BudgetBacchus

Oh Lord stuck in Lodi again, however this time it’s a blessing, not a curse. Lodi is home to Laurel Glen, a winery that makes good use of the always sunny Central Valley but is smartly located near a plentitude of rivers which draw grape cooling fogs into the vineyards. This fog is a breath of fresh air for the zinfandel that is planted there. Normally, zinfandel is treated like a pack mule in this country, shoved out into the sun to bear the weight of it’s abundant heat. But as much as zinfandel does well surviving in this weather, it doesn’t deserve it. Sure it will ripen into big berries full of sugar that can be easily vinified into wines topping the scales at seventeen percent alcohol, but it deserves better. All of the subtlety of the grape is lost in the heat, not to mention all of it’s acidity. However at Laurel Glen, they allow it some respite from the heat and with a smart blending with carignan, and a touch of petite syrah, they produce a wine simply named Reds. Reds is a wine intended for everyone, juicy and fun, but with enough structure and focus to please educated palates as well, and it’s priced for the people as well. The wine retails for $9.99 at Whole Foods, and 10% off if you buy six (20% if you buy 12).