By Guest Blogger, Duane Dappen of D-Cubed Cellars
Hello and Happy New Year!
ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) started in 1990 with its first tasting in January of 1991. I premiered the first D-cubed Cellars wine, 1994 Howell Mountain Zinfandel, at the 1996 Zinfandel Festival and have been pouring at the event ever since. I personally have had the pleasure of pouring at or attending all 23 previous ZAP tastings I understand the history and importance of this event.
The Zinfandel Experience has grown over the years to 5 different events; the trade tasting at Rockwall Winery on Alameda, and 4 public events at the Presidio and the Four Seasons Hotel. I will be pouring D-cubed Cellars Zinfandel at the Wednesday Trade Tasting, Thursday night at Epicuria and at the Saturday Grand Tasting. Like the Rose Bowl, this is the Granddaddy of them all. Many other groups now have tastings formatted after our Grand Tasting, but the original is the biggest and the best.
Zinfandel is America’s Historic Grape. Like many of us it has ancestors from Europe, but through the generations, it has become an individual that is an American. This is the wine that goes with so much of the food we eat as Americans, everything from a Grilled Rib eye to Pulled pork to your favorite pasta dish.
If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area the last weekend of January, come celebrate and learn more about America’s Grape, Zinfandel at ZAP’s annual Zinfandel Experience. If you cannot make it this year, plan to attend in the years to come and enjoy some Zinfandel!
