I had a chance to try the 2011 Zinfandel from Fiddletown Cellars ($18.99) last week and had to have another bottle this weekend. This a terrific addition to our Direct to You family of wines. A wine full of ripe, luscious fruit, pepper, spice and a wonderful finish of tannic structure and balance. A match made in heaven for any meats you will be putting on the grill, with a slice of pizza or plate of pasta. 

Fiddletown is the smallest AVA, American Viticulture Area, in California covering just over 12,000 acres in Amador County in the Sierra Foothills northeast of San Francisco. The town of Fiddletown was founded in 1849 by those that flocked to this part of America due to the discovery of gold up in them thar hills!! The vineyards in this micro AVA are at a higher elevation than most vineyards in California at around 1,700 feet. Because of this altitude the grapes' hang time is a little longer and helps contribute to the rich, ripeness of the fruit. This higher elevation also gives to cooler evenings leading to the wonderful acidic balance of this wine.

The Zinfandel grape was for most of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century the most widely planted red grape in California. It was one of the grapes the early Italian immigrants brought with them as they settled in to make--or tried to make--their fortunes in the newly discovered gold industry. When the grape arrived from Europe as part of the worldwide immigrant invasion of Northern California, it was known as Primitivo. Zinfandel was one of the main ingredients in much of the daily drinking wines of the Italian community in these early years of the wine producing business in this part of the country, and we all know where this has lead us to today.

I highly recommend this wine and not just for lovers of Zin, but for any red wine enthusiast looking for a great wine with dinner or just a bottle to kick back with anytime. 

Ken Amendola, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Wine Supervisor

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