Red Hills Lake County Zinfandel
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Slow-smoked barbecue pork ribs, grilled pepper-crusted ribeye steak, and hearty wild mushroom wood-fired pizza.
✨ Technical Specifications
Beringer, one of California's most historic and enduring wineries founded in 1876, ventures beyond its Napa Valley roots to source this expressive Zinfandel from the rugged Red Hills Lake County AVA. Perched at high elevations in the shadow of Mount Konocti, the vineyards are defined by their dramatic, iron-rich red volcanic soils littered with black obsidian glass. This unique terroir, combined with intense mountain sunlight and cooling breezes from nearby Clear Lake, yields a Zinfandel of exceptional structure and intensity. The wine typically showcases concentrated flavors of blackberry, dark plum, and wild bramble, accented by signature notes of cracked black pepper and earthy minerals. Aged in a selection of French and American oak barrels, it balances robust tannins with a vibrant acidity that reflects its high-altitude origin.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1876 by German immigrant brothers Jacob and Frederick Beringer, Beringer Vineyards holds the historic distinction of being the oldest continuously operating winery in Napa Valley. Anchored in St. Helena, the estate spans prime viticultural land across northern California, drawing fruit from well-draining alluvial fans, volcanic benchlands, and cooler southern AVA pockets such as Oak Knoll and Carneros. Across its celebrated white wine portfolio, Beringer emphasizes balance, varietal purity, and stylistic diversity—from the mineral-driven tension of the Napa Valley Sauvignon Blancs to the layered, barrel-fermented opulence of its Private Reserve and Luminus Chardonnays. Viticulture focuses rigorously on third-party certified sustainable farming practices, water conservation, and soil health across all estate vineyards. By bridging time-honored European cellar traditions with modern precision vinification, Beringer maintains an internationally revered benchmark status in contemporary California winemaking.