Rombauer Vineyards, Zinfandel, 2019, Napa Valley, California, USA

Zinfandel is considered by many to be America’s heritage grape and was introduced to California during the legendary Gold Rush. Rombauer's Zinfandel is truly a tribute to Californian wine history and was sourced from some of the state’s oldest (some are over 100 years old!) and most revered wine neighbourhoods: 60% El Dorado, 23% Sierra Foothills, 14% Lake and 3% Napa. With the same plushness of a new velvet sofa, where you indulge in dark chocolate, this classic Zin is of the very best in the Golden State.

When founders Koerner and Joan Rombauer moved their two children, two horses and five dogs to Napa Valley in 1972, they arrived armed with an appreciation for the intimate relationship between food and wine. Stemming from Koerner’s great aunt Irma, his ancestry lies in the winegrowing region of Rheingau, Germany, where wine is considered an essential complement to a meal. Fully established in 1980, thirty-nine years later, the winery remains owned by second and third-generation members of the family. Our own James and Kevin found John - Rombauer's Export Manager at Prowein - arm in a sling after a fall and an entanglement with some barbed wire! It's fair to say these cooky winemakers have stories aplenty!