What Were They Thinking?
Written: Feb 12 '09
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Price.
Cons: Taste, Keep a pair of pliers handy for the cap!
The Bottom Line: Sometimes you get what you pay for, and in this case you pay for a poorly packaged, mediocre tasting, product. With so many better alternatives, consider avoiding this one.
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| luxuryliners's Full Review: Vendange White Zinfandel 187ml |
Background
Encouraged by the recent success I had in finding a great tasting, inexpensive, wine with Barefoot's White Zinfandel (see link), I decided to take an additional risk on Vendange's version. At $3.99 for a four pack of 187 ml bottles (slightly higher than Barefoot) this white zinfandel qualifies as cheap but I had high hopes. Unfortunately for the reasons I will outline below, lightning did not strike twice.
Product Description
Packaging for this 2005 white zinfandel can be recognized by its neutral white and pink-brown coloration and large, formal "V" logo. A cardboard container holds 4 glass bottles each with Vendange script and logo that mirror that on the container. The wine itself has an amber coloration with a slight pink tinge to it. My primary complaint about the packaging is that the gold, metal, cap atop each bottle is nearly impossible to remove. With each of the four bottles, I attempted to unscrew the cap by hand unsuccessfully, then with the aid of a rubber gripper. Finally I had to resort to a pair of pliers to force the caps off. I have no explanation for this absurd tightness as the bottles were stored in a refrigerator and I have never experienced this difficulty in the past, despite purchasing inexpensive wines with similar caps.
Vineyard Information
For more information about Vendange Vineyards go to http://www.vendange.com or call 1.877.901.8721 9am-8pm EST M-F. Vendange vineyards has locations in Madera and Woodbridge, California where this product is vinted and bottled.
Aroma
After the struggle with the cap you are greeted by the distinctive and strong aroma of lemon blended with a hint of strawberry. The smell is almost flowery and very natural.
Taste
This may be a case where you get what you pay for. $1.79 is among the lowest quoted wine prices on Shopping.com and the taste reflects it. Vendange white zinfandel simply does not taste like what I've come to expect from a white zin. Looking at it positively, the taste is very unique and unlike anything else I've tried; more bluntly though, it reminds me of alcoholic apple juice. That's right I said apple juice, the bottle claims that this white zinfandel is "delicately fruity with crisp notes of strawberry" and online descriptions claim a blend of strawberry and lemon. I feel that the end effect of this combination tastes a bit like watered-down apple juice with too much alcoholic flavor that starts off with an abrupt, albeit brief, overly acidic quality. I can detect the lemon flavoring but the strawberry's effect is much less obvious. Overall the wine is only slightly dry.
All that being said it may sound as if I am totally condemning this wine, but I digress, this is not the worst tasting wine I've had and it is drinkable. There have been wines that I could not tolerate enough to finish the bottle but this wine is not one of them. The unique taste definitely has plenty of claimed "character" and sort of grows on you after half a mini-bottle (perhaps an effect of the 11% alcohol). Closing the book on taste, I will also say that there is a noticeable sweetness to the wine after the initial acidity, that lasts a few seconds before the lemon kicks in and your left with a pleasant after-taste.
Final Thoughts
There is a similar product listed on this site as a Vendange Sonoma White Zinfandel which may not be the same as this product as it has slightly differing characteristics. Please do not extend this review onto that product as I haven't tried it and thus cannot render any opinion about it. To the point though, this is a low cost wine that really reflects it's price both in packaging and in taste. It's not all bad but those with high expectations may be disappointed. I recommend that you click on the link to the Barefoot wine in the first paragraph and spend your hard earned money there instead. Thanks for reading!
Recommended:
No
Year: Non-Vintage
Winery Name: Vendage Wine Cellars
Varietal: Zinfandel
Designation: White Zinfandel
Country: USA
State or Region: California
County or Appellation: Madera
Price: 3.99
Wine Rating Scale: Don''t bother
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luxuryliners
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Location: Frozen North, WI, United States
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