Wine Garage Zinfandel “Dwarf Vine Vineyard”
Contra Costa County 2007

I got a small amount of fruit from this vineyard when a winery backed out of the contract. Zinfandel is a tricky grape to harvest because some berries are ripe, others not, sometimes in the same grape cluster. We constantly have to monitor the sugar levels during harvest season to get it right. I once asked Ehren Jordan what is the one varietal that he typically picks first, “Zin, and the last is Zin too”. To check sugar levels or what the industry calls “brix”, you take a thing called a “refractometer” into the vineyard, pick grapes from various bunches all over the block that you are going to pick so you get an average reading, mush up the grapes in a bucket and take some grape juice and drop in on the device – it kind of looks like a scope from a rifle – hold it up to the sun and you get the reading. Brix levels above 25 are ripe enough to pick for red wine. Whites can go as low as 22-23. Sparkling is around 21. Above 32 you have “late harvest, Port, or dessert wine. I like ripe fruit so we try to pick at 26 or above. Brix levels are a direct relation to alcohol levels. The higher the sugar, the higher the alcohol. Sometimes there are great battles fought between the winemaker and the grower regarding sugar counts.

Typically the winemakers want higher brix and riper fruit, but the grapes tend to shrink in size the riper they get (remember raisins are VERY ripe grapes, then dried), thus lighter in weight and less money for the farmer who sells grapes by the ton. Sometimes when you have picked REALLY ripe wine grapes at say, 28 -30 brix, the alcohol levels are going to be way too high. The alcohol level for table wine ends at 18, over that level you have Port. The winery pays a tax to the government based on the alcohol level. If the sugars are too high, to get the future alcohol levels to be in a better range, a winemaker will sometimes add “Jesus Units” to the fermenting must. I laughed so hard first time I heard that phrase…. A Jesus Unit is water. And free water at that. A winemaker saves a lot of money if he adds water to the must that turns to wine that will sell for $25 per bottle – especially if 20% water added – for free. We picked the Zin at 26 brix (14.5% alcohol).

The fruit came from a vineyard 120 years old. It’s called “Dwarf Vine” because the vines are growing in pure sand for 30 feet then hit a layer of clay/loam. Stressed to the max, the vines struggle to get down to the clay layer since the sand offers up nothing nutrient-wise. This causes very small grape yields and small berries, yet extremely flavorful. Red brick in the glass, the nose offers up aromas of pomegranate, raspberry, and spice. On the palate, distinctive flavors of mace, clove, and allspice come out prior to the gush of fruit. Black raspberry, cherry, and red currants lead into dusty cocoa powder. The finish is elegant with mild tannin. Nice to pair with Grilled Leg of Lamb.

Retail: $29.99 - Club $19.99