The old vine Zinfandel from Bogle Vineyards is an absolute beast.

At first, I had a hard time pairing this wine. Zinfandels, or Zins for short, are extremely bold, and this wine in particular more than fits that script. Being 14.5% alcohol, this is no surprise.

This wine is very fruity, leading with notes of cranberries, raspberries and red fruit and finishing with notes of baking spices.

When tasting other fruity reds, I find that they tend to take on some of the sweetness of the fruit that is characterized in the wine. In terms of these fruity wines, this wine is on the dryer side, with dryness being the opposite of sweetness in wines.

With this wine, I paired a double smash burger with gruyere, sauteed mushrooms, onions, arugula and mustard aioli on a sourdough bun.

This pairing works because of the messy spattering of intense flavors. Zinfandel varietals, being very bold and generally high in fruity and oak flavors, usually pair best with messy, intense meals, such as loaded nachos or sweet potato fries.

I made a side of creamed spinach with lots of Romano and parmesan. These cheeses are very sharp, complex and nutty, playing perfectly into the intensity that matches well with the Zin.

One thing that I thought worked especially well with this pairing is that this wine was pretty astringent and came with a lot of tannins. When I ate this meal, I felt that a lot of the astringency and tannins faded, complementing the meal more. 

Overall, I would make sure to pair this wine with something with very bold flavors. If you pair this wine with anything light, it will make the meal fall flat and the wine taste overpowering.

To consume this wine at its best, make sure to chill it to 55 degrees Fahrenheit and let it sit for 20 minutes after opening. In terms of the glass, a small bowl with a slightly smaller opening would be perfect to taste and smell every bit of this wine.

Winery: Bogle

Varietal: Old Vine Zinfandel 

Vintage: 2020

Locations: Clarksburg, California

Price: $8–12

Pairing: Double smashed cheeseburger with creamed spinach and waffle fries

I would like to emphasize that this column is not a review; my purpose for writing this series is to provide as much information about a wine as I can so that you can find your niche.

If you would like to inquire about anything I have talked about in these columns or recommend wines for me to pair in the future, email me at [email protected].

Drink up!