Zinfandel is truly a versatile red wine. Or so was the consensus after we tasted dozens of fruit-forward, dry, smokey, sweet and savory Zins at the Good Eats & Zinfandel Pairing at Fort Mason on Jan. 27. Put on by ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates & Producers), the kickoff event to a weekend of wine tasting married 50 Zins from California and beyond with bites from 50 local eateries. A few favorites included lamb lollipops from Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse paired elegantly with Klinker Brick Winery’s “Old Ghost,” decadent porcini mushroom-filled tortellini with truffle oil from Il Davide Restaurant, and pink Champagne cupcakes from Sift Cupcake & Dessert Bar. From chocolate to hearty meat dishes to housemade jerky from Krave (think: smoked chipotle jerky paired with a spicy Mantra Winery red), the event was proof that Zinfandel pairs swimmingly with a wide array of different dishes. In its 20th year, the ZAP Zinfandel [...]
Vintner's Market
by Stacy Barrett The San Francisco Vintners Market happened this past weekend at the Festival Pavilion at the Fort Mason Center. On Saturday, the first day of the market, thousands of people gathered, plastic wine tasting glass (with an interesting side groove for your thumb) in hand to meet with over 200 California Vintners and taste their best wines. There were only brief breaks to visit the taco and cupcake trucks parked outside.
Santa Lucia Highlands, Who Knew?
by Erica Sedlander On Monday evening, I decided to stroll over to the Santa Lucia Highlands Wine Tasting at Fort Mason. I needed some vino after all of the Schlitz I knocked back on Super bowl Sunday. It was the perfect antidote. All of the wineries hailed from the Santa Lucia region, a strip of hills nestled in the Salinas Valley south of Monterey. Belle Glos, Tondre and La Rochelle were among the top wineries of the bunch. Pinot Noir is the darling of the cool and foggy Santa Lucia region. The 2007 Pinot from Belle Glos was especially pleasing to the palate showcasing dark cherry notes and earthy medium bodied finish.
Kicking off ZAP
by Erin Archuleta Last night the Fort Mason Center Pavilion was packed with what promises to be a weekend-long dedicated group of Aloha shirt-wearing festivalgoers for the “Good Eats & Zinfandel Pairing” dinner kick-off event of the 19th Annual Zinfandel Festival. This year’s fest theme is “Zin in Paradise,” and dedicated nonprofit ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) created a totally warm, festive mood amidst the chilly bayside San Francisco location. Celebrity Chef Beverly Gannon of the famous Maui Hali`imaile General Store (think Barefoot Contessa, meets dreamy island beef, pork, and in a cheeky, fun nod to the Mainland, meatloaf) reminded attendees just why we should be booking our next trips to the Valley Isle. Slack-key sounds emanated around the room where close to 50 Northern California and Maui-based restaurants paired dinner bites with 49 wineries showcasing their finest zins.
Look Out, Weekend
Drink Me will be out and about at some special events and places this weekend. Hope you can make one or two of them – maybe we’ll see you there!
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