It was a perfect choice for a chilly January evening and a plateful of handmade hamburgers: zinfandel. Rich, round, and spicy, this varietal remains so popular because of its easy-to-drink, belly-warming, affordable profile. It’s not a wine to get too serious about; in fact, our least favorite zinfandel in a recent blind tasting held by the Ladies Tasting Society, Gary Farrell’s “Bradford Mountain Vineyards” ($45), was also the most expensive, evidence perhaps that when winemakers try to coax class and complexity out of zinfandel, they end up taking away the very characteristics that make it so pleasurable.

Our take-away message? Now is a good time to buy and enjoy zinfandel. We thought every example was tasty, well-made, and satisfying. We’d say too: get a recent vintage (2006, 2007) and don’t be afraid to spend under $20, since our best value wine, a $19 peppery raspberry fruit bomb by Barber Cellars, came in a very close second to the evening’s fave, Joel Gott’s “Dillian Ranch” from the Sierra Foothills.

For the complete tasting report, click here for more:

BEST OF TASTING
Joel Gott “Dillian Ranch” Amador County 2006 $24
I detected lots of fruit and some violets on the nose, but the group as a whole was won over by the completeness of this medium-bodied, balanced zinfandel. Red fruit and lovely black pepper flavors gave way to an interesting finish, laced with vanilla, caramel, and cola notes. A nice, soft tannic backbone balanced out all that fruitiness. We were surprised it came from such a warm appellation, since this wine was not overly alcoholic.

BEST VALUE
Barber Cellars “Mr. Beast” Dry Creek Valley 2007 $19
This is Barber Cellars’ first vintage, and we’d say they’re off to a roaring start. We beauties fell for this beast’s dark, brooding color, its peppery aromas, and then its “super fruitcake” flavors: dried red fruits, nutmeg, cinnamon, white pepper, and toasty tobacco notes. This wine was a little drier than the Gott, which many ladies appreciated, actually. A long finish clinched it for us.

Ridge “Benito Dusi Ranch” Paso Robles 2006 $28
Paul Draper, owner and winemaker at Ridge, is a master. We’re happy to say that his deft hand (plus some judicious use of oak barrel ageing) showed through in this zin — justifying and explaining, in our opinion, its somewhat higher price. A delicate nose of cocoa and smoke was followed by ripe black fruit flavors, including blackberries. We noted some woody noes and definite tannins; this may be the only wine of the bunch that will benefit from some ageing.

T-Vine Napa Valey 1999 (current release $32)
Our hostess threw in some older zinfandels just for fun, and this one was a success. It’s a medium-colored, medium-bodied juicy wine with delicious cherry and berry notes, plus a distinctive cola flavor. T-Vine is a favorite producer of the ladies’, so we were happy to see its zin hold up so well.

Fetzer “Barrel Select” Mendocino County 2003 (released at approximately $20)
This was our other older-vintage zinfandel, and with this one we could tell there was some age on it. Earthy aromas introduced an inky wine with lots of blackberry and currant flavors. But something “funky” caught our attention as well. “Decaying leaves,” said one lady; “kept too long?” asked another. Nonetheless, it was one lady’s favorite.

Elyse “Korte Ranch” Napa Valley 2006 $35
“I can understand it,” said one lady; “I just do not want it.” Indeed, the group was divided on the Elyse. I advocated it as my favorite; others thought it was just the type of over-the-top, rich, almost sweet wine that gives zinfandel a bad name. But I was instantly seduced by its dark color; reserved but tantalizing nose of black fruits, its chocolate and cocoa notes in the mouth; and its big, lush — but not quite jammy — mouthfeel. Complex. “Almost port-like,” said one lady.

Antica Masseria Primitivo “Sigillo Primo” Salento, Italy 2006 $16
This wine I brought as a ringer. It’s an Italian wine made from the primitivo grape, a clone of what we know as zinfandel. The Antica Masseria won some fans with its cedary bouquet, its big, ripe, but pure flavor profile. This was the only wine that struck us as “almost pruney” and jammy, and nicely so. Yummy notes of tobacco and currants on a long finish.

Za Zin “Laurel Glen Vineyard” Lodi, 2006 $18
Although this was one of the darkest-colored wines of the bunch, its delivery (“not as complex as the others,” “a little barnyard”) didn’t win it any die hard fans. Its earthiness and forest-floor notes made a number of us think, wrongly, that it was the Italian wine.

Dover Canyon “Cujo” Paso Robles 2006 $19
Nobody disliked the Dover Canyon. In fact, we were sorely tempted by its “Christmas spices” nose and its great mouthfeel: “clean, then fruity and peppery.” A distinct cranberry flavor also caught our attention. It’s just that nobody felt the “Cujo” was her favorite.

Gary Farrell “Bradford Mountain Vineyards” Dry Creek Valley 2005 $45
We were surprised with how disappointed we were with the Gary Farrell, especially considering its high price point. It had a fresh, alcoholic smell, “and not a lot of content,” felt one lady. A “simple attack” was followed by minty and sour cherry flavors. A short, dry finish clinched this wine’s position at the bottom of our list.