National Zinfandel Day is always the third Wednesday of November. 

Who made that proclamation/declaration/designation?

Who knows?

But it does give us an excuse to check out one of the most popular versions

of this less-than-popular type of red wine.

It’s Wine Thursday!, our weekly good-wine-at-a-good-price-

that-you-can-find recommendation, just in time for your weekend. 

This week, we’re featuring a zinfandel that checks a lot of boxes.

I wouldn’t call zinfandel an obscure varietal. 

On the other hand,  it’s unlikely you’ll hear someone shouting from the rooftops,

proclaiming “I’m a zinfandel drinker!” 

Perhaps that is attributable to the fact that the less-expensive zins

have a tendency to be “hot”, meaning high in alcohol,

and they often taste like a “fruit bomb”, meaning exceedingly sweet. 

Bogle’s ’17 old vines zin pokes a hole in the cheap zin stereotypes. 

There’s no denying that it’s sweet. 

But the sweetness is balanced nicely by an interesting spiciness.   

Cinnamon and licorice don’t normally go together but they do here.

And it works.

There are also prominent berry notes.   

Sifting through feedback on line,  I noticed a number of folks

have designated this as their “house red”. 

It’s easy to see why. 

If you’re looking for a big, bold red wine experience,

it’s hard to find a better bottle at this price point. 

Speaking of price point, Total Wine has Bogle old vines for just $8.47. 

Fred Meyer carries it for $9.49. 

You can order it on line from Wine.com for $10.99. 

QFC sells it for $11.99.