I know I have said it before and you may be tired of hearing
it, but I love being in wine country because of the plethora of events
available for the “just graduated from slapping the bladder” wine drinker to
the most experienced oenophile. I believe it should be celebrated any time an
organization can get hundreds of wineries to come together in one space to
share their wines. The ZAP Festival was the latest event that deserves such
accolades.
Epicuria
This festival kickoff brought together over 50 wineries and
local cafés, bistros, and eateries to highlight intentional wine and food
pairings. I was impressed with the substantial amount of food being offered. I
have attended some food & wine pairings that skimped on the food,
especially given the amount of wine being poured. Let’s be honest, the good
majority of participants were tasting and swallowing as much wine as they
could, so having more than small bites was appreciated. One of my favorite
pairing of the night was the lamb with a Zinfandel demi-glace from Ruth's Chris Steakhouse that
was paired with Bonneau Vineyards. The wine was used in the demi-glace so it was easy to appreciate the pairing. It wasn’t
clear if all the wine & food partners collaborated this much, but for those
who did it was well worth it. I felt that this event was made by the small
touches. Getting one of those plates/trays with the wine glass holder (do those
things have their own name?) was appreciated. Seems like a small touch but made
the whole event a little easier to navigate. Also, the partners who knew about
what their colleagues were serving/pouring and why they were together was
great. I am by no means an expert at pairing food with wine so I liked having
them point out flavors to notice. We left Epicuria with a
full stomach of delicious food and wine to return on Saturday for the Grand Tasting.
The ZAP Festival concluded with the Grand Tasting. A
collection of 250 wineries pouring already released wines as well as many
having barrel samples of their upcoming vintages. The format was similar to other
large scale wine events. Rows of tables with wineries organized alphabetically and
by region. It seemed that many of the staff at the tables were
intimately involved in the winemaking process so it was great to be able to
have real conversations about their wines. Some of my highlights of the day
were the Chateau Montelena 2009 Zinfandel. With a wonderful floral nose, this
wine evolved into flavors of black fruit with just a hint of herbs and spices.
Another favorite was the Edmeades Winery 2007 Zinfandel from Perli Vineyards. This
was a bit more a robust example of Zin but maintained nice balance
that masked the 15.6% abv. |
| My wife (and unofficial photographer) Katie |
So, besides being all about Zinfandel, what set this tasting
apart from others? First, as we entered the main hall we were greeted with a
sourdough baguette. Offered to all that attended the event, this was another small
touch that made a big difference. Although I tend not to swallow most of the
wine I taste, I imagine the baguette was a huge help to the non trade/media
attendees who don’t carry a spit cup. Second was the live Twitter feed. I saw this once before at Taste of Mendocino but it is a great way to give and get real-time suggestions of where to stop. Third, and perhaps what I found the most impressive was the “Zin
Zone.” This will really only speak to wine media but it is worth mentioning.
This was a sectioned off area that had many of the wines being poured in the
main hall. Media could enter the zone, pour their own glass and taste through
lots of wines. After experiencing the main tasting, I went to the Zin Zone and
was able to go through many more wines, finding great examples of Zinfandel.
Knowing everyone around you was media was also nice as we shared
recommendations. For example, I wouldn’t have found the 2010 Mauritson
Zinfandel from Dry Creek Valley had it not been for a fellow wine writer. For
me, this was the wine of the event. Expecting it to be very young, this wine
had exceptional balance and approachability. This seemed to be a wine that many
people also enjoyed and will be one to try and get your hands on. 
All and all, I really enjoyed this event and the little
things that went in to making it great. I encourage everyone to check it out
next year because with so much variety in Zinfandel being produced. I guarantee
you could find something you like, even if you don’t currently put Zinfandel in
your favorites category.
Cheers!
Jesse
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