In article > ,
PeterLucas > wrote:

> "modom (palindrome guy)" > wrote in
> :
>
>
> >
> > After the meeting D and I took a drive down TX Hwy 66 to Rockwall and
> > then a bit north to the San Martino Winery
> > (http://www.sanmartinowinery.com/) which we'd heard about for years,
> > but had never visited. It turned out to be a pretty civilized place.
> > D got a glass of Zinfandel and I had some of their Tempranillo, which
> > I quite liked. At first the Zin in D's glass was a bit rambunctious,
> > but it settled down after a few moments. Big red wines sometimes need
> > to breathe a bit.

> Zinfandel is not a 'big wine' in any sense of the word.

Even in my short life (and it's pretty short compared to how long wine
has been made) and my only occasional interest in wine, I've been
shocked at how much things have changed. My wife and I went wine
tasting in the Napa Valley (that's two valleys over from us) some years
ago. We stopped at Louis Martini. They were pushing merlot. Now at
that time, the major wine makers used merlot in their generic reds and
for blending. Martini used it for 100% vintaged varietals. Zinfandel
in the Napa Valley and other quality areas was similar. Lots used for
jug wines. Now some is 100% vintaged varietals, and those can be quite
expensive.

If you plant merlot or zinfandel in the Central Valley, and irrigate the
hell out of it, you will get a big production of watery wine, suitable
for the jug. In a different climate, with no irrigation, you have the
potential for good wine.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA