Unfiltered, Unfined

Are reds even suitable at the table during the height of the summer season? After all, it’s just plain hot outside, and varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot naturally contain high levels of summer-hating tannins. When the thermometer tops out and streets shimmer with reflected waves of heat, it’s these tannins that make such wines too spicy and thickly textured for my taste. Many other subspecies such as Zinfandel and Syrah, if fermented and stored in relatively new tannin-rich oak, can also be too stout for August imbibing.

Here we go again. The load of samples sent to me while I was traveling through wine country has finally been sampled. I’ve waded my way through all of them, and while in my last column I focused exclusively on whites and rosés, there are certainly also lots of great reds perfect for summertime thirst quenching.

Greeting old friends and making new ones has always been part of my job description, and nowhere is that easier than at a trade-focused wine tasting. With dozens of wineries presenting hundreds of wines, I’m able to focus on specific styles, production areas and vintages, which in turn allows me to make some conclusions as to what I most prefer. In this particular case, I also got to try a lot of Zin.

Regardless of nativity, it is clearly in California that Zinfandel has achieved its greatest variety of expression. Because Zinfandel continues to mature throughout the long growing season, Cali versions have characteristics all over the red wine map, from delicate, restrained berry elements to full-bore meatiness. Some even combine a bright raspberry nose with black plums and mushrooms on the palate, and most have sufficient acidity to pair well with a variety of dishes.

In the next month I’ll be traveling to various places in American wine country, part of the annual extravaganza that public relations/marketing firms put on during what’s known in the business as O-N-D (October-November-December). This past week I was in central California attending the Paso Robles Wine Country Buyers’ Tour, organized by Paso Robles Wine (www.pasowine.com). Not only did I learn a lot about the region, but I tasted a bunch of great wines that won’t necessarily break the bank.