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Contact: Julie Ann Kodmur, 707/963-9632, corking@julieannkodmur.com , www.zinfandel.org
Digital photos available at www.zinfandel.org or on request
ZAP ANNOUNCES 2006 FESTIVAL DETAILS
Rough & Ready CA, Summer 2005--- The 15th Annual Zinfandel Advocates & Producers Festival will take place January 25-28, 2006. All tickets are available from www.zinfandel.org or by calling 415/345-7575. The only event where tickets will be available at the door is the Tasting on January 28. Details about the Festival will be updated throughout the fall at www.zinfandel.org.
Another ZAP date to note: ZAP's Zinposium will take place July 7-9 at The Meritage Hotel in Napa (details at www.zinfandel.org ).
“We're going to dazzle everyone with some unusual activities in honor of our 15th anniversary,” explains Rebecca Robinson, ZAP's Executive Director. “The ZAP Festival is a wonderful place to observe America's wine community in microcosm. You can see the newest and most established wineries, the family businesses and the corporations--all focused on one of our tastiest wines--Zinfandel. As an educator and observer, I find it fascinating to be there and see the Festival up close,” commented Mack Schwing, Director of The Wine Business Program at The School of Business and Economics at Sonoma State University.
The specific events making up the Festival:
January 25: Flights: A Showcase of California Zinfandels at City College of San Francisco.
January 26: Good Eats & Zinfandel at Herbst Pavilion at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco.
January 27: An Evening With The Winemakers in San Francisco.
January 28: The 15 th Annual Zinfandel Advocates & Producers Tasting at the Festival and Herbst Pavilions at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco.
FLIGHTS: A Showcase of California Zinfandels is an afternoon of panel discussions and tastings led by Zinfandel winemakers and experts.
GOOD EATS & ZINFANDEL pairs 35 Zinfandel wineries with restaurants for a walk-around food and wine tasting which is an extremely lively event. Each year the array of dishes and styles of Zinfandel is enormous and delicious.
EVENING WITH THE WINEMAKERS is an opportunity to dine elegantly with your favorite Zinfandel winemaker and help raise funds for ZAP's support of The Heritage Projects including The Heritage Vineyard at an auction after the dinner.
THE 15 TH ANNUAL TASTING will welcome approximately 300 Zinfandel wineries and Zinfandel enthusiasts to Ft. Mason. Wines to be tasted will be primarily the 2003 vintage as well as 2004 barrel samples. Each year finds wineries new to the Tasting (in 2005 there were 40 wineries who had never before poured at this event). “Over the past 14 years, I've watched this event grow from 22 wineries to 275, and from 50 attendees to over 10,000 simply because people recognize that Zinfandel is an approachable varietal that doesn't try to be something it's not. Zinfandel is like your friend who is the life of the party – it creates conviviality and fun in a way that other varietals just don't. That's something ZAP, and the 400 volunteers who make this event possible, understand and convey that to everyone,” explains Joel Peterson of Ravenswood and ZAP's Board President.
The Festival is the only place where Zin aficionados can purchase the Heritage Vineyard Zinfandel; in 2006 the 2003 vintage will be available (made by Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards).
Visit www.zinfandel.org to join ZAP, research Zinfandel and more! The Association of Zinfandel Advocates & Producers (ZAP) is a non-profit, educational 501(c)(3) organization. ZAP is dedicated to advancing public knowledge of and appreciation for American Zinfandel and its unique place in our culture and history. Winegrowers, winemakers and wine enthusiasts combine to form the membership. The common focus is the preservation and recognition of Zinfandel as America's heritage wine. ZAP's membership includes approximately 300 winery-members, more than 5,000 advocate-members and 50 associate members.
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