May 22, 2005! It’s coming! Nothing more could capitalize on the romp of spring than a day full of Zin! For those not familiar with Merchant’s Fine Wine and the various events with which we are associated, every May we hold a grand Zinfandel Tasting. Allow me to provide a description of past forays:

The day begins with a greeting and a glass. Just beyond is a room filled with a spectacular selection of wines. From table to table, all the uncorked collections have one thing in common: it’s all Zin, all the tim e. Chardonnay? Get outta here! There’s no room for such a grape amongst the mighty mastery of Zinfandel!

With such a bounty, an attendee can be assured that they can find the perfect Zin for them. Too much? Need a break? Not to worry, there’s a sumptuous spread of fine cheeses and delicious delicacies to cure the munchies (and to match with a wine). Great cuts of cheese drizzled in honey, a chocolate truffle the size of a basketball, flaky spinach pasties, fruit by the fill, Fanny’s marscapone torta (a Merchant legend in itself), and other such platters play on my memories of previous tastings. It drives my curiosity: what delicasies will be prominent this year?

What is Zinfandel? Real Zinfandel? The familiar phrase white Zinfandel is a rose that is left slightly sweet with a touch of color remaining from the skins of the grapes. Skip over the white Zinfandel and experience true red Zinfandel, one must seek out a red wine. The rich color speaks of Zinfandel’s status: It is the quintessential North American red and has become California’s crowning contribution to the international world of wine.

Aromas and flavors of the zealous Zinfandel come primarily from the grapes. These grapes are influenced by many factors including where the grapes were grown, the age of the vines, pruning methods, elevation of the vineyard, ripeness of the grapes at harvest, climate and weather conditions, soil, and the methods used by the wine maker during fermentation. All these factors culminate under a notion called terroir, or the taste of the soil. For further information, please visit the Detroit Wine Organization’s 60-second wine course that more fully explores this topic ( http://www.detroitwine.org/terroir.html).

Zinfandels unique attributes include layered flavors of blackberry, raspberry, boysenberry and cherry, often tim es laced with black pepper, cloves, anise and herbs. Rich styles of Zinfandel mystify the nose with raspberry and cedar and linger on the palate with a hint of chocolate. The universe of smell and taste from this one grape is one of the many reasons for Zinfandel’s popularity and appeal to all types of wine drinkers.

Not yet a ZEMITE (Zinfandel Enthusiasts of Michigan)? Join us for the unparalleled treat of our annual Zinfandel Tasting on May 22, 2005!