Day 209: Zinfandel!!!

One New Year's Eve, millions of years ago, when my friends and I were in our early 20s - when Jagermeister was much more likely than wine to be the drink of choice, we all went out for a "nice" dinner.  We decided to order a bottle of wine but really, none of us had any idea how to go about that.  Then, my friend Lori chimed in..."I always drink white Zinfandel when I go out". 

At the time, we all found that declaration hilarious - and nearly 15 years later, we still laugh about that moment.  And, I now think of Lori nearly every time I drink Zinfandel - RED, not white - but still...  We are still close friends and I love that that goofy memory.

This weekend marks ZAP's annual Zinfandel Festival at Fort Mason here in San Francisco.  We attended this amazing event 2 years ago and had a fantastic time.  Last year we missed it due to a wedding and this year we'll miss it due to our upcoming vacation.  But, we managed to squeeze in one of the pre-event events - tonight's Good Eats and Zinfandel Pairing evening.  50 Zinfandel producers were in attendance, each paired with a bit of food from a restaurant or a caterer.  

We ate all kinds of things tonight:  pulled pork on a tortilla chip, braised beef over polenta, Irish cheddar cheese, braised wild boar, chicken salad with blue cheese and almonds, cupcakes, and on and on and on!  Check out the website to see what food was paired with which wines.

We left feeling stuffed, but happy.  And it's not a minor detail that tonight marked five years since my first date with my husband.  It was great to recognize that anniversary with a special event like the ZAP festival.  We've enjoyed a lot of wine together over the past 5 years, and expect to enjoy LOTS more in years to come!