More Fun with Stats: CA Zinfandel

So I’m still having fun with statistics. Admit it. Looking at graphs like this is a bit like looking at a wreck on the side of the road. You know the curiosity you feel is a bit morbid because there is a lot more behind what you are seeing than just the sensationalism of it….still, it’s hard to stop staring.

This time it’s California Zinfandel. I’d always had a preference for Russian River Valley Zins over Dry Creek. Dry Creek is always a bit warmer than most of the Russian River Valley. Maybe that has something to do with it. Also, I’d bet there are far more old vine Zin Vineyards in Russian River than Dry Creek.

   WINE SPECTATOR RATINGS OF ZINFANDELS FROM THE
1992-2002 VINTAGES
(BY NUMBER REVIEWS, PERCENT
RECEIVING 90 POINTS OR MORE AND PERCENT RECEIVING
79 POINTS OR LESS)

The Wine Spectator seems to agree with my own assessment and
by a pretty wide margin too. In fact the low amount of 90 points or higher scores for Dry Creek Valley actually surprises me.

Again, we need to be reminded that this is every bit as much a tale of the Wine Spectator’s palate as it is a tale of the Zinfandel. This is really just curiosity stuff. Although there are assumptions we can make based on these stats, the real hard conclusions we can draw might only be about the development of various appellations as zinfandel homelands.

Posted In: Rating Wine

Tags:


Leave a Reply