Comments on: OWS#10: Zinfandel

By: Prentice Berge

Prentice Berge — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:28:54 +0000

JU’s - Hilarious. Thanks for sharing that one. Am doing a little Zin tasting with friends this week. That’s going to be the quote of the party. Don’t worry Mick - I’ll give ya credit, don’t be surprised if you get a few more Madison, Wisconsinites adding themselves to your map!

Kind regards,

Prentice Berge
Nattspill
Madison, WI

By: John

John — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 03:23:42 +0000

Thanks for your quick reply and thoughtful comment. I was hoping you guys didn’t really intend that, because I truly enjoy your podcast and think your comments are insightful and helpful in my quest to become more knowledgeable about all wines. Thanks for clearing up my impression of this show. At the moment, I am enjoying a nice Australian Shiraz. Cheers!!!!!!

By: Hugo

Hugo — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 02:45:55 +0000

John,
Let me first thank you for your honest comments.
I have to admit that this show was done as a spur of the moment thing based on Mick’s experiences while working in California. I’ll have to relisten to it to see how it all came across but our intention was never to deride the US or your wine inductry. Mick had a blast over there and I have spent some months in the States myself. More so, neither Mick nor myself produce or sell wine (nor are we eccessively nationalistic) so there is no benefit in any way to attempt to lift up oz wines or knock down US wines. Where as my brief research on the origin of Zinfandel may have been erroneous, the story of jesus units was Mick’s own experience and served as an amusing anecdote only.
If I deride any country at all, it is generally Australia for our imposition of cheap, bulk lolly water onto the rest of the world (the US especially). One of my main goals in the show is to promote the joy and variety of wines above and beyond the quality of those i just metioned.
Regarding the “exploitation” comment you made, that is not mine, nor Mick’s, view at all. I quite frankly see it as beneficial to both parties when all is taken into consideration.

By: John

John — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 01:14:28 +0000

I have generally enjoyed your podcasts but found this one to be offensive. You really need to explore the history of California immigration before assuming that cheap Mexican labor is the reason for the phenomenal success of the California wine industry. The cracks about adding water to California Zinfandel sound like “sour grapes” (pardon the pun) to me. If these nasty remarks about the United States and California wine in general are an attempt to curry more interest in Aussie Zinfandel, you should try telling us about how good your wines are instead of bashing ours. For your information, our wine shops and stores in California generally carry a large selection of Australian wine and in my experience, on the whole, it is well considered and well received. I would enjoy hearing more commentary about your wines and your wine industry, but if the California bashing contiues I’ll have to end my listening. One of the reasons I listen to your podcast is to learn more about what I have always considered to be first rate wines from a friendly nation. I would suggest you give our wines and our country the same consideration before implying that we are cheats and exploiters of slave labor!

By: Tim

Tim — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 17:59:50 +0000

Hi guys,

I finally got around to listening to this episode while on holiday last week. Well done and thanks for the shout-out. Although I’ve never seen an Aussie Zin in the stores up here, I’ll be on the lookout to try it the next time I do see it. It might make an interesting podcast theme for me: Zinfandel not from California.

At any rate, I like what you are doing and hope to hear many more shows in future. BTW, I’d not suggest using wikipedia as a source but just do a series of Google searches. While there is some misinformation on the net, I find that by finding the same information in several places, along with consulting wine books, makes for the best sources.

Cheers!

PS: Great job on the new site theme.

By: Hugo

Hugo — Wed, 02 Aug 2006 23:59:03 +0000

Gerald,
Thanks for the depth of your comment. I must admit that I did get too caught up (interested) with the debate surrounding the origins of the grape and neglected the red/white issue (an assumption on my behalf).
Even though it was my error, it’s comforting to know that this form of publication is so transparent to misinformation.

By: Gerald Wright

Gerald Wright — Sun, 30 Jul 2006 02:02:10 +0000

Good show - but you might try to be a little more accurate about your facts. True - you are in Australia and perhaps should not be faulted for inaccuracies in California wine history. But white zinfandel was in no way a “traditional” way of vinifying the grape -and it most certainly was NOT a style familiar to the gold miners in the 19th century. White Zin was invented by the Sutter Home Winery by “lucky??” accident in the late 1970s - and it became a big profit maker during a brief period when consumption of red (or real) zin in particular (and other reds) dropped off in a big way (i.e. just before an infamous TV news program turned the whole California wine industry around with a report on red wine and health.) In that sense, white zin is a little like beaujolais nouveau - invented for the express purpose of creating a new market for an unfashionable grape - with the new style becoming so ubiquitous that many think it is an old tradition.

In the late 19th and early 20th century Zinfandel in California was treated as California’s answer to Claret — probably not unlike the status of Shiraz at the same time.

Next time you might take a quick browse through Wikipedia before going on air.

Cheers!