Zinfandel gets a bad rap for the syrupy sweet pinkish “white” varietal made famous by Sutter Home in the ’70s. In reality, White Zinfandel was developed when traditional red grapes were not fermented long enough, allowing the sugars to remain and keeping the red tint from developing all the way. True Zinfandel is a delicious, jammy, smokey, peppery, high alcohol red that goes really well with smoked foods and grilled meats.

Originally thought to be a truly indigenous grape to California due to its ability to thrive in the California climate, it was actually brought to California during the gold rush amongst a mixture of grapes shipped to the United States from Vienna. Testing during the 1960’s revealed that while the grape was unrelated to grapes grown in the world’s traditional growing regions, it was actually born in unlikely Croatia. Italy has become fond of the grape in recent years and it is being grown there under the name Primitivo.

Lara Whitley of Atlanta Wholesale Wines will take you on a tour of California Zins in comparison to Italian Primitivo’s on March 8th. You will sample 5 wines, 3 of which will be paired with snacks from our chef, Joel Penn. The tasting is $20 and reservations are required. If you stay for dinner, you will get 10% off your meal. Call us today to reserve your spot.