Wine Making Refined in Southern Utah
February can be a busy time for Zion Vineyards as they bottle their 2022 wines and start pruning the vines.
They have two new wines to offer this February, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Now pouring and selling their new Rosé Grenache 2022 — this is a co-ferment of Grenache, a red wine, and Grenache Blanc, a white wine, creating a Rosé style wine with notes of strawberry and cherry. They will also have their Grenache Blanc 2022, a beautiful floral bouquet loaded with notes of stone fruits, apricots, peach, and nectarine.
Zion Vineyards has many great single-varietal wines, and they are also becoming known for their great blends. When creating their blends, it isn’t by chance; it’s a scientific process called a bench trial. There are a few basic steps: 1) Determine what types of wine varietals are available for use. 2) Determine the Style of the Wine you would like to create, i.e., a Super Tuscan or a Rioja style. 3) Utilizing a Graduated Cylinder, fill a glass with 100ml of wines in varied recorded measurements; for example, in the first glass, 50ml of Cabernet, 30 ml of Zinfandel, and 20 ml of Tempranillo, a blend of 50% Cab, 30% Zin and 20% Temp. In the next glass, 60ml of Cabernet, 30ml Zinfandel, and 10ml Tempranillo.
This year, they are working hard to make three to five varied blends, and then, the most challenging part of the job comes next. 4) They must Taste the Wines. The worst part is that you might have to revisit a glass or two. 5) Evaluate and Vote. They run these Trials with an odd number of people, so there isn’t a tie. Michael Jackson, the Vintner, always gets the Final Vote. From here, everyone takes notes and discusses the varied flavor profiles and what we do or don’t like about each glass of wine. Putting time and effort into everything they do, their Blends are like all of their wines, expressing their love of the vines.
Please come on out and join them for a fun time and taste some of their amazing wine. Visit them at 5 Hidden Valley Road in Leeds. They are 12 miles north of St George and off the I-15 in beautiful Leeds, Utah. Reservations are unnecessary, and they are Open Seven Days a Week, from noon until 6 PM. Online at www.zionvines.com or call 435-849-8376.
