Ravenswood Zinfandel, 2017 (California)

“Put a Cork in It”

Price at Purchase: $6.99

Location: Safeway

I really have a touch-and-go relationship with Zinfandels. And not just because rumor has it Jessica Simpson allllmost named her daughter Zinfandel. Yikes.

I just don’t find them very reliable, since one bottle can taste drastically different than the next. So I always have a “buyer beware” attitude when purchasing.

This Ravenswood Zin in particular very minerally, and HEAVY on the jam notes. Since jam is one of my least favorite of all the fruit spreads, I really didn’t care for this at all. Which is a nice way of saying, ick.

While the mix of plum, strawberry, and blackberry could have had some redemption qualities, I found bottle to be extremely harsh to drink. Zinfandels also intended to be on the bolder side of things, but it’s pretty forgetful. Which is a shame, since I’ve liked other varietals from this label. Even at this cost, you’re best off just putting down the bottle and thinking long and hard about the choices you’ve made that brought you to this point in life.

I can usually find some positives to highlight, but honestly I’m at a loss with this one. It definitely tasted cheap, so there’s no use trying to mask this or serving it as mysterious table wine. It just screams “I bought a knock-off Michael Kohrs bag, but everyone can tell because they spelled his last name ‘Coors’ on accident.” Just a shitty situation for a shitty wine.