ZAP Zinfandel Experience

I attended ZAP back in 2005 and 2006 when it was at Fort Mason and had a *ton* of fun. It was casual, there were mountains of cheese, fun people walking around, talking, hilarity was had, all for $ 40 – 60 bucks for 4 hours.
Just attended the 2014 event and was severely disappointed in comparison. The wineries themselves are awesome and the people pouring were well informed, the crowds were still fun, but the event itself is overpriced at $ 70. for a 2 hour track. The Sensory track that touted tastings had tables on each end of the room with a half dozen bite sized tastings in paper cups guarded by cooking school students. Some of the tastings were just spoonfuls of sauce.
The Terrior tasting was supposed to be educational about regions, but it was the same wines grouped by area. One table had samples of the soil, a few others had topographic maps, the same information about what made a region unique that was given in the Sensory track, just generalized to the region instead of a winery. Definitely not worth $ 70.
There is no info for designated drivers on the website, so I paid for our group before finding out how to register our DDs. We had a designated driver who had to pay $ 40. for each tasting track, so he essentially spent $ 80. to eat baguettes, watch us get tipsy, and make sure we got home safely. Our other DD bowed out, not wanting to pay.
I’m sad the event is so money driven now and highly irritated they don’t manage designated drivers better. I won’t be going back again. Will just attend the Chronicle Wine Festival from here on out.

Great presentation of Zinfandels from over 200 vintners. Each station had at least three or four offerings.. . Yeah, you do the math. They give you a fresh loaf of sourdough when you enter, as well as your signature ZAP wine glass. Lots of cheese tables, and other items to eat while you work your way through the sample tables. It was really important to keep picking at my loaf of bread as I went along. Not only to keep «something in my stomach» but also to cleans the palette between tastings. We really enjoyed this venue and the event. Be sure to bring a pen with you, and take notes. There is no way you can remember all the details of the incredible number of samplings.

If you think that all wine events are for wine snobs, think again. The Zinfandel Festival is a down-​home, fun event that any wine drinker should love. On Saturday, January 28^th, 2012, we attended the ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) Grand Tasting event during the 21^st Annual Zinfandel Festival at The Concourse in San Francisco. This was the last of four events, prior ones being the Epicuria food and zin pairing on the 26^th, the Flights Tasting on the 27^th and the Winemakers Dinner the evening of the 27^th.
The morning session of the Grand Tasting was open to the Press and Trade and there was a special section where press representatives and wine critics could escape from the crowd and do some serious wine tasting by pouring their own wines from the many bottles that were arranged alphabetically on tables. We tasted only about thirty of the two hundred plus wineries that were represented. Much of our time was spent down on the floors talking with winemakers and representatives of the wineries. Although we could taste only a small portion of the available wines, we did find a few favorites, including Ridge, Mike and Molly Hendry, Highlands Winery, Biale Winery, Charter Oak Winery, Hendry (George), Ravenswood and Saddleback. I also had a Turley Wine Cellars barrel sample that was quite good.
If you like wine and would like to taste wine while having an educational experience that is fun, down to earth, friendly and unpretentious, you really should consider attending next year’s Zinfandel Festival. There is really nothing else quite like it. Whether it is the Flights Tasting, Epicuria food and zin pairings, Winemaker Dinner, or Grand Tasting, there is something for everybody and you are sure to have a good time. The Concourse was easy to find and there was plenty of parking. Glasses are provided at the tasting with enough food that you will not need a lunch afterward. Much thanks to Julie Ann Kodmur, ZAP’s Publicist, for inviting us to this event. Here is the ZAP web page. Check it out.

I LOVE the ZAP Zinfandel Festival! It is extremely overwhelming, exciting and almost exhausting all at the same time!
As soon as you walk through the door, you are armed with an empty wine glass and a baguette of your own! There are SO many booths, and wineries, it is almost too much to digest all in one day – but I’m not sure how many people would actually get up and do it all over again if there was a day two. This was my first tasting event like this and I can definitely see how one could become a wine tasting festival addict. There is certainly not one dull moment at these types of affairs!
A few suggestions if you decide to attend:
~Have a plan– (Don’t just try all of them. lol)
~Don’t Drive (There’s Caltrain, Bart and it looked like shuttles directly to the Event Center)
~Bring a pen/​paper or someway to keep track of everything you like/​want ;-)
~Stop when your tongue is the color purple and/​or is completely swollen!

«It’s the mo-​ost wonderful ti-​ime of the ye-​ear!» We look forward to the end of the January every year because of this incredible event. This is our 4^th year attending the ZAP Grand Tasting event and we’ve watched ZAP evolve to showcase over 200 wineries with better crowd control each year. The catering is always fabulous: baguettes from Acme bakery, artisan cheeses from Whole Foods, bottled water. ZAP is very dedicated to educating people about Zinfandels, its production and how to appreciate zins. The program guide is filled with helpful information and references. The reps for each winery are generally very friendly and informative.
While we are always delighted to see our favorite wineries with well-​established zins showcased at ZAP such as Alderbrook and Rosenblum, we were thrilled to add some new favorites to our list.
Our favorites this year:
Stephen & Walker
Sbragia Family Vineyards
Meeker Vineyards
Gregory Graham Wines
Accademia dei Racemi (from Italy)
Wilson Winery & Vineyards
Another awesome treat: we got to meet Nadia G of the Cooking Channels «Bitchin’ Kitchen.» She was looking fabulous in stilettos and was gracious enough to take a couple of pictures with us and sign a copy of her cookbook.
We highly recommend becoming members of ZAP because you get early access to the Grand Tasting before they let the general public in.

I won’t lie. I’m a wine lover and there ain’t no bigger zin fan than I am. I am here to say, as long as I know that there is a whole hanger-​like structure filled with unlimited wine, water (for sure), all you can eat fresh-​baked baguettes, delicious cheese, fruit, and wine shwag, you can always count me in!
I got to jive with all the wine makers, wine pourers, any and all affiliated company at this event, because that day, «zin» was definitely the word. This was such a fun event this year. Actually, this was my first time and I vow not to miss it ever! Zinfandel, mi amor, is by far one of my favorite !!!
I got to taste almost all my top picks such as: Rockwall (my latest crush) and I couldn’t believe that Rombauer (the mother to all sacred zins showed face!!!) Pezzi King, Mozacco, Matrix, Rosemblum, Ridge, DeLormier, Sobon, Dry Creek Vineyards, and DeLoach to name a few.
These were some that I may have missed at the Family Winemakers event held at Fort Mason last year, however, that event is a whole other level of wine appreciation. That event show cases not only reds, but whites, sweet wines, and bubbles as well. Highly recommended too!
I tell you, every year for my birthday I spend a couple days in the wine country visiting all the wineries that I can etch in my schedule, but having the pleasure of all of them in a couple of the huge Fort Mason halls? Damn… can they make it ever more convenient? Another plus is you don’t have to worry about driving all over the place until, of course, the event is done. Just make sure you prearrange your DD, because you’ll sure need one after an event such as this one.
Here’s a brief synopsis of how I would describe this event: I was in heaven, possibly ecstacy, and was in complete surrender to this red libation all day. Magnificent, mouth-​watering, peppery, jammy, fruitful, bold, smooth, viscous, velvety, chocolaty, and sweet! I could have been doing yoga, sipping wine, and going through a vinyasa, sipping some more, chanting Om, taking yet another sip all simultaneously !!! Blasphemous? I say not.
If you love wine, and can’t make it up to the wine country, which I still highly suggest regardless, this is your next best bet. You won’t be disappointed because the Zap Fest will bring the wine country to you !
Sante’

Zin, brie and baguettes on a foggy SF afternoon– what more could a girl ask for? It’s like heaven read my mind and brought everything I love and put it in one spot this past weekend at the ZAP Zinfandel Festival.
Upon entering the Fort Mason Center, my friend and I were greeted by smiling volunteers who handed us a glass and told us to get drinking. No problemo here! All of the wineries were organized alphabetically, so if you had one in particular that you were seeking out or just wanted to stay on a steady path to drunkeness, you were set :)
Even though I LOVE red wine (particularly Zin and Syrah blends), the best part of the ZAP festival was the crowd. They were the most unpretentious group of wine drinkers I’ve ever met. And that’s a good thing! When someone dropped a glass, the entire crowd made the universal party foul noise (aka «Heyoooo»), no one butted in line too badly and it seemed like people were there to *drink*.
C’est magnifique! Can’t wait for more wonderful wine festivals in the Bay Area!

I attended the food and wine pairing, a few days before the grande tasting. I loved being able to taste all of the local food, which matched the local wine. However, it was difficult to relax, as there was no seating, it was very crowded, and there were plenty of people aggressively cutting in front of people to eat and drink all they could. I would rather spend my money on a indulgent meal or going to Napa and Sonoma to taste different wines.

Upon entry you get a baguette. Pour after pour, glass after glass, one Sammy Hagar, one lonesome pup, one wayward hippie, and a number of drunk winos later, you’re at zin fest. If mardi gras happened in SF, this would be it.

How could this not be five stars? Every form of zintastic excess and delight. I have tasted the range of the jammiest, the spiciest, and sadly, the sleepiest zins. OH! And don’t forget about the late harvest or port zins. Blow my socks off, batman! There will be the traditional vintners that you will be happy to see — Ravenswood, Rosenblum, Ridge. Don’t forget to try a few new ones — some great surprises and great finds!
Has gotten better each year — ZAP does a great job in presenting a responsible event — lots of baguettes, cheeses, waters, and the taco trucks are even right outside now! Tips for the zap– neophytes… eat a big breakfast or lunch, grab a baguette on your way in, and drink lots of water. OH — and you don’t NEED to drink everything. You know those big red party cups you see on your way in… Your own personal spit bucket! (I know, I had a hard time with the concept, but seriously, it does make the day much more enjoyable!!)
What was with the palm tree décor this year though? Seriously, peeps. It is a wine tasting! I think there was some auction prize to Hawaii, but still… it is a wine tasting. Saving the money from the décor and do a shuttle bus or something more relevant!

I love Zinfindel. I love wine tastings. It was really nice to meet and talk (for two seconds at least) to the makers of many of the wines that I just adore. It is so great to have all of these really excellent wineries gathered under one roof… what a tremendous opportunity. But, the whole thing kind of sucked. It was a lost opportunity. Yea, there are lots of wineries, but if you can’t get around the wino moshpit and if you can’t get a pour because of the lines – what is the point? I will never go back to ZAP – not as «general public» anyway.
I had a general admission ticket, which cost $ 63. General tasting is from 2 – 5. That is $ 20 an hour. By the time I got in (about 2:30), no more bread and the wineries started to run out of wine. It was impossible to move through the pavilions because they were so crowded. It was so noisy that could hardly hear what anyone was saying, nor could I learn about the wines or even write down what it was that I was drinking for the people pushing me out of the way. It was warm outside and the whole building reeked of sweaty cheese and sweaty bodies.
If you really love zin and if you really want appreciate it, save your money and take a trip up to Dry Creek Valley or make an appointment in Napa. Or go to your friendly local merchant and ask for a nice bottle and enjoy it on your couch. Then the only funky body you will have to smell is your own.

Now that I’ve had a day to de-​drunk and get the cotton out of my brain, I sit here to write that this was a fabulous event. I tasted so many Zins, from so many vendors that I’d never heard of before. Then there were my perennial faves, like Rombauer, Cakebread, Easton… who didn’t in the least disappoint. There were a couple who was also providing tastes of their barrel wines, and I wished they would just bottle them as they were, they were just delicious.
Some new finds that I will be sure to look for online for purchase:
* 2006 Acorn Heritage Vines, Russian River
* 2003 Dashe Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley
* 2008 Ancient Peaks, Barrel tasting, not final product
* 2007 Deep Purple Zinfandel, Lodi
We ran into many friends, and made talk with strangers galore. It was a blast. They made cheese, bread, crackers, and grapes (whole) available to enjoy with all the drink, and it was a great way to spend an afternoon. It got hot in there, though, damn! And the din was crazy. You could barely hear yourself think. Not that that mattered, any, because an hour in we were wasted.
I also had El Tonayense for the first time at this event (separate review). We thought it was hilarious that they had taco trucks at a wine tasting… maybe the Mission is marketing itself very well. Glad we were that there was something more substantial to eat than the cheese and stuff because in the space of three hours, we estimate that we effectively drank a bottle + of wine each.
I can’t wait to be drunk again in the middle of the day next year.

If you love Zins and want to broaden your palate with new and interesting choices, then this is the event for you! The mac daddy of Zinfandel tastings is big, zany, a bit overwhelming and a whole lot of fun! There are over 200 wineries split between two giant warehouses loosely organized in alphabetical order. Within you’ll find water, loaves of bread to tote around, and cheese stations to help cleanse your palate. Step outside to get some air and watch the sailboats play around Alcatraz Island.
My tips: Members get in about an hour before the public which in my opinion is so worth it given that by 3pm, it gets crowded, loud and lines form at popular wineries. Experiment and try some you’ve never heard of, talk to the winemakers (many of whom are doing the pouring), make sure to eat a good b’fast, take notes, drink lots of water, and pace yourself — have a taste or two and pour out the rest — you’ll last longer.
It’s a wine festival on the water — grab a friend and have a great time!
Salud!

What an amazing event. Over 250 wineries from all over, sharing their zinfandel offerings with the rest of us for THREE DAYS, paired with chocolates, sausages, cheese, and a big old baguette that you carried around with you to soak up your alcohol.
Here’s the deal… I *worked* this event for one day this year. I was hired as local event crew, and I spent twelve hours at Fort Mason on Saturday, helping set up and tear down, and direct people, and what not. Logistically, the event was mostly seamless and really well organized.
But the one-​star reviews? I totally get it, but I don’t think the FESTIVAL should be taking the heat for bad behavior on the parts of the attendees. To further demonstrate the idiocy of some of the people who were there… one girl’s response to being asked to leave as she purposefully dropped her wine glass in front of a staff member:
«I didn’t know you couldn’t do that!»
SERIOUSLY!!!
And guess what? That type of behavior only occurs during the «General Admission» portion of the event. During the portions that were «trade only» or «member only», everyone was well behaved. You may want to spend an extra $ 40 (I think that’s an annual fee?) for the membership, to enjoy at least one peaceful, dignified hour of wine tasting.
So, if you are a serious wine-​lover and want to attend this event, but your friends who you will be bringing have tendencies to get rowdy and do stupid shit while drinking… please leave them at home or take them to some rowdy college bar where that kind of behavior is totally acceptable.

ZAP! BING! BANG! BOOM! I’m in love with the ZAP fest. I get around to a lot of food events, but this one really takes the cake. The moment I walked into Fort Mason, I was handed a tray and a glass, and told to go to town, partaking of pairings from over 100 wineries and restaurants, mostly from the North Bay.
Slow cooked porks and homemade sausages were all the rage this year. Limerick Lane was pouring their zin with a Italian sausage with cannellini beans, Murphy-​Goode was paired with lamb keftas with pomegranate molasses glaze. Food is Art was serving up a wild rice griddlecake topped with goat cheese & smoked duck sausage with a dried cherry zinfandel marmalade. Delish!
With no pretense and no crowding, this fest is like a dream come true for foodies and vinophiles looking for a casual place to sample some of the best of the Bay. The highlights? 1) I stuffed myself full with strawberry cupcakes from Sift Cupcakery in Sonoma (my new fave and even better than Sibby’s, I swear!). 2) I discovered the Murphy-​Goode Liar’s Dice Zinfandel 2005, which retails pretty cheaply at around $ 20 a bottle (yay for BevMo!).
3) I got to see Jessica put a cupcake in her mouth whole. Yeah, it was worth it just for that alone.

What a great way to spend a rainy afternoon in the city. Our good friend Holly M suggested we go to the Zin Fest as she was going with a date – we always like to scope out her men, so it was a win win in my book.
I went ahead and joined ZAP as I thought it was a worthy organization and they would keep me posted on upcoming events. By doing that we got in an hour earlier and that was great.
I had a few wineries in my head that I wanted to visit, but mainly we just bopped around going table to table haphazardly. The pours were generous and the hard working winery folks were very informative.
I especially enjoyed the Dancing Lady, Brown Estate, Frank Family, and ah… ah…all the other 100 million tables I visited.
Also, my suggestion for cheese lover: hallow out a good portion of your bread and then load up the inside (using a fork – you little piggies) with any kind of blue cheese. It is a blue cheese snow cone, and it rocks my Zin tasting world.
We had a great time with thousands of other people, and we will definitely be there again next year.

I love that there’s an organization called Zinfandel Advocates and Producers. I’m definitely in the «advocates» category. The zin tasting event on the last day of this annual festival is a great way to taste zins from well over 200 wineries. The event also does not skimp on the wine, cheese, bread, chocolates, water, etc. so it really makes for an enjoyable experience.
But…
… then there are the ones that go to this zin tasting who I want to strangle with all of the power I have in my borderline drunk hands.
Here’s how NOT to be a dick at the Zin tasting event:
–When you’re in line getting a tasting, DON’T stand in front of the table swirling your wine for 10 minutes… there are 193 028 430 other people behind you!
–PLEASE use a fork when getting food, I don’t want your nasty hands all over the cheese.
–Don’t be an ass to the wait staff.
–Yelling your friend’s name in the Fort Mason pavilions will not work; there are too many people, so they won’t be able to hear you.
–Sticking multiple loaves of bread in your purse is weird.
I was going to give the festival 4 stars because of these people, but I don’t want to punish ZAP for the stupidity of others. So 5 stars for the festival, 1 star for the losers.

Connie articulated why this event is worth checking out — far better than I ever could… but I’m going to attempt to sum up the five star wonder that is the ZAP Zinfandel Festival, particularly the Zinfandel and Food pairing, which went down this past Thursday, in a slightly less eloquent way.
Here’s the breakdown.
1^st star — It’s casual. And Friendly (combined star action right there)
No pretension. I wore a pair of comfortable shoes, some some-​what nicer pants, a black hoodie, and a Jessica smile. I fit right in, because as soon as we arrived at the event, there was a beaming laid back — welcome crew eager to get us started.
2^nd Star — Our plastic buffet plate equipped with a wine holder.
That handy contraption was ON POINT. It was key for fully allowing us to enjoy the festival. Even crusted in remains of food, and coated with Zinfandel — I made sure to bring it home, and find a nice clean spot for it in my kitchen.
3^rd Stars — The food. Simply amazing!
I’m a girl that can pound down food with the best of them (Kristina R can attest to this) but even I had trouble attempting to try everything at the festival without arguing with my stomach to cooperate.
There was coconut pumpkin soup, venison goulash with smoked spanish paprika, house-​ground mini burgers, garlic buttered lamb-​chops, spicy tomato meatballs, chocolate dipped strawberries, grilled pork-​fennel sausage and mixed mushroom risotto, homemade smoked sausage «Pups» with alega onion mustards, award winning New Jersey chili (apparently the diner state is bringing it), carmelized onion & blue cheese on toasted baguette, mocha cake with whipped cream, big bars of dark chocolate, creamy mushroom and cheese pasta, pulled pork sandwiches… and so much more.
So much more.
Featuring impressive restaurants from all over the South and North Bay– ranging from Ruth Christie’s Steak House, Adagia, Langley’s on the Green, Hurley’s Restaurant and Bar, The Point Waterfront Restaurant, The Melting Pot, Tres Agaves, Limerick Lane, we barely covered ground when it came to sampling all of the incredible food. And with each bite we took there was a complimentary Zinfandel pour er from some charming local winery — just waiting to help us wash down the fabulousness…
…which brings me to the fourth star.
4^th star: The Zinfandel. Ah the very reason for this event even happening.
Since our glass was never empty and we were hurriedly trying to make sure our plate wasn’t either, I don’t think I was able to appreciate the wines as much as I would have liked to, but I was pleasantly wowed by both the caliber and selection of Zinfandels and wineries featured at the event. ZAP did an applaudable job of making sure all of the food selections were paired perfectly with complimentary Zinfandel. My favorite Zinfandel was Mauriston’s RockPile Zinfandel. Absolutely stellar.
5^th Star. Everyone there. A warm energy moved around the place.
Despite the cold rain falling outside, there was nothing but enthusiastic smiles throughout the Herbst Pavilion, including our own crumb covered smiles. My co-​worker and I could barely move as we inched our way around the place, bogged down with business cards, heavy stomachs, and slight buzzes — but despite heavy steps our smiles were fresh, light, and genuine.
*****I would highly recommend this event to anyone and will definitely be sure to come back next year with an empty stomach and my game face/​stomach on.
I’m going to make the rounds right. Arrive at 6 and leave at 9, having tried EVERY Zinfandel and food pairing in the place.
I honestly can’t wait.

I’m looking into getting some Unilocal buffet plates with built-​in wine glass holders for our Elite events — it really is the most genius invention! How many times do you go somewhere holding a glass of wine and a plateful of food and it’s so difficult to eat because both hands are full? I hate that! But we didn’t have that problem when we were drinking glass after glass of Zin and stuffing ourselves with delicious bites from restaurants from all over the South to North Bay at ZAP’s Good Eats & Zinfandel Pairing event, thanks to these genius wine buffet plates.
On this 2^nd night of the Zinfandel Advocates & Producer’s Love of Zin festival, the Herbst Pavilion at Fort Mason showcased dishes from restaurants paired with amazing Zinfandels. 100 restaurants and wineries participated in this, and Jessica T. and I were among the hundreds of foodies and winos who indulged in this wonderful event tonight. It was great being able to meet so many Zin producers and chefs — the majority of them coming from the wine country, of course.
Although we didn’t manage to try every station out — our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs — we did quite well. Favorites included:
— a ricotta and funghi filled pasta with shiitake mushroom cream sauce and black truffle oil from Pazzo Restaurant of Petaluma, paired with a 2005 NVOC Russian River Valley Zin from Starry Night Winery
— grilled Australian lamb lollipops from Ruth’s Chris of SF, paired with a 2005 Old Ghost, Old Vine Zin from Klinker Brick Winery
— duck confit jambalaya, crawfish etouffe with sweet potato biscuit from Bleaux Magnolia of Napa, paired with a 2005 Especial Paso Robles Zin from Peachy Canyon Winery
A slew of restaurants created pork and lamb dishes, which really were the perfect companions to Zins. And 2005 certainly was a good year.
For anyone considering attending this annual festival, I’d recommend this particular event. It’s a fun and casual, and at the same time, you get to sample tons of fine wine and gourmet food.
Now I’ll go back to working on getting some Unilocal wine buffet plates.

Okay. I have a suggestion that most folks are NOT going to like. But here goes: **SPIT** Yes, you read that right. SPIT.
I work at a wine store, and so I get to go to ZAP as sort of a work-​thing. I’m tasting the wines for the consideration/​possibility of our selling them at the store, and for my own education, so that I can explain the differences of the various Zins to our customers. Last year, I tasted close to 100 Zinfandels there! (I know, because I made little notes/​grades beside them in the booklet you get at the entrance.) But clearly, the ONLY way that this was possible, was because I utilized the little spit-​buckets on every table. I didn’t start swallowing any until hours into the experience, when I knew I could finally kick back.
I’m a huge Zin fan. It’s my favorite wine varietal. And there are moments of glowing happiness at this tasting that cannot be matched… as you stand there with a glass of Zin in one hand, a plateful of cheeses from their huge displays in your other hand, and a heady Zin-​buzz that makes you care less about the throngs of folks around you.
I’m just suggesting that for anybody who really wants to get the most for their money… who really wants to take advantage of the fact that there are hundreds and hundreds of Zins in one place available for tasting (what an opportunity!!) — that if you work it a little, and utilize those spit-​buckets, you’ll be able to taste a much bigger selection of the wines, which will be really helpful to you in the future as you’re standing there in front of your favorite wine shop’s Zin shelf! It’s scary to spend $ 20-​$ 40 on a bottle of wine… not knowing if when you get it home, it’s going to live up to your expectations. So my suggestion is to take advantage of this opportunity to try as many Zins as your heart desires!