Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

I hope the week following an explosive holiday finds all of you in the health and correct number of fingers you started it with. So now we find ourselves on the lee side of the year’s middle holiday at the peak of the summer barbequeue season. To justify my own existence as wine guy, I am pressing the issue of the best barbequeue wine I know of: Zinfandel! I don’t think I need to justify the existence of Zinfandel, itself. . .it’s great any time, and goes well with just about everything. . .Zinfandel even goes well with Zinfandel.

I always thought I was pretty good at barbequeuing things, but recently I’ve begun to suspect that I am definately not. Apparently it all depends on timing. The meat always seems to take longer than I believe it should, and so it tends to make several trips back and forth from the table back to the grill, until the final checking of doneness it by using a flashlight. The flip side of the coin is to always grill it longer than you think you should. Once it’s blackened and crusty on both sides, and rock-solid in the middle, then it’s a great time to order a pizza. Because if at first you don’t succeed, pizza goes with Zinfandel just as well as, or even better than barbequeued crispy critter.

So Friday, July 9th, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

Zinfandel!
D.J. Maragas 2001 Legal Zin, Oregon/California
Roshambo 2001 Zinfandel, Alexander Valley, California
Lolonis 2001 Zinfandel, Redwood Valley, California
Cascade Cliffs 2002 Zinfandel, Columbia Valley, Washington
Shooting Star 2001 Zinfandel, Lake County, California

The Extra-Special Premium Pours:
Rocking Horse 2000 Zinfandel, Napa Valley, California
Seghesio 2002 Cortina Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, California

Next week is Zinfandel!
M