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Enjoying Cline Cellars Old Vine Zinfandel

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Cline Old Vine Lodi Zinfand
Cline Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel

Cline Cellars Old Vine Zinfandel

The Story of Cline Old Vine Zinfandel From Lodi, California

You might have heard of the small town of Lodi, California. It is famous for the Zinfandel red grape variety.

The town of Lodi is between the San Francisco Bay and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Cline Cellars, established in 1982, sources the best quality Zinfandel red wine grapes from Lodi.

While tasting this Lodi Zinfandel from Old Vines, I am amazed at its affordable price in terms of the quality of this Zinfandel wine. Click to Tweet

While tasting this Lodi Zinfandel from Old Vines, I am amazed at its affordable price in terms of the quality of this Zinfandel wine.

From a chat with a sales representative from the company, I discovered why. The key reason is that Lodi produces a LOT of red wine. Therefore, the various brands producing Zinfandel red wine must be competitive in terms of price.

It is also important to know that Cline makes several types of red Zinfandel wine.

This Old Vine Zinfandel is delicious, but it is from an assortment of Old Vine vineyards.

Single vineyard Cline Lodi Old Vine vineyards are more expensive. You can purchase this in a wine shop, from their tasting room or from their Cline Cellars wine club.

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About the Red Zinfandel Grape Variety

In Lodi, the most popular grape variety is Zinfandel. We know it for robust red wine with flavors of berries and spice.
As a student of wine, I learned to know the characteristics of the Zinfandel grape when blind tasting.
These characteristics include a perception of  sweet and sour.
This is because the individual berries on a zinfandel wine ripen unevenly. This means that a Lodi Zinfandel – or any Zinfandel – has ripe grapes and slightly acidic “sour” grapes in the same bunch.
Also I discovered when blind tasting if a wine tastes like Pinot Noir because of its berry fruit, consider Zinfandel.
Zinfandel is typically higher in alcohol and deeper than most Pinot Noir.

Lodi is particularly well suited for the growing of the Zinfandel grape,

Yet in Lodi, you will find many Rhone Valley varieties represented. The reason is that the intense heat is beneficial to ripening. Sometimes Zinfandel can be very high in alcohol for this reason.

Another reason for excellent Zinfandel in Lodi is because of the unique terroir. Many Old Vine Zinfandel vineyards in Lodi feature un-grafted, un-trellised vines, which can give more concentrated wine.

And then there is the all important “location” factor. There are are seven different sub-appellations in Lodi. The older vineyards are also close to the banks of the Mokelumne River AVA. Here  the soil is fine sandy loam.

Mokelumme River AVA is also the historical center of the Lodi wine-growing region. Click to Tweet

Mokelumme River AVA is also the historical center of the Lodi wine-growing region.

The True Old West “California Native Variety”

Zinfandel is the perfect California grape that reflects the spirit of the Old West.

When you visit, you are certain to see men wearing actual cowboy hats and boots.

Cline Cellars Old Wine Zinfandel is also an “American classic” is because it’s still family owned. This is a rarity in this era of industrial-sized wineries.

The winery is also sustainable, so you can feel good about drinking it.

Then again, when you reach for Zinfandel you “show the love” for a real, identifiable varietal – an aroma, taste, and style of wine with an identity all its own, instead of an anonymous “red blend.”

The cool thing about Lodi is its reputation as the unofficial “Zinfandel Capital of the World.”

Zinfandel the primary grape grown. Most vines are “head trained.” When you visit, you will see vines planted low in the deep sandy. The age of the vines also results in more concentration of rich jammy fruit in the wine. This is a signpost of quality.

As I taste the Cline Cellars Old Vine Zinfandel wine, it is delicious. I love the rich texture and spicy flavors. The wine has intense aromatics and great jammy concentration of fruit. I also detect the delicious zing of cinnamon and toasty oak. I could not believe it is only $10.99.

Zinfandel is a rich substantial wine that pairs best with food like braised beef. Yet you will find many recipes to pair with Old Vine Lodi Zinfandel on this page from the Cline Cellars website

Related articles

History of Winemaking in Lodi, California

Lodi Old Vine Zinfandel

The Wines of Lodi, California

Zinfandel Archives

Watts Winery in Lodi

 

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