The easy to drink Zinfandel explodes with ripe juicy blackberry flavor. The red translucent color is a bit deceiving because this wine packs a punch that you may not notice. It has a delightful aroma of blackberries and spices. The velvet mouth feel gives way to a very fruity taste. The finish is crisp and fruity. There is no heat from alcohol on the finish, surprising for a wine that 16.5 percent alcohol. This is so easy to drink you may not notice the alcohol levels until after you finished the bottle.

We decided to pair the wine with a beef stew that had been slow cooking on a wood burning stove for most of the day. The stew lessened the fruit flavor a bit, although the Zinfandel was still fruity. It also matched well with the perceived sweetness of the wine.

Balistreri Winery is in Denver, less than a half hour drive from Denver International Airport. It is well worth a visit.

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