Refreshing and fruity, our Woodbridge 2002 White Zinfandel is a fun, easy-to-enjoy wine. Its pretty pastel color comes from gently pressed red Zinfandel grapes. By cold-fermenting only the clear juice, we capture the pure expression of fresh fruit, accented with spice and floral notes, characteristic of the Zinfandel grape. The lightly sweet flavors have delicate nuances of strawberry and crisp, ripe apple character. White Zinfandel is best enjoyed within a year or two of the vintage; it doesn't need bottle aging. Serve chilled, with appetizers, especially those with Asian or Mexican flavors, or with a picnic or dinner on the patio. Don't worry about the perfect food pairing --- just pair it with your favorite foods and enjoy with good friends. Vintage The 2002 vintage will be remembered for its high quality and short, condensed harvest. Ideal weather patterns during the growing season resulted in small berries and high flavor extraction in the wines. Rainfall was about average at 15.6". We thinned the crop extensively, further enhancing wine quality. Lighter crop loads caused the red and white grape varieties to ripen simultaneously, which made harvest intense. We had feared early rains, but the weather remained dry throughout the harvest, resulting in perfect fruit condition. We began the crush on August 12, and by the last week of August we were working at peak capacity. This pace continued for three straight weeks, slowing around September 20; the last Lodi fruit was harvested on October 9. We harvested grapes for our White Zinfandel wine from mid-August to early September. Fermentation & Aging We gently pressed the red Zinfandel grapes as whole clusters to extract just a hint of color and delicate flavor from the skins. Almost all red grape varieties have clear juice so the intensity of color comes from the length of skin contact. The juice underwent a long, cold fermentation at 45?F to accentuate the fresh, berry character of the Zinfandel grape. We retained a small amount of the natural grape sugars to give the wine a delicate sweetness and balance the crisp acidity. To add delicate floral accents to the flavor profile, we added 4% Muscat. Because White Zinfandel is best enjoyed while young and fresh, it is not oak-aged. Residual Sugar: 2.5% Total Acid: 0.60% Alcohol: 9.5% Final pH: 3.3 Blend: 96% Zinfandel, 4% Muscat