By Travis Oke
When it comes to American wine I think you need to understand Zinfandel. It’s as misunderstood as how Al Gore invented the internet. Zinfandel used to be your Grandmother’s pink sweet wine. In fact, I had somebody at a party recently ask me, “How is this red wine a Zinfandel, I thought it was a pink wine.” I had the owner of a café recently ask me not to select a Zinfandel for their wine list because people wouldn’t buy it.
I am here to sing the praises of Zin as the great American grape – which they renamed from the Italians (but that’s another story and not completely accurate). Zin can be big – think Shiraz. Zin can be spicy – think Rhone. Zin is a delicious red wine. When in America, I drink Zin.
Here are my two LCBO picks. The Cline is silky and a little softer than the average Zin at this price. The Sledgehammer is much bigger and yes, hits you over the head a little. Zinfandel can be strong, confident, and beautiful. Exactly, how I like my Americans, including the woman I married.
CLINE ZINFANDEL
LCBO 489278 | Price: $ 13.45
14.0% Alcohol/Vol.
SLEDGEHAMMER ZINFANDEL 
LCBO 230466 | Price: $ 17.95
13.9% Alcohol/Vol.
Travis Oke is a high school teacher by day and a wine writer by night. His blog, Pull The Cork, appears in the online edition of the Guelph Mercury.
