Just a reminder for Twin Cities readers that I’ll be at the ZAP Grand Tasting in Minneapolis from around 7 p.m this evening.

If you are looking for something to do and to support a great cause, it looks like you can still pick up tickets. For those there, look for me scribbling notes at Ridge and Rosenblum’s tables first before venturing out to try wines from producers I am not familiar with and didn’t get the chance to sample at ZAP in January. Full coverage of the standout wines will follow this weekend.

Check out the details here.

I’ve been meaning to mention that ZAP is not just about their big tasting in San Francisco in January or their other events in California, but they take their wines on the road and visit a number of cities across the U.S.

Their spring tour is in full swing this week with stops in Austin, Texas on May 8th, Phoenix, Arizona on May 10th and my hometown of Minneapolis on May 11-12. Get all the details at the ZAP website. If you are a zinophile like me, you will want to attend these tastings.

For Twin Cities readers and listeners, I’ll be at the Zinposium and Grand Tasting next Friday evening. Feel free to interrupt my spitting and scribbling anytime… and, yes, that long delayed ZAP podcast is in the works for posting next weekend. Think of it as the best of ZAP, coast to prairie

I’m back across the street at Starbuck’s after 6 hours of tasting and wanted to post a short note on my first impressions of this years ZAP tasting.

I had high hopes that my new strategy of tasting on the floor during the trade tasting then switching to the media lounge would allow me to taste over 100 wines like uber wine blogger Alder of Vinography (who, unfortunately, missed the tasting sick with the flu; get well soon, man). That proved not to be the case as I tasted and reviewed “only” 70 wines today. I think this was due to my pacing, longer conversations at the tables and how crowded it was but overall I’m very pleased with the result, as I didn’t taste any marginal wines this time. In fact, nearly all of them were very good or excellent with styles ranging from elegant to hedonistic fruit bombs.

In order of tasting, here is my first cut at standouts; full reviews later in my full roundup:

- Chase Family Cellars, Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard, Reserve 2004 ($75)

- Carlisle Winery, Zinfandel, Pietro’s Ranch 2005 ($38)

- Robert Biale Vineyards, Zinfandel, Grande 2005

- Benessere, Zinfandel, Black Glass Estate Vineyard 2004 ($40)

- Ballentine Vineyards, Zinfandel, Pocai Vineyard, Block 11 2005 ($25)

- August Briggs, Zinfandel, Napa Valley 2004 ($30)

- Downing Family Vineyards, Pelissa Vineyard, “Fly by Night” 2004 ($30)

- Dashe Cellars, Zinfandel, Louvau Vineyard, “Old Vines” 2004 ($28)

- Dashe Cellars, Zinfandel, Todd Brothers Ranch, “Old Vines” 2004 ($28)

- Hendry, Zinfandel, Block 28, Napa Valley 2003 ($30)

- Turley Wine Cellars, Zinfandel, Hayne Vineyard 2005 (Barrel Sample/$75)

- Trinitas Cellars, Zinfandel, Russian River Valley 2004 ($26)

- Edmeades Winery, Zinfandel, Perli Vineyard, Mendocino 2004

I’m sure I missed a couple wines here but will present my full notes and scores for every wine I tasted in tomorrow’s post.

Now it’s off for dinner and hopefully some Pinot Noir

It doesn’t seem possible that a year has passed since I made the trip to San Francisco for my first Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP) tasting, but I’m here again to do my best at tasting 125 Zinfandels (I did 90 last year and have a few new strategies this time). Unlike last year, I’ll be covering the event much more here on the blog and on my podcast. If there’s WiFi access in the media lounge, I’ll post some notes during breaks; if not, I’ll come back to the Starbuck’s across the street and post (where I’m posting this right now).

I’m meeting some other wine bloggers, podcasters and Wine 2.0 folks at the tasting and if you are there, send me an email to meetup. I’ll be in town until Tuesday, so much tasting and many meetings are on my schedule.