2003 Rosenblum Continente Vineyard Zinfandel

Rosenblum Cellars was founded in 1978 in Alameda County. The winery is unusual in that it is located in the East Bay just across from San Francisco. It was founded by Kent Rosenblum, a veterinarian with an interest in wine, and today the business is still run by the Rosenblum family. The winery makes a large selection of wines sourced from grapes grown in virtually every region of California, from Sonoma and Paso Robles, to Contra Costa, Santa Barbara and Mendocino. Rosenblum makes about 50 wines a year. They are known for Zinfandels, Rhone-style reds and whites, and dessert wines. Many of the wines are vineyard-designated.

Central Coast AVA is a huge wine producing area that extends from Santa Barbara County in the south to San Francisco in the north. With more than 100,000 vineyard acres, it includes parts of six counties near the Pacific Ocean. Nearly 20 smaller AVAs lie within the Central Coast AVA. Central Coast earned appellation status in 1985. Included in the appellation are parts of the counties of Contra Costa, Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz. Nearly every grape varietal grown in California is grown somewhere in the Central Coast AVA, though Chardonnay accounts for nearly 50% of the entire wine grape crop.

Zinfandel is a black-skinned grape, but 85% of the wine produced is made into a rosy “White Zinfandel.” Red Zin is far more complex and bold, while still being light-bodied. It grows in popularity as winemakers continue to experiment with new styles and blends.