Wine Review: Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel 2012

Hey, Zin lovers... I found a remarkably good wine online at Wine.com, called Rancho Zabaco 2012 from Sonoma County. I learned through research that Sonoma County is second only to San Joaquin Valley for Zinfandel production in the U.S., so it's a pretty good guess they know what they're doing. Besides, being a Taurus, I liked the logo. 

This wine is 93% Zinfandel and 7% Petite Syrah. I did a little research on Zinfandel wines and, from what I read, Zin may just be the oldest varietal in the world, with evidence showing it in wine production as early as 6000 BCE. To put it in perspective, in 6000 BCE, Egyptians were just beginning to settle near the Nile.  

I also learned there is a technique in wine production that was developed specifically for Zinfandel, called Amador. There's some interesting controversy around this method which maintains the integrity of the alcohol content of the varietal.

This wine is a very deep violet red. The first thing I smell is spice and pepper over berries, typical Zin. And, on the first day, the taste was typical Zin... smoke, berries, licorice. I like it better on the second day. It's much smoother, with a velvety feel on the tongue and a nice, mocha finish.

Gotta be careful with it, though. It's very drinkable, but has almost 15% alcohol — which makes me think it should be enjoyed with food. This wine would probably work with any cuisine. I had it with a deli plate, and it was good, but what I wish I had been eating is a medium rare grilled steak with sauteed mushrooms, garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach.

Wine Advocate rated it 90, I would go with that. However, I really think this wine could sit for a year or two, which would make it rate 91, at least. And, it's less than $20.

For the Love of Mushrooms

Courtesy Food Network

In order to get the full benefit of what my local farmers' market has to offer, I have to be willing to get my old butt out of bed early on a weekend... because in the case of my farmers' market, if you snooze, you lose. So, it all comes down to how willing I am to give up another hour of sleep in favor of scoring some really nice produce deals. Since I work full-time, that doesn't happen often. 

Don't get me wrong... once my bladder knows I'm awake, it becomes very insistent. But, most of the time, I fall back between the sheets and luxuriate in the knowledge that I can. But, some mornings, the old body gets to feeling frisky and says, "Let's do something!" This weekend was one of those times. 

At the market, I found an amazing deal on some white mushrooms for a fraction of the cost at the supermarket. Mushrooms are one of my favorite foods, because they are so versatile. I use them in omelets, salads, on sandwiches and, of course, every Italian dish I prepare. In fact, I eat them almost every day, for good reason. They are considered one of the "superfoods," right up there with blueberries and broccoli. 

I dug through my recipe stash for mushroom recipes and found this gem! If you like spinach mushroom lasagna, you're going to love this recipe. It's the same thing, only much easier to make with a couple of suggested modifications.

Following the recipe explicitly, it's 368 calories per serving. But, I decided to use bottled pasta sauce and eliminate the cheese sauce from the recipe in favor of a topping mixture of mozzarella and Parmesan only, which brings the calorie count down to about 300 per serving. 

Although the recipe considers a single serving to be three shells, I thought two was enough, which really drops the calorie count and makes allowance for a side salad and a nice red wine (I enjoyed it with Bogle Essential Red 2011)... or, maybe, some Italian wedding cookies or biscotti. (I'll bet that got your attention!)

Biscotti Toscani
Courtesy Food Network

You can't go wrong with the nutrition, either, especially the kind that is hugely important to boomers. Its ingredients are chock full of vitamins and minerals essential for vision, skin and cell health, immunity, bone health, heart health and boosting the body's antioxidents. 

Just in case you still are not convinced to try this recipe, I'm posting the picture of my first try to show that it's not hard. Even the culinary challenged could make this dish. Start to finish, it took about 40 minutes to prepare. (My version is half the recipe.) And, with some chopped fresh basil as a garnish, it's elegant and tasty enough to convince everyone you're a kitchen pro. Enjoy!