Plymouth and Amador County, California wineries are popular among wine enthusiasts, notably for the high-quality Red Zinfandel produced here. The bold flavors of the wine are widely admired, and guests in the tasting rooms are thrilled.
Red Zinfandel’s rich taste and long history are not an accident. The terroir of the area with higher elevation, warm days, and extra cool nights with rich, well-drained soils have created the ideal growing conditions for this famous grape.
From the late 1800s until about the 1990s, Zinfandel grapes were the most prevalent ones in California. These wines remain important among the others with a balanced flavor of exotic fruit and spicy tastes.
Zinfandel grapes from Plymouth wineries burst with notable flavors of black raspberry, cherry, vanilla, spice, and more. The boldness of the taste pairs well with bolder flavored recipes and salads.
Regional Variations of Red Zinfandel
During the late 1800s, vineyard managers who grew Zinfandel grapes survived the severe phylloxera epidemic. Many began experimenting with growing the Zinfandel vines in various locations, eventually identifying places where the grape would best survive and flourish. Amador County’s unique growing conditions were one of those, and Red Zinfandel is still a dominant wine for most Plymouth wineries.
Today, Zinfandel wines are primarily produced in Sonoma County, Paso Robles, and Amador County.
The flavors of Red Zinfandel from Plymouth wineries depend on the fruit used to make the wine and the winemaker’s approach to winemaking.
One interesting note is that Zinfandel grapes within a bunch may ripen at different rates. There can be under-ripe, ripe, and even over-ripe grapes. This is a Zinfandel asset since the underripe grapes yield a bright acidity, ripe grapes create the fruit flavors, and the over-ripe, slightly withered grapes produce depth and concentration to the wine.
Pairing Your Red Zinfandel
You have purchased some delightful Red Zinfandel from one of the Plymouth wineries and are now faced with deciding on the best food pairing for the wine.
From medium-bodied to a richer, denser flavor, Zinfandel is best served with menu items with more robust tastes like beef, lamb, Italian sausage, lasagna, cannelloni, and spaghetti. You might even consider serving the wine during your Thanksgiving dinner.
Wine-Tasting with Red Zinfandel
When tasting Red Zinfandel from Plymouth wineries, check the color, aroma, palette, and finish.
Scott Harvey Wines, one of the outstanding Plymouth wineries, produces Red Zinfandel annually. The winemaker’s notes suggest the 2020 Scott Harvey Vineyard 1869 Zinfandel offers a “briary varietal layered Zinfandel, medium claret-colored, marjoram spice, cigar tobacco, bright cherry, medium French oak, luscious center, and layered complexity.”
Red Zinfandels from Scott Harvey Wines and other Plymouth wineries should be on your holiday list.
Visit Scott Harvey Wines
Scott Harvey Wines offers three locations for your next wine-tasting outing. These are at their winery in the Shenandoah Winery and Tasting Room in Plymouth, the Sutter Creek Tasting Room, and the Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg.
Make your reservations for a superb wine tasting by visiting the Scott Harvey website.
If you have questions or special arrangements, phone Scott Harvey Wines at (209)-245-3670.