Spring Into White Zin (On a Budget)

    A few weeks ago, Valentine's Day actually, I had dinner at an extremely upscale restaurant. Since it was a special occasion, I ordered wine. I decided to try something light and "springy", something smooth and sweet...I ordered a White Zinfandel. Maybe it was the ambiance, maybe it was the music (we know it influences taste, see blog below), or maybe it was the fact that it ran $12 for a 1/3 of a glass; whatever the reason, it was the best White Zinfandel I have ever had. Unfortunately, I do not remember the name, all I remember was that it was from Sonoma, California. Ever since, I have been trying to recreate the experience and find a similar tasting wine. Last night I failed. Well, kind of.

    I live on a college budget and, because of that, last night's purchase was a $5 wine. I bought a cheap wine for several reasons past the fact that I am a student: 1. I bought another bottle, so the overall cost felt higher and 2. The White Zin I purchased was the only one I could find from Sonoma, County in Kroger.

source:classicwinesofcalifornia.com

    Some of you budget drinkers might be familiar with this brand. It typically does not cost over $5, a good option, in my opinion, if you are wanting to test something out. I by no means expected to open the bottle and taste what I tasted a few weeks ago but for $5 I thought I would give it a try. Let's get to its pairing:
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Hue: Rose 
-Crane Lake
-Sonoma, California
-White Zinfandel
-2009
-Kroger: $5
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Tunes:
- "Estelar" Captain Melao
- "Little Talks" Of Monsters of Men
- "Eyes" Peter Bjorn and John
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Pairing: White Zin tastes a little like Spring time in your mouth. It's fresh and light, crisp, and to-the-point. It is refreshing and does not linger. This Zin had hints of melon and citrus and was a little on the acidic side. I would drink this wine with chicken or seafood. Very easy drink, obviously not top quality but its 5 bucks. In our region, the weather has been high 50's, low 60's, so a delicate wine goes well with our current climate. All of the songs above have fun, upbeat tunes (kind of how a White Zin hits the taste buds). Warm weather makes me want to dance around the apartment and these songs provide the right tempo to do so.

   Would I buy this again? Maybe. Once I have more disposable income, I will kiss Crane Lake goodbye. Until then, this is not a bad option. Crane Lake also makes a decent Sweet Red.