"california wine" news and stories

Zinfandels are jammy and juicy. There is such a cult following for these wines -- which are mostly produced in California -- that two annual festivals devoted to Zin are in California: ZAP, each January in San Francisco, and Paso Robles Zin Festival, this month.

What makes Zinfandels so fun when pairing with foods is that there really are no boundaries. Some say that a bowl of spicy chili stacks up pretty nicely against the wine's bold fruit-forward notes. Others will argue that a wood-fired pizza is best. Really, it's up to you! From a bowl of lightly seasoned nuts to a plate of barbecued ribs, you really can't go wrong as long as you go for bold flavors and spices.

After the jump, find seven of our recent favorites -- all from California.

Who says that you have to spend $90 for a good bottle of wine? Or even $20?

A 2005 Charles Shaw Chardonnay, aka "Two Buck Chuck," was named the Best Chardonnay at the California State Fair Commercial Wine Competition. The wine is sold for $1.99 at the Trader Joe's chain.

This article at the San Jose Mercury News says that it's not really a surprise that the inexpensive wine won, since judges often try to be contrarian at these events (especially if it's something fruity). The article also says that if you want to go down to Trader Joe's and buy a case you should be aware that the quality of the chardonnay can vary from bottle to bottle.

I'm not a white wine guy, but for $1.99 it has to be worth a try; and I'll still have money left over to buy some Doritos and Yodels!

According to an article in the LA Times, two recent studies indicate that California winemakers are not competing successfully with foreign competitors. The Wine Market Council's study found that American consumers prefer foreign wines primarily for taste and price, calling out specifically, Italian wines for taste and quality, and Australian wines for better value. The second study is from Merrril Lynch found that American wines are slowly but surely losing market share to these foreign competitors in markets. The kicker is that overall wine consumption per capita in the US has increased.

So what's the explanation?

Overall growth in the wine market is coming from increased consumption by young adults, and the article suggests that California winemakers are not paying attention to this market as well as their overseas competitors are. Foreign wines are offering a wider range of price points, which means more wines that are sold at lower prices. And unlike the American wines, these lower-priced imports taste good.

Another point the article brings up is the slicker, "hipper" marketing from wines like Yellow Tail (Australia). I don't think I've ever tried wine from Yellow Tail, but I have to admit, I did give in to a shiny monkey.