Zinfandel is the skilled laborer of the wine world. If you're serving a wide variety of heavier foods and wonder what to pour; go for the zin. If you have a need for a red to serve during cocktails and have a wide cross-section of palates to please, go for the zin. If you have a special someone in your life that you're getting to know and want to impress with a tasty red for a special evening, go for the zin. It's meant to be drunk fairly young, and without temperance. It can be soft and smooth, yet is often big and spicy. It typically carries a good-natured smack of berried fruit, and tends to be hot (code for high in alcohol).

This example comes from a producer who has worked hard to garner attention for California's Central Coast region. Since the early 1980s the winery has produced attractive wines from a myriad of varietals in Paso Robles. In this case the "Westside" refers to the fact that the carefully chosen grapes came from ancient vines growing west of the Salinas river, a cooler micro-climate that tends to produce more concentrated fruit, which magnifies the intensity already present in the old-vine fruit.

This concentration shows at each stage of experiencing the wine. The deep red color borders on a purple tinged inkiness, the pudgy legs on the inside of the glass would make a dessert wine jealous, and the flavor profile is fat and racy all at once. Leathery berry aromas combine with spruce and hint of sweet cocoa on the nose. On the tongue, the leather is suede-lending plushness and extra depth to the feel. Berries, cherries and oak flavors are the main characters, with a white pepper snap and a certain transient figginess joining the all-star cast. This is actually a high quality zin that would age quite well.

Craig Pierce is club house manager of Baker Hill Golf Club. He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it