Terra d’Oro Amador County Zinfandel 2007

The 2007 Terra d’Oro Zinfandel is born on the steep, golden hills of Amador County. From old vines, well-drained soils, natural methods of production, and a wealth of experience with Zinfandel, Jeff Meyers and the crew at Terra d’Oro have fashioned a truly world class offering in this year’s Terra d’Oro Zin. Deeply colored, clean, flavorful, and surprisingly well-structured, the 2007 Terra d’Oro Zinfandel offers a beguiling bouquet and a palate pleasing portfolio of lush berry fruit, black pepper, bramble, and sandalwood. Long and lovely in the mid palate, too, the Terra d’Oro Zinfandel provides more flavor and subtlety than one is accustomed to finding from most other producers. Moreover, Terra d’Oro’s Zin finishes with both suavity and verve. Wow! Enjoy this excellent Zinfandel at cool room temperature (60º-66º F).

Produced with the benefits of the Mediterranean diet in mind as well as the delights that emanate from today’s fusion inspired cooking, the 2007 Terra d’Oro Zinfandel can hold court with many Old and New World offerings. Penne pasta in a rich tomato cream sauce with chicken, broccoli, and roasted eggplant makes for a splendid accompaniment to the 2007 Terra d’Oro Zinfandel. Manicotti, lasagna, sausage and peppers, and most southern Italian dishes prepared with tomato based sauces pair well with this wine, too. Grilled herb encrusted pork chops served with braised greens and pan seared grits; hummus with roasted red pepper and bits of sun dried tomato; and chipotle chili tortillas stuffed with a three cheese blend provide other fine complements. And if you are not up for preparing something special, have no fear: the 2007 Terra d’Oro Zinfandel can hold court by itself. It will shine as brightly on the tongue as it does in the glass, even without a morsel. Enjoy!

Terra d’Oro is a premium selection of wines made at Montevina, one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in California. Set amid the foothills of the Sierra Mountains, Terra d’Oro lies at the heart of California's "Gold Rush Country." However, today Terra d’Oro is best known for its liquid gold in the form of excellent Syrah, Zinfandel, Barbera, Pinot Grigio, and other Italian grape varieties that emanate from the golden Amador foothills as well as choice vineyards in Santa Barbara County. The Trinchero family has owned Terra d’Oro since 1988, but this winery’s passion for growing outstanding fruit and producing many of California’s finest Rhône and Italian style varietals dates back even further to the 1960’s. And since 1986, Jeff Meyers, unquestionably one of the most experienced California winemakers with Italian varietals, has been the General Manager and guiding force behind Montevina and Terra d’Oro’s huge success. Possessing an encyclopedic knowledge of the region’s viticulture along with a knack for fashioning distinctive Mediterranean varietals that possess elegance as well as fabulous flavor, Jeff is one of the first California winemakers to be enormously successful with Mediterranean varieties. Montevina’s Barbera, Pinot Grigio Sangiovese, Syrah, and Zinfandel, produced under the Terra d’Oro label, create a benchmark portfolio for these grape varieties that would be hard to find elsewhere. And unlike most of the wines from this estate’s competitors, Terra d’Oro’s wines are produced from a high percentage of old vines.

Terra d’Oro is an integral part of Trinchero Family Estates. Trinchero Family Estates (TFE) is a leader in the employment of sustainable methods of agriculture, re-cycling, and green land management. Trinchero Family Estates employs only sustainable, organic, and biodynamic practices in their estate vineyards, which include Terra d’Oro. They eschew the use of potentially harmful chemicals and work with the state of California and other vineyards to develop healthy, natural alternatives to harsh chemicals. No chemical pesticides or herbicides are used at TFE and natural ground covers such as barley and clover prevail throughout all the estate vineyards. Furthermore, botanical oils and natural predators take the place of potentially hazardous chemicals. TFE, also, recycles 50 million gallons of water annually and recycles 20 tons of office paper, 850 tons of cardboard, and 100 tons of plastic each year. All proceeds from recycling revert to TFE’s employees in the form of an employee-in-need fund. In addition, Trinchero has planted over 3,000 oak trees near their vineyards and created extensive greenbelts and lakes to improve the natural environment. Not surprisingly, Trinchero Family Estates has received California’s Waste Reduction Awards Programs (W.R.A.P.) Award each year for nearly a decade.