Looking for a robust red? Try this $15 zinfandel

Lodi is one of the most interesting American wine regions to watch for those aiming to drink well without breaking the bank. For decades, fine wine enthusiasts have written off this flat and fertile slice of California’s vast Central Valley as being too hot to make truly top-notch wines. Fans of robust red wines would do well to give the region’s wines a second look though, especially so-called “old vine” zinfandels from Lodi like this one. It’s true that Lodi is warmer than the famous coastal valleys of Napa and Sonoma, and that wines from hot regions can lack finesse, seeming overly heavy and alcoholic without enough balancing acidity. However, Lodi is the coolest of the Central Valley’s wine zones, thanks to its proximity to the low-lying waterways that feed San Francisco Bay. Even in Lodi’s warmest areas, its wealth of mature vineyards with fully established root systems deep in the soil can weather the heat much better than younger vines, producing smaller volumes of higher-quality fruit.

There are more old vines in Lodi than in any other wine region in the United States, loosely defined as those planted at least 50 years ago. Because these plantings predate California’s fine wine revolution, most feature prolific grape varieties like zinfandel that were widely used for generic jug wines. Lodi’s old vine zinfandels have long been splashed into box wines and cheap supermarket blends to boost their flavor interest, but more often are being bottled and sold proudly under the Lodi appellation, as with this cheeky label. Dense, plush, and lusciously rich, the wine is bursting with flavors of black raspberries and drunken figs. Ideal for slow-roasted meats or blue cheeses, it could be called zinfully delicious.

$14.99; 15% alcohol

PLCB Item #9675

Sale price through Jan. 29 — regularly $19.99

Also available at:

Total Wine & More in Wilmington and Claymont, Del., $11.47, www.totalwine.com/,

Kreston Wine & Spirits in Wilmington, $12.46, www.krestonwines.com/,

Canal’s Liquors in Pennsauken, $12.09, www.canalsliquors.com/.