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what should I blend w/ my Zinfandel? - 8/30/2010 10:36:46 AM   
hankj

 

Posts: 4672
Joined: 6/26/2008
From: Seattle, WA
Status: offline 		*just as an aside, when I type "Zinfandel" my spell checker insists that I mean "infantacide." But that's not at all how I feel ...


So I'm going to make some wine (aka, in my case, destroy some perfectly good grapes), Lodi Zinfandel, and I'm considering blending in some other varietal(s) at the crusher. Here are the candidates:

Cab Franc
Grenache
Carignane
Petite Syrah

I can buy the grapes in 20 lbs boxes, and can handle fermenting a whopping 160 lbs. I don't have the equip or time this year to ferment them all separately then bench blend, and I can't taste the grapes before buying (but they are decent enough).

Would you mix something in at the crusher (and if so what/how much) ? Or go all Zin? I'm leaning toward 6 boxes Zin, 1 PS, 1 Carignane, a la Ridge.

Thank you for your help in poisoning myself, friends and neighbors!
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RE: what should I blend w/ my Zinfandel? - 8/30/2010 11:11:16 AM   
mj

 

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Joined: 3/14/2007
From: Ocean City, MD
Status: offline 		I'd go with the petite sirah, or even a petit verdot.  Carignane and grenache could certainly work as well.  -mJ

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RE: what should I blend w/ my Zinfandel? - 8/30/2010 11:19:14 AM   
brigcampbell

 

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Joined: 2/16/2009
From: Mission Viejo, CA
Status: offline 		petite sirah



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RE: what should I blend w/ my Zinfandel? - 8/30/2010 11:42:59 AM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7845
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		Assuming they are all same ripeness, same time, I'd agree with those that have said Petite Sirah.

That said, when do you have to decide? The vineyard that supplies the grapes for my small home batches sends me weeky updates with all of the field reports, Brix, pH, TA, and flavor profiles from each of their varieties. I've ordered Riesling and Tempanillo this year for two separate attempts, but if I were doing what you are suggesting, I'd want to know ripeness and progress of all the variety options and make final blend fermenting decision based on what seems like it will for sure be ready to go at the same time.

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RE: what should I blend w/ my Zinfandel? - 8/30/2010 12:05:58 PM   
smigdiggler

 

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Joined: 12/15/2006
From: Napa Valley
Status: offline 		Neither the carignan nor grenache  will have a chance against an equal portion of pets  I would go 7:1 zin pets   if I were you, but if I were in your shoes, I would dump the zin alltogether and go Cab Franc/Pets 7:1 and make a rocking good bruiser! 

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RE: what should I blend w/ my Zinfandel? - 8/30/2010 1:17:59 PM   
grafstrb

 

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Joined: 11/6/2007
From: LAla land
Status: offline 		I think any of those could work with Zin., depending on how much you use.

The idea of a Zin./Carignan blend intrigues me.

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RE: what should I blend w/ my Zinfandel? - 8/30/2010 2:52:05 PM   
hankj

 

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Joined: 6/26/2008
From: Seattle, WA
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: ChrisinSunnyside

Assuming they are all same ripeness, same time, I'd agree with those that have said Petite Sirah.

That said, when do you have to decide? The vineyard that supplies the grapes for my small home batches sends me weeky updates with all of the field reports, Brix, pH, TA, and flavor profiles from each of their varieties. I've ordered Riesling and Tempanillo this year for two separate attempts, but if I were doing what you are suggesting, I'd want to know ripeness and progress of all the variety options and make final blend fermenting decision based on what seems like it will for sure be ready to go at the same time.


My process is a little different Chris. I call a guy named Louie, and then meet him in an empty warehouse down by the train yards were he takes cash. Amazingly the grapes were pretty nice last year, and cheap, 80 cents a pounds which is good for small batches.

The other was I get grapes is through John Patterson in Woodinville. In that case he sells crushed, sulfited, enzymed grapes by the 100 lbs portion. Last year was very nice Red Mountain Cab (that I duly slaughtered). I had him half-fill a food grade trashcan; his dad said he'd never seen someone make that little wine :)



Zin and PS it is! Maybe I'll make some Cab Franc PS too.

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RE: what should I blend w/ my Zinfandel? - 8/30/2010 3:39:03 PM   
ChrisinCowiche

 

Posts: 7845
Joined: 12/16/2009
From: Cowiche, WA
Status: offline 		hank,

$0.80/lb is a very good price. I can't even remember but I think I paid about that last year and picked them myself. Of course, the track-side cash deal adds it's own intrigue.



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