The Ladies Tasting Society met the other night to do a blind tasting of zinfandel wines and it was the most fun we’d had since that poolside rosé taste-off in Palm Springs. Not just because of the sage and jalapeño burgers that paired so perfectly with the wines. Not just because of the debate that ensued over the Internet and whether it’s the Mephistopheles to one member’s Faustian 13-year-old. And certainly not because of the zinfandel’s average alcohol level of 14-15 percent. Oh, no.

For the entertaining story of our encounters with the thieves and beasts of zinfandel, click here for more:

I think we had so much fun because of zinfandel’s whole profile as a varietal: it’s fruity, spicy, soft, plump, cheap, and irresistibly delicious upon purchase. Zin is designed to put crimson in your cheeks on a winter’s night, especially when served with classic comfort food like grilled meats, blue cheese, or lasagna. Not many people buy zins to cellar; no one in her right mind would try to speculate on it. Gratefully, then, the world of zinfandel is populated with (if you will indulge me again) lots of Falstaffs and very few Poloniuses.

The winning wine in our blind tasting is made, in fact, by the kind of young wag you might have found among in the company of Merry Men. Joel Gott is known for having leveraged his sensual love of wine to squeeze quality out of regions (like the Sierra Foothills), varietals (especially zinfandel), and even packaging (including cartons) that few wine snobs would ever go anywhere near. His 2006 Dillian Ranch from Amador County comes in a bottle and is priced at $24, just above the median for our tasting, but behind its notable complexity and completeness was the distinct –and, yes, zany — mark of the man who brings you Three Thieves red in a liter pirate jug for $8.99.

For the full results of our tasting — including our second-place “beast” of a zin — tune in on Friday.