Are there any good, lower alcohol Zinfindel producers out there?

[Andrew_Morris]

Briceland makes an excellent Humboldt Zin as well. I think the alc is in the 13s.

Hobo, Briceland, and Dashe all make terrific Zins at lower alcohol rates. Broc is also worth looking for.

Thanks for the mention, Mike and Adam. Our Zin, from Ishi Pishi Ranch in Humboldt and from Dark Horse vineyard (Paul Dolan) in Mendocino range from upper 12’s to mid to upper 13’s. It’s fun to bring them out for tasters who are used to Amador etc.

[Curtis_Chen]

Arnot-Roberts makes a Kirchenmann Zin that I believe is around 13%. Scherrer Zins (especially Shale Terrace) are in the low 14s, I believe.

Just had a 2015 Scherrer Old & Mature at 14.5%. Drank pretty hot. Curious what others think.

[Peter_Simpson]

Totally get what you’re saying as I’m getting close to that age also. However my reaction would be to continue to drink the wine I enjoy, and I really do enjoy Carlisle, Bedrock et al, but would just drink less each evening. I would suggest drinking less of the bottle, corking and refrigerating the rest, starting with that the next evening and then opening another. Rinse and repeat. Alternatively you could do as suggested previously; take the Ridge approach who admit to “watering back” their Zinfandels. Add an ice cube or two to a warm glass of Zin. I’ve done this from time to time and prefer the experience to most lower ABV Zinfandel alternatives. Having said that Nalle, Buckin, Red and Green, Frogs Leap and Dashe are some great options.

Thanks for the suggestion but unfortunately it doesn’t work for us. We drink Zin at a rate of about one bottle every two or three weeks, usually with pizza. We have tried pouring half the bottle into a 375 on opening and then corking the 375 immediately. That solves the more prolonged storage issue, but the big problem is half a bottle is not enough. We get thru that amount before dinner is over, and are left wanting more. We could, of course, drink 2/3 of the bottle and pour the rest down the drain, but my wife and I both came from humble beginnings, and that just goes against our core beliefs.

The water back suggestion is good but also doesn’t work for us, we are still going to end up consuming all that alcohol unless we pour what’s left down the sink.

[Peter_Simpson]

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions, the hunt is just beginning. It can sometimes be a little difficult to find alcohol levels when wineries don’t include the number on their websites. However I’ve found Cellar Tracker tasting notes to be another good source, thanks to those who have included it in their notes.

So far:

Too High
Green & Red: 15%+
Dashe: 13.5%(1), 14.9%(all the others)

Possible
Nalle: 13.9-14.0% Might be borderline tolerable, tastes like a Zin, so well worth a try.

Yes/Maybe
Arnot-Roberts: 12.6% As some have pointed out, the more red fruited taste of lower alcohol zins may not ring our bells. Many of the CT notes pretty much say this does not taste like a Zin. Some love it, some don’t, maybe we’ll love it.

[lleichtman]

+1 on Nalle.

Ed

One of my Nalle’s is only 13.4%. One other is 13.8%.

[Victor_Hong]

Simmer the wine in a wide saucepan at 160F for ten minutes, to evaporate some of the alcohol. Let cool it in the refrigerator to 55F, and drink. Not kidding.

[R_Smith1]

You’re asking the winemaker to water back. You could just do it yourself.

I’m not sure why you and Victor are giving OP such an attitude. It’s a perfectly legitimate question and no reason for being a jerk.

[R_Smith1]

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions, the hunt is just beginning. It can sometimes be a little difficult to find alcohol levels when wineries don’t include the number on their websites. However I’ve found Cellar Tracker tasting notes to be another good source, thanks to those who have included it in their notes.

So far:

Too High
Green & Red: 15%+
Dashe: 13.5%(1), 14.9%(all the others)

Possible
Nalle: 13.9-14.0% Might be borderline tolerable, tastes like a Zin, so well worth a try.

Yes/Maybe
Arnot-Roberts: 12.6% As some have pointed out, the more red fruited taste of lower alcohol zins may not ring our bells. Many of the CT notes pretty much say this does not taste like a Zin. Some love it, some don’t, maybe we’ll love it.

Hi Peter,

A few suggestions, Birichino makes an excellent Zin around 13-13.5% that should be up your alley. It’s great value at $25. If you like lower alc wines, the rest of their portfolio is also worth checking out. https://birichino.vinespring.com/purchase/detail?item=2019-saint-georges-zinfandel-old-vines

From Ridge, I’d highly recommend their excellent 2016 Demostene Ranch (13.0%). https://shop.ridgewine.com/shopping_cart/p-1809-2016-demostene-ranch.aspx

Broc Cellars has a 12.5% Zinfandel from Sonoma that should drink nicely. https://broccellars.com/products/2018-vine-starr-zinfandel-sonoma-county

[David_Baum]

Arnot-Roberts makes a Kirchenmann Zin that I believe is around 13%. Scherrer Zins (especially Shale Terrace) are in the low 14s, I believe.

Just had a 2015 Scherrer Old & Mature at 14.5%. Drank pretty hot. Curious what others think.

Drank too soon

[Curtis_Chen]

Arnot-Roberts makes a Kirchenmann Zin that I believe is around 13%. Scherrer Zins (especially Shale Terrace) are in the low 14s, I believe.

Just had a 2015 Scherrer Old & Mature at 14.5%. Drank pretty hot. Curious what others think.

Drank too soon

Oh, nice. All those modern Napa cabs have a chance then.

[Peter_Simpson]

You’re asking the winemaker to water back. You could just do it yourself.

I’m not sure why you and Victor are giving OP such an attitude. It’s a perfectly legitimate question and no reason for being a jerk.

Ryan, thanks for having my back but it’s OK, I don’t sweat the small stuff any more.

I’m a 72 year old cancer survivor, just happy to still be here, and glad my most immediate life problem is trying to find the right bottle of Zin to drink with pizza!

[Peter_Simpson]

Simmer the wine in a wide saucepan at 160F for ten minutes, to evaporate some of the alcohol. Let cool it in the refrigerator to 55F, and drink. Not kidding.

Thanks for thinking outside the box Victor.

However sometimes on a Friday night all my wife and I want to do is grab a pizza, open a nice bottle of wine, and relax. I just don’t think we are going to be up for your science experiment!

[Juliec]

Thanks for starting the thread. These days I have been looking for lower abv as well not necessarily zin. But this thread has been helpful since I tried very old zin not to long ago. It’s good to know that zin and Grenache and seems like Cabernet too it’s hard to find less than 14.5. Maybe try bojo cru or Loire cf?

[Peter_Simpson]

Thanks for starting the thread. These days I have been looking for lower abv as well not necessarily zin. But this thread has been helpful since I tried very old zin not to long ago. It’s good to know that zin and Grenache and seems like Cabernet too it’s hard to find less than 14.5. Maybe try bojo cru or Loire cf?

Of course Pinot and Chardonnay are easy to find under 14%.

Brander Vineyards in Los Olivos is my source for lower alcohol Sauvignon Blanc. Most of their Bordeaux style reds are also under 14%, and great value too.

[Lee_Braem]

Lamborn. Label of the 16 says 15.3% but it doesn’t taste like it.

[Adam_G]

Totally get what you’re saying as I’m getting close to that age also. However my reaction would be to continue to drink the wine I enjoy, and I really do enjoy Carlisle, Bedrock et al, but would just drink less each evening. I would suggest drinking less of the bottle, corking and refrigerating the rest, starting with that the next evening and then opening another. Rinse and repeat. Alternatively you could do as suggested previously; take the Ridge approach who admit to “watering back” their Zinfandels. Add an ice cube or two to a warm glass of Zin. I’ve done this from time to time and prefer the experience to most lower ABV Zinfandel alternatives. Having said that Nalle, Buckin, Red and Green, Frogs Leap and Dashe are some great options.

Thanks for the suggestion but unfortunately it doesn’t work for us. We drink Zin at a rate of about one bottle every two or three weeks, usually with pizza. We have tried pouring half the bottle into a 375 on opening and then corking the 375 immediately. That solves the more prolonged storage issue, but the big problem is half a bottle is not enough. We get thru that amount before dinner is over, and are left wanting more. We could, of course, drink 2/3 of the bottle and pour the rest down the drain, but my wife and I both came from humble beginnings, and that just goes against our core beliefs.

The water back suggestion is good but also doesn’t work for us, we are still going to end up consuming all that alcohol unless we pour what’s left down the sink.

If the issue is that a 375 doesn’t work well for you then you’ve got a few other options, all of which I’ve either used myself or have good friends who use them:
-Get a 200 ml or 187 ml bottle(s), which will make it easier to keep the amount left behind that you want. I’ve got a collection of screwcap bottles ranging from 100 ml up to 500 ml that can be a perfect reserve size. When you’ve got a pile of them saved you can have a tasting evening! (187’s are easy to get at the grocery store most places. Especially if there’s a Sprouts near you. Just use the plonk that comes in them for cooking.)
-Buy an argon tank and some hose. Drink what you want, flush the airspace in the bottle with argon, seal it up. Not the same as opening and immediately pouring into a storage vessel, but sometimes you want the wine to have the hour or three of air and then preserve it in that state until next time.
-Pony up for a Coravin
-Go super over the top and get one of those by-the-glass cabinets that they use in wine tasting bars. Keep 4 bottles in there until they’re all gone!

I’ve made extensive use of the first method, both on opening a bottle knowing I wouldn’t finish it, and post hoc when it just turned out that way. The biggest issue with that is with aged wines that you may want to treat more gently. In that case, Coravin might be your best bet.

[Juliec]

Agreed, Pinots from West Sonoma Coast and some parts of Oregon can be found in 12.4-13.4% abv - especially the old vines. I felt like bojo cru from Moulin a Vent was closer to the aged Zin that I had, not sure about young zin since I haven’t had that yet. I’ll been on the lookout for you so recommendation.
For lower abv whites, Loire dry Chenin Blanc’s are pretty good at 12.5 abv, but some may not like high acid. I also had been hearing a lot about cab franc lately. Another one to try maybe Sandlands, their reds — although are not zin, have old vines Varieties, a few are in the 12-13 abv range, if memory serves - cinsault.

[R_Smith1]

You’re asking the winemaker to water back. You could just do it yourself.

I’m not sure why you and Victor are giving OP such an attitude. It’s a perfectly legitimate question and no reason for being a jerk.

Ryan, thanks for having my back but it’s OK, I don’t sweat the small stuff any more.

I’m a 72 year old cancer survivor, just happy to still be here, and glad my most immediate life problem is trying to find the right bottle of Zin to drink with pizza!

No problem! I think you’ll like the Birichino Zinfandel. Also, I really liked the new Charbono from Ridge. It’s 13.0% alcohol and was amazing with pizza. https://shop.ridgewine.com/shopping_cart/p-1929-2018-frediani-charbono.aspx

[R_Roberts]

Broc “Vine Starr”

That was the first wine that came to mind for low ABV zin. Though nothing about it reminds me of Carlisle.

Peter, if the Carlisle profile is what you enjoy when you think “zin”. it will be hard to find a suitable low alcohol replacement made with zin grapes that scratches that itch. I would echo what others have said and explore other grapes/regions that have similar flavor profiles and are much lower ABV than Cali zin.

[Rich_Brown]

Ladd and Mathiasson make good lower alcohol zins.

Yep, was going to say the same about Mathiasson. The Limerick Lane offering is great and around 13% if I remember correctly