It’s hard to give up on summer, even when Mother Nature threatens another plague or two before nightfall.

In the spirit of summer, before we forsake the patio for the eat-in kitchen, let’s toast the best days and shake our fist at the skies. And I can think of no better wine than the spicy, spirited flavors of a hearty red Zinfandel.

Forget the stories of its origins in southern Italy, or its sojourn in Croatia and Hungary. Zinfandel is as American as apple pie and the stars and bars. Don’t let the summer fade without pulling the cork from a bottle or two. Here are some suggestions.

  Grgich Hills 2008 Zinfandel (NapaValley, $35). Scented with coffee and tobacco leaf, rich succulent flavors and light spice, even a slightly fruity finish. A simply superb wine.

Paul Dolan 2009 Zinfandel (Mendocino County, $25). A standard-bearer for ol’ time Zinfandel, with flavors of raspberry and chocolate accented with pepper and brown spice.

Plungerhead 2009 Old Vine Zinfandel (Lodi, $16). Deep red color, pungent with full-blown fruit, dark cherry and raspberry, a touch of white pepper on finish.

Seghesio 2009 Zinfandel (Sonoma County, $24). Deep black cherry and blackberry aromas, chewy and highly structured, layers of ripe red fruit and polished tannins, hint of coffee on finish. A perennially superb wine.

Seghesio 2009 Zinfandel Home Ranch (Alexander Valley, $38). Scents of plums and black currants, followed by flavors of black cherry, plums, and sweet tobacco, with lively tannins but soft finish.

Sledgehammer 2008 Zinfandel (North Coast, $15). Red fruit aromas and flavors, medium body, tart finish.

I was especially impressed with the 2007 Plummer Vineyard Petite Sirah.  One word best describes it:  Viscosity.  This wine is pitch black; seemingly impenetrable.  I anticipated major intensity from this wine, but was pleasantly surprised by suppleness and elegance.  Weighty but not meaty, the wine offered ample flavors of wild blueberry and currant.  Plummer Vineyard is owned by Bianchi Winery’s neighboor.  Bianchi’s winemaker, Tom Lane, buys fruit for his “Signature Selection” wines from them and other reputable growers.  All of the fruit that goes into the winery’s “Heritage Selection” wines is grown on their property in Paso Robles.  Depending onthe vintage, the wine will always be close to 100% Petite Sirah will spend between 19-30 months in oak.

Despite it being the start of the busiest time of year in wine country, Tom Lane spent half an hour with me on the phone enlightening me about the people and process behind the wines.  Bianchi grows Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah on 28 acres surrounding the winery.  They buy fruit from growers they have strong relationships with to craft white and additional  red wines from varietals such as Refosco and Sangiovese.  Asked to briefly summarize his winemaking philosophy, Tom said he endeavors to “accentuate the grape first, then layer in other qualities.”  This statement rang true in the wines I sampled.  Tom aims to yeild 3.5-4 tons of fruit per acre, thinning heavily before veraison (the onset of ripening).  This, combined with the use of soil moisture monitors and vertical shoot positioning trellis systems to increase air flow around the fruit, ensure each berry gets the royal treatment.

Cline Cellars was founded by Fred Cline, grandson of Valeriano Jacuzzi, inventor of the Jacuzzi tub (Cline also owns Jacuzzi Vineyards).  However, the Jacuzzi family also grew vines on a farm in Oakley–located in Costra County, California–where Fred Cline spent his summers learning about farming. Planted as far back as the 1800s, these vines include two Rhone grapes: Mourvèdre and Carignane as well as Zinfandel. After inheriting these ancient vineyards, Fred Cline launched Cline Cellars, which now makes wines from the vines at the Oakley vineyard, some of which are more than 100 years old.  Low yielding, these plants produce rich and intensely flavored wines.

In the early 1990s, Cline eventually moved with is wife Nancy to the Carneros region of Sonoma County where they planted more Rhone varietals—Syrah, Mourvèdre, Roussanne—which were not commonly planted in that relatively cooler region. But Cline Cellars has produced some amazingly good results, proving that the area was good for a wider range of varietals than Pinot Noir and other cool climate grapes common in Carneros.  Cline also owns vineyard land in nearby Petaluma.

Cline Cellars is now counted among a host of wineries that make Rhone-styled wines in America that are collectively called “The Rhone Rangers.” Several Rhone Rangers are coming to D.C. for an event on June 10 for wine trade and  press.  However, they are offering  a select-number of tickets for the public; book your space ASAP before they run out!. See the Weekly Wine Pick Event Calendar for more information.

You don’t have to attend this event to find great Cline wines. I enjoy the full spectrum of their portfolio and would recommend any of them.  However, below I list a few favorites.

Big Break Zinfandel.  Aged 11 months in French oak, this is an incredibly rich and well-balanced Zinfandel from very old vines grown in the Big Break vineyard of Oakley.  The land is also near a Eucalyptus grove, which somehow imparts Eucalyptus mint flavors into the wine.  Although a very big wine with intense flavor, it is still soft and approachable; and it can last up to 7 years in the cellar.  The Wine Spectator gives it 89 points, but I think it should be at least a 90!  This wine is so good that it’s worth paying the shipping if you can’t find it locally.  I recently discovered it on Wine.com for about $27 per bottle.  Wine.com is a good mail order business if you like to shop regularly online because you can pay an annual shipping rate of $49 to cover all shipping costs for an entire year.

Cline Cashmere.  I recently discovered this one at Whole Foods for about $16 a bottle.  The name for this Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah blend is on the mark as its most immediately notable quality is an unusually silky and soft texture on the palate.  That is followed by delicate fruit flavors.  The winemaker notes describe it very well:  “Cashmere is a very flavorful smooth wine offering big cherry, raspberry and chocolate notes with hints of cracked black pepper and plum.”

Cline Cellars Zinfandel.  Cline’s value priced Zinfandel deserves much praise because it delivers big at a value price of about $10 a bottle.  Look for the 2008 vintage in particular, which is probably on the shelves now.  This wine is a blend of grapes from Cline’s Oakley vineyard as well as grapes from Sonoma and other parts of California including Lodi (69 percent of the 2008 blend).  Winemaker notes explain that it “showcases a wide array of dark berry fruit including black cherry and raspberry … spice notes and a lasting finish of Vanilla from oak aging and firm, supple tannins add complexity to the wine.”

Cline Late Harvest Mourvèdre, 2006.  This was highlighted in a post last week here on the Weekly Wine Pick, but it is worth noting again.  This is a very unique wine—a sweet red–which frankly surprised me with its rich smooth complex flavors.

Their many other wines also deserve praise. Check out their website to see the full list and keep an eye out when you shop.

I enjoyed a delectable plate of pesto pasta at Paolo’s Ristorante in Georgetown recently. They call it Ligurian Trofie (although the latter word seems like a misspelling of the Italian word for ‘trophy’ – trofèo). The house recipe below calls for a bit more spice and black pepper which opens up more possibilities for wine matches.

Ordinarily, I would pair a medium- to full-bodied white wine with pesto, perhaps a Gavi or Pinot Blanc, but the zesty result in this dish is a perfect match for red Zinfandel. I savored the dish with Plungerhead 2008 Old Vine Zinfandel (Lodi, $16). The wine is a recent release from the Sebastiani family, the half of the family that describes itself as “The Other Guys.” Clearly, this Plungerhead bottling makes a major statement about how capable these ‘other guys’ are at continuing the line of superb successes from this famed wine family.

The dish had spicy highlights thanks to the black pepper and hint of red pepper flakes, together making a stand for the Lodi Zin, as each accentuated the best properties of the other. But if you’re dying for a white wine with your pesto, I would recommend a zesty Gavi from Italy’s Piedmont region. Try Marchesi di Barolo “Le Lune” ($15), Michele Chiarlo ($17), or Principessa Perlante ($17).

Ligurian Trofie from Paolo’s in Georgetown
1/2 oz olive oil
2 oz 1/4 inch cubed idaho potatoes (blanched but not mushy)
1 oz haricot verts (blanched)
1tsp shallot minced
1tsp garlic minced
1 fl oz white wine
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
2 tbsn creamy pesto (recipe below)
3 ea oven dried or sundried tomatoes
6 oz trophie pasta
1 fl oz pasta cooking water

1. Saute potatoes in hot pan until slightly browned
2. Add haricot verts, garlic and shallots. saute for an additional 1 minute
3. Add remaining ingredients, except tomato and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.
4. Top with tomatoes, toss with cooked pasta, add shaved parmesan, and serve

CREAMY PESTO
6 oz basil (by weight)
1/2 cup pelled garlic cloves
1 cup grated parmesan
2 cups olive oil
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsn salt and pepper
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
2 cup water

1. Place all ingredients in blender except oil.
2. Slowly drizzle in oil while blending

Dick Rosano has offered his insights on wine in many publications and radio shows, and is a regular contributor to WeeklyWinePick.com.

“Mike Dashe makes superlative wines and his zinfandels are among some of the best.  Avoiding the traditional simplistic jammy one-trick pony characteristics, Mike finesses his Zinfandels, creating layers and nuances not usually associated with California’s well known grape.  His Dashe Cellars 2007 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel has a gorgeous nose of black berry, boysenberry, mocha and oak and after the first whiff, you’re reminded of Jerry Maguire, ‘You had me at hello.’  Then you taste it:  Cinnamon, black cherry and pepper and you realize you’ve not had Zinfandels like these before.  Dashe wines evolve during dinner and it’s best to take your time. It’s about exploration and waiting patiently to discover what else is in your glass.  The 2007 has wide distribution around the U.S. and retails for around 20 bucks.  This is exceptional wine for a variety of foods, from lamb and duck to vegetarian pizza, and spicy pasta dishes.  Get this and enjoy the good life.”

Michael is also the restaurant critic for the Santa Barbara News-Press, and is author of Generous Fiction, which is available on his website.

  Find this wine at one of the many retailers listed at Wine-Searcher.com.

Seghesio’s wine history goes back to the late 1800’s, and their wine is now crated by fourth-generation winemaker Ted Seghesio. The Fruit for this wine was hand harvested after a long growing season, which contributes to ripe tannins and lush berry flavors.

One should find this bottled for less than $20, and it pairs well with a variety of meats, as well as heavy Italian-inspired dishes that lean toward the spicy side.

Joel Peterson is a master of the Zinfandel varietal. He built an empire around this quintessential California grape after founding Ravenswood over 30 years ago. The brand is now owned by Constellation Brands, Inc. Since corporate takes care of things like human resources and finances, Joel is free to focus on what he does best – make rich, full bodied wines.

Joel makes three classes of wine at Ravenswood. The County Series falls in the middle, comprised of wines made from specific counties in California. There are five Zinfandels from five different counties in this series. When asked which county he thought shined the brightest in 2005 and in soon-to-be-released 2006, Joel gave a nod to Sonoma County.

This Zinfandel is dark and spicy, with enough muscle and structure to balance out the vibrant raspberry and blackberry flavors. At less than $19 a bottle, it makes a great weekend wine, but has the polish and pedigree to arrive as an invited dinner guest.