A warm summer’s evening, sitting in the garden having a catch up with your BFFs or dinner with the family, is the perfect time to pour yourself a chilled glass of Barefoot White Zinfandel. This wine may be on the sweeter scale but it is also incredibly fresh and lively too - the perfect combination!
This light, fruity wine is delicious on its own but it also works perfectly in a spritzer with ice. It’s also ideal to shake into a cocktail, including our very own Barefoot Peach White Zin Sangria.
What is White Zinfandel?
You’d be forgiven for thinking that White Zinfandel is a white wine, it’s in the name after all! But it’s not - it is actually a pink or rosé wine. It’s deliciously sweet and lighter than some other wines, making it a perfect summery treat.
What is White Zinfandel’s story?
White Zinfandel was invented in the early 1970s by a winemaker in California. But he didn’t actually mean to invent it!
It was during an attempt to intensify a red wine that Zinfandel was created. Firstly, the winemaker experimented with the black Zinfandel grape and fermented it as a white wine. It was a light pink and far more delicate than the traditional Zinfandel.
A few years later, when producing this wine, the fermentation process stopped for an unknown reason, leaving a tinge of pink colour and a sweeter style that became the White Zinfandel we now know.
So, White Zinfandel turned out to be a pretty great mistake if you ask us!
Which grapes are used?
This wine is made from the black Zinfandel grape. It gets its pink colour from the reddish-purple skins, which are removed quickly after being crushed. These grapes are grown all over California.
Why is it called White Zinfandel when it is pink?
Well, it nearly wasn’t! It was originally called Oeil de Perdrix which means Eye of the Partridge. This is a term used in France for when red grapes are used to make a white wine. However, laws in the US state it must have an English description and so it was named White Zinfandel.
How is White Zinfandel made today?
In exactly the same way - red zinfandel grapes spend limited time in the skins and fermentation will be halted early so that not all the sugar naturally present in the grapes is able to become alcohol. Californian laws state that to be labelled Zinfandel it must use at least 75% Zinfandel grapes – and that is how we make our Barefoot White Zinfandel.
What is the difference between White Zinfandel and rosé?
White Zinfandel is a rosé wine and has the same pink colour as other rosé wines, which could fool you into thinking that they will all taste similar. White Zinfandel has a sweeter taste and is much milder than a drier Barefoot Pink Pinot Grigio for example. However it’s not as sweet as a Barefoot Pink Moscato dessert wine.
Is White Zinfandel an affordable wine?
Yes, Barefoot White Zinfandel is a very affordable wine, which alongside its sweeter, fruity and refreshing taste, is what became part of the appeal.
Is White Zinfandel sweet?
Yes, White Zinfandel is a sweeter style wine. It’s also sweeter than other rosé wines but still greatly refreshing and deliciously fruity like Pink Moscatos.
What does White Zinfandel taste like?
This deliciously fruity wine has hints of strawberries, pears, pineapple and peach with notes of melon.
What should I eat with White Zinfandel?
Barefoot White Zinfandel goes well with a wide range of food. Its sweetness is perfect to enjoy alongside more spicy food such as your favourite Thai takeaway or Indian curry.
It also goes well with meats especially chicken, as well as bacon and pork - mix these meats into creamy pastas and you are on to a winner! Love seafood? This pink wine goes great with fish dishes too.
You don’t have to be on your main course either, this wine is ideal to enjoy alongside the likes of fruit and cheese, especially more mild cheeses including brie.