Are you among the zin-obsessed? You’re not alone. The Catholic church might have an app to replace the confessional, but when it comes to zins, the best app is a good old corkscrew.
A few years ago, zin made a run at being the official State Grape of California, but got squeezed out by other skin games whose lobbies (and lobules) were fleshier, namely the Thompson seedless.
But table grapes cannot muster the nearly Viking-like mythology surrounding the hedonistic pleasures of zin. Valhalla would surely have flowed with zin if only the Scandinavian climate were as fertile and warm as its imagination.
There were plenty of zins done in a style to please hedonists at the 20th annual ZAP event in San Francisco the last weekend of January, sponsored by Zinfandel Advocates and Producers. But, with diligence, restraint could be found.
Seeking out new winemakers and old vines, I uncorked a few treasures, including Vittorio’s Secret, a righteously decadent old-vine Mendocino zin (63 percent), petite sirah (19 percent) and carignane (18 percent) combo, crafted by Bob Klindt of Claudia Springs. Klindt delights in finding new sources of fruit so he can make his wife, Claudia, bite her nails even further into the quick wondering how they are going to pay to bottle the stuff they already have in barrels. This is rich, berry-bursting, chocolate-ganache textured stuff you can sink your teeth into ($38): http://claudiasprings.com.
From Paso Robles, winemaker Joe Barton of Grey Wolf has a chorus of zins that howl with the intensity and earthiness of dry-farmed, head-pruned vines. The 2009 “Big Bad Wolf” has alpha-male bigness, but no badness. This wolfhound of a wine is loaded with divinely spicy fruit and amazing acidity. A sure-footed zin that will win you over. (www.Greywolfcellars.com)
The 2008 Dancing Lady is old-vine Alexander Valley zin, made by lovely and shy Gia Passalacqua, fourth generation farmer-winemaker, flanked by her stoic parents. It’s as dark, dense and entrancing as a midnight masked ball, where the ladies wear Prussian blue velvet gowns and black satin gloves up over their elbows. (http://dancing
ladywines.com)
The 2006 C. G. D’Arie 2006 “Southern Exposure,” from Shenandoah Valley, delivered seriously earthy, meaty flavors, with a lovely finish of cherry brandy and a very fine Macanudo cigar. Truly lovely at $35. There’s a Sierra Foothills designate for $18 that is quite delish as well. (http://cgdiarie.com)
The Dendor Patton 2007 “Wisdom” oozes old-vine Mendocino quality that can’t be replicated elsewhere, with a connectedness to the earth that makes your heart sing.
From 80-plus-year-old vines comes a pure blackberry-blueberry cobbler with a dab of dark cherry ice cream on top: intense in spice and body. This may be your only chance in life to buy wisdom at just $30 a pop: http://dendorpatton.com.
Speaking of old, Guglielmo Winery in Morgan Hill has been making zin from the Santa Clara Valley of California for 86 years now. Their 2007 is pretty, light on its feet and shows the kind of restraint one expects in a classic food-friendly style. This is no big jug thug: it won’t bowl you over or beat you up. It makes friends with your mouth. If you enjoy a more elegant style of zin that wears a tie to dinner, invite this one over. 
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