This is a very difficult topic for me to think about….the Super Bowl.  It is not that it is difficult to identify the perfect wines to pair with Super Bowl fare.  Rather it is the subject of the Super Bowl itself that is troubling for me.  Because, you see, I am a fan of the Seattle Seahawks. Or as they have come to be known in my household: the Sea-chokes, Sea-chickens or the  Snivel-hawks!  I guess a better attitude would be, “All the more reason to wine and dine my sorrows away. Eat, drink and be merry!”  With this spirit in mind, here we go!

A Super Bowl feast is full of hearty foods.  Flavorful hard cheeses (cheddar, aged gouda, parrano), hard salami and other cured meats, savory sausages, chili, BBQ wings and ribs.  These rich, robust and fatty foods cry out for Zinfandel.  A good Zinfandel (which means it definitely IS NOT white*) can, not only stand up to such foods, but actually enrich them.

What exactly is Zinfandel?  The Zinfandel grape is believed to have come from Croatia in the 1820′s. It was not until 2002 that Dr. Carol Meredith of UC Davis used genetic identification methods to prove that both American Zinfandel and Italian Primitivo grapes were in fact, the Croatian grape known as Kastelanski. Like many American immigrants, it went through a few name changes and morphed into what we call Zinfandel today.

Most of the best Zinfandel comes from these California American Viticultural Area (AVA): Dry Creek, Howell Mountain, Napa Valley, Paso Robles, and Russian River.  Although some good results come throughout California or even from the Columbia River Gorge AVA in Oregon.  Good Zinfandels have intense fruity (blueberry, boysenberry, blackberry, plum, raspberry), and spicy (pepper, clove, anise, cinnamon, nutmeg) flavors with maybe a hint of dark chocolate. Yummy stuff!  Poor Zinfandels are ponderous, one dimensional over ripe fruit bombs with little structure, flabby and prunish.  Zinfandels tend to be fairly high in alcohol, but the good Zins are so well balanced the alcohol is not noticed….until later.

To my mind, there are three different styles of good Zinfandels, all of equal quality.  I have categorized them as Hedonistic, Classic and Sophisticated and I love them all.

Hedonistic Zinfandels
Hedonistic Zins explode out of the glass with aromas of fruit and spice; they are very intense with layers of ripe and luscious flavors, very well balanced and an enduring finish.  These wines are so lavish they often overwhelm the food, but they are so good you don’t really care as you refill your glass!  Fortunately Super Bowl fare (especially cured meats and savory sausages) pair very well, so it is a “double dip” treat.  Hedonistic Zins are usually from very old vineyards (100+ years) which are dry farmed and head pruned.  The yield from these vineyards is very low and if farmed and vinified properly, they make for very memorable wines.  They are also a bit on the pricey side.  My favorite Hedonistic Zins are from Hartford Court, Linne Calodo, Martinelli and Turley Wine Cellars.

Classic Zinfandels
Classic Zins have all the attributes of the Hedonistic bottlings, but are just taken down a notch or two.  They are also about half the price of the Hedonistic Zins.  As a result the Classic Zins are much easier to pair with a broader range of food.  Still Classic Zins will pair superbly with the spread for our Super Bowl party.  Some of my favorite Classic Zins are from Mauritson, Newsome-Harlow and Seghesio.

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Sophisticated Zinfandels
Sophisticated Zins have the widest food paring spectrum and the longest cellar life.  Most Zinfandels are best consumed within 5 years from vintage date.  Although enjoyable in their youth, Sophisticated Zins don’t even begin to reach their prime until 5 years of age.  I have currently enjoying 2002 Joseph Swan Lone Redwood Ranch Zinfandel.  It is lovely with fresh red fruit flavors, a bit of pepper and a wonderful finish.  In November I had the opportunity to taste a 1974 Joseph Swan Zinfandel and it was amazing, 35 years old and it was still a fresh and vibrant wine.  Sophisticated Zins share the characteristics of the Hedonistic and Classic, but are softer and more elegant. The Sophisticated Zins also appeal to a broader range of imbibers.  If you enjoy Pinot Noir, this may be the Zinfandel for you.  Yet these Zins will still pair very well with our Super Bowl buffet.  There are not as many producers making Zins of this style.  Here are my two favorites:  Joseph Swan Vineyards,  Nalle Winery.

*White Zinfandel was created in the 70’s by Sutter Home as rose of Zinfandel.  They took low grade Zinfandel grapes, pressed off the juice and stopped fermentation early to ensure residual sugar for an innocuous sweet wine with no characteristics of Zinfandel.

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Tags: cheese, food, in the, In The Man Cave, man cave, wine, Zinfandel