Rombauer Vineyards spotlight
The official Rombauer Vineyards channel films the house Zinfandel program, the same grape and family behind this 2022.
2022 Rombauer Vineyards Zinfandel, Napa Valley
Richie Allen's California Zinfandel, boysenberry and clove from old foothill vines, a 2022 you can open at thirty-three dollars.
The 2022 is 92 percent Zinfandel and 8 percent Petite Sirah from Amador, El Dorado, Lake, and Napa: boysenberry, black plum, clove, and vanilla after a cold soak, basket press, and 15 months in American and French oak, now $33.
A Joy of Cooking Zin, not a jam bomb without a spine
Koerner and Joan Rombauer built a table winery. This 2022 Zinfandel is their California heritage bottle: 65 percent Amador, 20 percent El Dorado, 11 percent Lake, 4 percent Napa, some vines over 100 years old. Richie Allen cold-soaks, basket-presses, then ages 15 months in American oak (10 percent new) and French oak. Wine Enthusiast 91: bramble and boysenberry, allspice, Tahitian vanilla, silky tannin. James Suckling 90. This is the Zin you open with short ribs without a speech.
The house
Koerner and Joan opened in 1980. Irma Rombauer wrote The Joy of Cooking. Wine belongs at dinner here.
The wine
92% Zinfandel, 8% Petite Sirah. Optical sort, cold soak, basket press, 15 months oak. 15.9% ABV. Richie Allen.
The scores
Wine Enthusiast 91. James Suckling 90. Decanter 90, drink 2025 to 2030.
The drinker
Serve near 65 F, slightly cool. Short ribs or lamb chops.
Boysenberry and plum, then clove and vanilla
The winery sheet writes boysenberry and bold black plum, clove and vanilla, then pomegranate, dragon fruit, light pepper, and dried orange peel on fine tannin. Wine Enthusiast found juicy red fruit, bramble, boysenberry, allspice, and Tahitian vanilla on silky tannin. James Suckling found dark plums, dried cherries, and blackberry jam, full-bodied and light in tannin.
A dry, warmer start, then spring rain and a mild summer. Harvest September 6 to October 11 at 27.8 Brix. The house wanted fruit intensity without losing the acid line that keeps this Zin a dinner wine.
Boysenberry, black plum, pomegranate, raspberry, clove, vanilla, orange peel.
Rich, 15.9% ABV, fine tannin, bright acidity, 15 months mixed oak.
Lingering dark berry and pepper. Serve near 65 F, slightly cool.
Cold soak, basket press, then a little new American oak
On the 2022 California Zinfandel fact sheet, fruit is destemmed and optically sorted, cold-soaked for color, fermented in tank, then gently basket-pressed. The wine finishes primary and malolactic in barrel and ages 15 months in American oak (10 percent new) and French oak. That is how boysenberry stays in front of toast.
92% Zinfandel, 8% Petite Sirah. Amador for the core, El Dorado and Lake for lift, a Napa thread. 15.9% alcohol.
Serve slightly cool, about 65 F. A few minutes in the fridge on a warm night keeps clove and plum from turning heavy.
Joy of Cooking, then California's heritage grape
Rombauer is a family table with a St. Helena address. Zinfandel is the California half of that idea.
Koerner and Joan moved to Napa in the early 1970s and opened the winery in 1980. Cabernet and Chardonnay were the first releases. Zin became the heritage bottle.
Koerner's great-aunt Irma wrote The Joy of Cooking. The house still makes wine meant to sit next to food.
The 2022 pulls old California regions, some vines past 100 years, into one generous glass.
Spice, char, and a slightly cool glass
Rombauer Zin wants browned edges, soy, garlic, and enough fat to catch the tannin. Short ribs or lamb chops.
Two plates. One short rib with soy and black garlic. One lamb chop. Both can take plush Zin.
Serve near 65 F, slightly cool. No long decant. A short splash pour is enough.
Red Wine-Braised Short Ribs
Slow beef, glossy sauce, and Rombauer's dark berry core.
Why it works: The gelatin-rich braise softens Zin tannin while clove and blackberry meet the sauce.
View Recipe for braised short ribs (opens in a new tab)
Garlic and Rosemary Lamb Chops
Lamb gives this Zin a savory, herbal lane without burying the jam.
Why it works: Rosemary echoes spice. Char wakes up boysenberry and plum.
View Recipe for garlic rosemary lamb chops (opens in a new tab)Put Rombauer Zinfandel on the next grill night
Richie Allen, boysenberry, old California vines. Thirty-three dollars.
Put it in the cart. This is the Rombauer Zin for a dinner that wants fruit and spice without a collector speech.
