ZAP’s (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) knows how to throw a party. Over the years, we have attended many of the events scheduled for its annual celebration of one of the most American of all grape varietals. We have always had a great time and discovered a number of must-try wines. We plan to continue this tradition in 2016.

The upcoming three-day February 2016 in San Francisco celebration provides even more opportunities to learn about, taste and celebrate “America’s Grape”, a varietal that has been grown in California since the Gold Rush. And since this event celebrates the 25^th Anniversary of the founding of ZAP, it also promises to be an even bigger party, drawing more producers, providing more wines to taste, more winemakers to meet and more ways of enjoying Zins than have previous ZAP celebrations.

This year’s events include:

Thursday February 25, 2016

• 5:00-7:00 – 25 Year Tribute Party – a celebratory fete with a tasting featuring 60 winemakers who will pour rare bottlings, vineyard designates and cult wines.
• 7:00-9:00 – Heritage Supper Club, a special dinner at which ZAP’s Heritage Club members will break bread, reminisce about the past, and toast the future, all to the music of Margaret Belton, the star of ‘Always… Patsy Cline’.

Friday, February 26, 2016

• 10:30-1:00 – Flights! Forums of Flavors, a seated seminar-style tasting in which experts will guide participants through a number of themed flights that are intended to demonstrate the similarities and differences among wines from a number of Zin’s most historic vineyards from different regions.
• 5:30-7:00 – Winemakers’ Reception, where 28 winemakers will celebrate with magnums and special reserve offerings.
• 7:00-10:00 – Winemakers’ Dinner and Auction, at which each table will be hosted by a winemaker and feature a custom farm-to-table menu with wines paired to each dish. The live and silent auctions (which benefit ZAP’s programming, education and projects), features one-of-a-kind lots, rare bottles and winery experiences.

Saturday, February 27, 2016

• Grand Tasting, held at Pier 27 – beginning with an 11:00-1:00 Members’ Tasting where selected wineries will pour library wines, limited-release Reserve wines and barrel samples of upcoming bottlings. The wines will be accompanied by tastes of paired dishes prepared by some of the area’s top chefs. This is followed by a 1:00-5:00 PM Public Tasting where 150 Zin producers will pour more than 500 different wines. Heritage Club Members will also access to a special lounge at which wine and snacks are served and allocated wines will be poured and discussed by winemakers.

We plan to have a wonderful time, taste great wines and advance our understanding of America’s Grape at a number of the 2016 events. We hope you will join us in doing the same.

Click here for a description of Zinfandel Experience 2016, a complete list of events and to purchase tickets through Eventbrite – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/zinfandel-experience-2016-meet-the-makers-tickets-18787146862