JJ Buckley Fine Wines Blog

California's vineyards are more than just chardonnay and merlot. There are many different grapes out there and California Wine Month is a good time as any to explore the weird and wonderful diversity of grapes in our state.

The last weekend of January always manages to banish the mid-winter blues with its promise of three highly anticipated annual events: the impending Super Bowl, the release of Silver Oak's Napa cabernet, and the annual ZAP tasting in San Francisco. No matter what one thinks of the grape, the red wine confab is truly one of the great wine events held in the United States.

In the wine industry, controversies come and controversies go, but one that seems to have stuck around a while revolves around zinfandel. And there's no better place to dredge up the old debate than at the annual ZAP Grand Tasting held each January in San Francisco.