Amador’s claim to fame is the incredible Zinfandel being produced.

It was in the 1960’s that Amador had an awakening. A few of the smaller Amador wineries shared their wines with a group of Napa Valley vintners, who were getting all the press at that time. Word spread about the quality, powerful Zins coming out of this forgotten wine region.

Amador wines now regularly get great press from the wine publications, and many of the large Napa properties have purchased land there. Wineries have also experimented with a number of other grapes and have had great success with grapes such as Syrah, Grenache and Barbera.

Actually, my first real eye-opening experience regarding the the effect that terroir (soil) has on flavor profiles was in Amador county.

I was walking Sobon Estate with the late winemaker Leon Sobon, when we came to a small trail between two rolling hills, both planted with grapes. He asked me to walk a few feet up each hill and pick some grapes. We sat down and tried them, and I could not believe the difference in flavor profile.

One hill had volcanic and granite soil, while the other was mostly clay. The volcanic grapes had a very cool mineral core…a bit drier, along with berry fruit. The clay was more fruit forward and a tad juicier.

Fascinating stuff for the wine geek. 

Zinfandel is a fairly unique red grape, as it carries a bit higher alcohol level that is balanced by medium tannins and acidity. Zinfandels are dense and rich on the palate, without the drying tannins you can get from the big Cab Sauvs.

Now off to what to pair with a big, juicy Zin.

As we’re hopefully only a few months from breaking out the grills…let’s talk barbecue! Ribs, pork shoulder, brisket…Zins rock here. Another direction would be blue and other strong-flavored cheeses. In actuality, most acidic dishes will find a home with a Zin, including pizza and red-based pasta sauces.

So as spring and summer approach, hit the your local wine store, find a Zin and break out the grill. Barbecue is not just for beer.

Mike Stolese is the owner of Vermont Wine Merchants, a wholesale distribution company based in Burlington.