebration are $45 for ZAP members and $60 for the public. Tickets can be purchased at ZAP ‐ Simply Summer Celebration.  ZAP members receive early bird pricing - an additional $10 off per ticket - through June 30.  Participating wineries will receive special pricing for their winery club members.  You may contact ZAP directly by phone at 530-274-4900 or email at info@zinfandel.org.

Robinson points out that ZAP is in this wine thing just for the wine.  “As a non‐profit 501(c) (3) educational organization, ZAP’s focus on cultivating our advocate base at higher levels of giving is translating to effective consumer engagement for our wineries.  This new summer event features the historic spirit of Zinfandel and builds on the work already begun to reposition Zinfandel as a quality varietal with historic significance to our culture and society,” said Robinson.

Participating wineries include:

Artezin Wines, Barefoot Cellars, Ballentine Vineyards, Beltane Ranch, Carol Shelton Wines, Chacewater Wines, Charter Oak Winery, ChaseCellars, D‐cubed Cellars, Del Carlo Winery, Dry Creek Vineyard, Dutcher Crossing Winery, Easton Wines, Edmeades, Elyse Winery, Fields Family Wines, Four Corners,
Gamba Vineyards & Winery, Hartʹs Desire Wines, J. Rickards Winery, Jerome Winery/Cellar 433, Klinker Brick Winery, Kokomo Winery, Lava Cap Winery, Limerick Lane Cellars, m2 Wines, Mazzocco Winery, Mike & Molly Hendry, MoniClaire Vineyards, Murphy Goode, Novy Family Wines, Pedroncelli Winery, Pezzi King Vineyards, Proulx Wines, Ridge Vineyards, Rock Wall Wine Company, Rombauer Vineyards, Rued Winery, Scott Harvey Wines, St. Anneʹs Crossing, St. Francis Winery & Vineyard, Three Wine Company, Trentadue, Turley Wine Cellars, Valdez Family Winery, Wilson of Dry Creek, XYZin and Zin‐Phomaniac.


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WIN A TICKET TO ZAP ZINFANDEL FESTIVAL GRAND TASTING

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!

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