EARLY AUGUST... is prime barbecue time, without question. True, there are no traditional "outdoor grilling" holidays happening at the start of August, but we can see a seasonal change on the horizon, with school beginning and temperatures soon to drop. So we fire up the coals in earnest, and make potato salad and cole slaw, and finally break out that bottle of zinfandel we've been holding onto for a special summery occasion. There are a few wines that complement alfresco dining like a zesty, spicy, but not-too-heavy zin, and it matters not if that dining is a white-linen'd affair or burgers and slaw. To go deeper into this bewitching wine, and to try the wares of numerous winehouses, all in one spot, look to the Simply Summer Celebration at Trentadue Winery on Sunday, Aug. 14. That's in lovely...
GEYSERVILLE, and a whole slew of grape-smart vinomakers'll be out on the grounds, including Madrona Vineyards, Chacewater Winery, Starry Night Winery, and Three Wine Company. The party's host? Zinfandel Advocates & Producers, or ZAP, if you prefer, so be sure to bring all of your zin-centered asks to the early afternoon affair (what makes zin uniquely Californian, how much zinfandel is grown in the Golden State, is zin always on the dry side, and such). Tickets begin at $35, and some 60 or so wineries'll be on deck, proffering a bottle when you stroll by with your ZAP-logo'd glass in hand. Summer's not done, and nor is our time eating on the patio. If sodas aren't your thing, and suds aren't either, but you love a richer non-wintry wine, dig deeper into the zin universe, starting in Geyserville in the middle of August.
