Force of Nature Zinfandel 2015

Who doesn’t associate a Zinfandel with a tornado ripping through an ancient Mediterranean town?  It’s the first thing that comes to my mind when opening a new bottle of wine.  In all seriousness, amazing label.  The winemaker has a whole line of creative labels.

Thankfully, the label doesn’t cover up a terrible wine.  What’s in this bottle is equally as exciting as what’s on the outside of the bottle.

I realize Zinfandel sits in a strange place on tasting pallet.  It isn’t usually as heavy or full flavored as a Cab or a Merlot.  But it isn’t “soft” enough for the Pinot Noir drinker.  I’d call most Zinfandel a “step up” wine, it’s like starting to take the training wheels off for the new red wine drinker.

This Zinfandel does have a nice, full flavor.

It’s nose carries the scent of blackberry, plums, and cherries – very fruit forward.

The flavor has a nice blend of fruit flavors and spicy, including a hint of tobacco. 

Since Zinfandel is on the light side of red wines, pair it with something spicy.  Pork barbeque with a spicy sauce would make a great pairing. 

For a hearty Christmas Eve dinner, serve this wine along with a lasagna made with spicy sausage.  The filling dinner is warm and hearty for a cold winter night while waiting for Santa to arrive.