Find it: This wine is nationally distributed
and easily available. Call your wine store to see if they have it
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Peppercorn Steak by Stefano A
Grilling out this weekend? Hamburgers are great, but if you can swing a steak, try this simple upgrade that matches perfectly with the peppery notes in Zinfandel: buy a 3- or 5-peppercorn blend, load it into your pepper grinder, and grind liberally all over the steak, pressing into the surface. Grill to taste.
Vinoculture: A Zin by any other name
drunken heart - il cuore gonfio di vino by ishmael78
Zinfandel may claim its roots in California, but it has close cousins (if not siblings) in Italy's Primitivo grape and Croatia's Crljenak. Crljenak isn't exactly an easy find in the U.S., but you can get Primitivo in most wine shops. To paint a broad brushstroke on the flavor, it's less jammy and spicy than Zin, more acidic, and subtler overall, the introverted foil to Zin's extrovertedness.
What do you think of Primitivo (or Crljenak)? Dish in the comments!
Go Vino: Wine & Roses
Wine and Roses, Lodi, California
At Wine and Roses, an ultra-mod boutique hotel in Lodi, California, the Lodi Wine & Visitor Center is just a few steps around the corner, where you can taste bottle after bottle of big, lush, spicy Zinfandel. We suggest this hotel because many of the Zins top 15 percent alcohol, so you may need to walk back and take a nap afterwards.
Been wine tasting in Lodi? Share your favorite winery in the comments!
Freebie Friday: $30 certificate to Vino de Milo
"I love to cook with wine...sometimes I even put it in the food."
If that's you, you'll love Vino de Milo's wine-based pasta sauces and dressings--fresh, local, hand-crafted, and, of course, with a splash of booze. We're talking Gorgonzola Pear Dressing, Portobello Shiraz Pasta Sauce, and Four-Herb Malbec Marinara.
Read the contest rules (short version: one entry per person, must be 21 or older and have a U.S. mailing address). Special note for this giveaway: The $30 gift certificate must be used all at once (if you spend less than $30, you don't get to keep the balance for later). Shipping is not included and is extra. By entering the giveaway, you agree to these conditions.
Congrats to Kris of Mayville,
Wisconsin, winner of the
Two Bottle Wine Tote!
Web find of the week:
Why box wine is actually good for the wine
and the environment.
