Open bottle, open mind

You’re learning about wine and wondering “Is vintage wine really better?” because that is the perception that receives the most publicity. You will find written that the answer to your question is that it depends on the intention of the winemaker. The writer will go on to tell you that wine can be made in such a way that it improves with age or it can be made with the expectation that it will be drunk within a couple of years or go into rapid decline. There is much truth in this conventional wisdom. But I’m not here to jump on that bandwagon and tell you that line again. A bottle. I’ll tell you and you can let the story grow old in your mind or you can drink it now and forget about it.

White Zinfandel is an accidental star on the American wine scene. It is a kind of teething ring for baby wine drinkers. The style is typically sweet and fruity while still having the characteristics of “real” wine, not a refreshing aid or a juice with an added alcohol mix masquerading as wine. For many who are not ready for the experience of appreciating a more “mature” style of wine, it is a transition to help them get over the hump. White Zin is made from a red grape, a dark red grape that, in classic California fashion, came from somewhere else and decided to put down roots and claim to be native. Zinfandel can be a beast of a wine on its own, dark and rustic with lots of cottonmouth-inducing tannins. In an attempt to make money and as an experiment, White Zin, which is actually pink in color, was born in a California winery in the 1970s. I’ll leave the detailed story for another time, but suffice it to say that the palate of the American public I was ready for this wine and it was a huge hit. A great success to consume instantly, that is, not to “lie down” as those in the cellar and hard mouth would say.

A friend who didn’t drink wine gave me a bottle of White Zin. It was an ordinary, brand-name bottle of wine from the supermarket shelves, probably around $4. Ordinary was not, however, an important feature. The bottle was over ten years old. This is like having a 100 year old grandfather, not something you come across every day in the White Zin realm. He came through with a disclaimer: “I don’t know if this is good, but I know you like wine. It’s a bit old, but isn’t it good for a wine?” and some detail about how that ripe old age came to be. Basically, he came up with it at a party at his house, he didn’t get drunk and quickly scrambled into an unused closet and stayed there unmolested. Deep cleaning time finally came to the house and he dug himself up again. I took it, mainly to be a grateful friend, but hoping to store it in my septic tank and flush it down the drain.

I got home that day and opened the bottle, perhaps just curious to smell the aroma of the vinegar before disposing of it. But my disappointment at the lack of a bad smell was soon replaced by my amazement at a very attractive nose (elegant to smell). The glass was soon next to the bottle and the Zin was soon in the glass. Now he was paying attention. White Zin, as I mentioned, is supposed to be pink like fresh salmon, not brown. Something made to be pretty pink that is now brown is definitely a bad sign, so I put it that way on my list of mental expectations. Prepared for disappointment again. The glass worked as a lens to magnify a brilliant golden brown hue that sparkled like the diamond in an engagement ring, mesmerizing. When I came back to the present, I had to try it ASAP, immediately or whatever it says NOW! My God! Amazing. I really enjoy the flavor of anise (black licorice) in a wine and this one had it like never before and I have never found it in anything other than black licorice, only better. This was a magic potion bottle!

Had the wine never been opened or been flushed down the kitchen sink drain as the wisdom of wine suggests, I would have missed out big time. I’ve drunk wine from ten years ago and have never been more impressed by this rule-breaking misfit. In addition to learning that even White Zinfandel can become magical over time under the right conditions, I take one thought out of the experience and share it with you: open bottle, open mind.