This was my 3rd Zap and it was as fun and memorable as the last two. I have to say that each time I get a little fussier and really concentrate on the wines that I have never tasted and make sure to visit my favorites as well. Here, you get your chance to visit over 100 wineries in just one stop; Unheard of! This year, my palette was most delighted at the Ridge pouring. Here consecutively great Ridge was pouring their member wines, as sample of what they will get in their next shipments, Josh was a gracious host and invited us to visit the Lytton Springs location. He also explained the wine club membership level to us, and I was so impressed with what they poured, I am considering joining. Other highlights for me were Quivira, Amador Cellars, Rombauer and of course Rodney Strong! All the yummy bites in-between this tasting nirvana help to cleans the palate, believe me your tongue does get tired. While it wasn't the most sophisticated of the appetizers, I really enjoyed the Savory Waffles with Bacon & Cheddar from Pacific Fine Food Catering and Chef Kelly Kearny. The outstanding selection of house-made delicacies including house-cured Bresaola from Michelin-star Chef Stefano Masanti of the V. Sattui Salumeria & Cheese Shop, as well as house-made smoky bacon and cippolini spread, a variety cured meats were indeed a savory highlight! Thank you to Jeff Davis, of On the Wine Road and KSRO for sharing this incredible event with me once again! Cheers! read more

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Connie articulated why this event is worth checking out - far better than I ever could...but I'm going to attempt to sum up the five star wonder that is the ZAP Zinfandel Festival, particularly the Zinfandel and Food pairing, which went down this past Thursday, in a slightly less eloquent way. Here's the breakdown. 1st star - It's casual. And Friendly (combined star action right there) No pretension. I wore a pair of comfortable shoes, some some-what nicer pants, a black hoodie, and a Jessica smile. I fit right in, because as soon as we arrived at the event, there was a beaming laid back - welcome crew eager to get us started. 2nd Star - Our plastic buffet plate equipped with a wine holder. That handy contraption was ON POINT. It was key for fully allowing us to enjoy the festival. Even crusted in remains of food, and coated with Zinfandel - I made sure to bring it home, and find a nice clean spot for it in my kitchen. 3rd Stars - The food. Simply amazing! I'm a girl that can pound down food with the best of them (Kristina R can attest to this) but even I had trouble attempting to try everything at the festival without arguing with my stomach to cooperate. There was coconut pumpkin soup, venison goulash with smoked spanish paprika, house-ground mini burgers, garlic buttered lamb-chops, spicy tomato meatballs, chocolate dipped strawberries, grilled pork-fennel sausage and mixed mushroom risotto, homemade smoked sausage "Pups" with alega onion mustards, award winning New Jersey chili (apparently the diner state is bringing it), carmelized onion & blue cheese on toasted baguette, mocha cake with whipped cream, big bars of dark chocolate, creamy mushroom and cheese pasta, pulled pork sandwiches...and so much more. So much more. Featuring impressive restaurants from all over the South and North Bay- ranging from Ruth Christie's Steak House, Adagia, Langley's on the Green, Hurley's Restaurant and Bar, The Point Waterfront Restaurant, The Melting Pot, Tres Agaves, Limerick Lane, we barely covered ground when it came to sampling all of the incredible food. And with each bite we took there was a complimentary Zinfandel pour er from some charming local winery - just waiting to help us wash down the fabulousness.... ...which brings me to the fourth star. 4th star: The Zinfandel. Ah the very reason for this event even happening. Since our glass was never empty and we were hurriedly trying to make sure our plate wasn't either, I don't think I was able to appreciate the wines as much as I would have liked to, but I was pleasantly wowed by both the caliber and selection of Zinfandels and wineries featured at the event. ZAP did an applaudable job of making sure all of the food selections were paired perfectly with complimentary Zinfandel. My favorite Zinfandel was Mauriston's RockPile Zinfandel. Absolutely stellar. 5th Star. Everyone there. A warm energy moved around the place. Despite the cold rain falling outside, there was nothing but enthusiastic smiles throughout the Herbst Pavilion, including our own crumb covered smiles. My co-worker and I could barely move as we inched our way around the place, bogged down with business cards, heavy stomachs, and slight buzzes - but despite heavy steps our smiles were fresh, light, and genuine. *****I would highly recommend this event to anyone and will definitely be sure to come back next year with an empty stomach and my game face/stomach on. I'm going to make the rounds right. Arrive at 6 and leave at 9, having tried EVERY Zinfandel and food pairing in the place. I honestly can't wait. read more

I'm looking into getting some Yelp buffet plates with built-in wine glass holders for our Elite events - it really is the most genius invention! How many times do you go somewhere holding a glass of wine and a plateful of food and it's so difficult to eat because both hands are full? I hate that! But we didn't have that problem when we were drinking glass after glass of Zin and stuffing ourselves with delicious bites from restaurants from all over the South to North Bay at ZAP's Good Eats & Zinfandel Pairing event, thanks to these genius wine buffet plates. On this 2nd night of the Zinfandel Advocates & Producer's Love of Zin festival, the Herbst Pavilion at Fort Mason showcased dishes from restaurants paired with amazing Zinfandels. 100 restaurants and wineries participated in this, and Jessica T. and I were among the hundreds of foodies and winos who indulged in this wonderful event tonight. It was great being able to meet so many Zin producers and chefs - the majority of them coming from the wine country, of course. Although we didn't manage to try every station out -- our eyes were definitely bigger than our stomachs -- we did quite well. Favorites included: - a ricotta and funghi filled pasta with shiitake mushroom cream sauce and black truffle oil from Pazzo Restaurant of Petaluma, paired with a 2005 NVOC Russian River Valley Zin from Starry Night Winery - grilled Australian lamb lollipops from Ruth's Chris of SF, paired with a 2005 Old Ghost, Old Vine Zin from Klinker Brick Winery - duck confit jambalaya, crawfish etouffe with sweet potato biscuit from Bleaux Magnolia of Napa, paired with a 2005 Especial Paso Robles Zin from Peachy Canyon Winery A slew of restaurants created pork and lamb dishes, which really were the perfect companions to Zins. And 2005 certainly was a good year. For anyone considering attending this annual festival, I'd recommend this particular event. It's a fun and casual, and at the same time, you get to sample tons of fine wine and gourmet food. Now I'll go back to working on getting some Yelp wine buffet plates. read more

ZAP Zinfandel Experience - Good Eats & Zin Pairing - wine buffet plates! - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

Okay. I have a suggestion that most folks are NOT going to like. But here goes: **SPIT** Yes, you read that right. SPIT. I work at a wine store, and so I get to go to ZAP as sort of a work-thing. I'm tasting the wines for the consideration/possibility of our selling them at the store, and for my own education, so that I can explain the differences of the various Zins to our customers. Last year, I tasted close to 100 Zinfandels there!! (I know, because I made little notes/grades beside them in the booklet you get at the entrance.) But clearly, the ONLY way that this was possible, was because I utilized the little spit-buckets on every table. I didn't start swallowing any until hours into the experience, when I knew I could finally kick back. I'm a huge Zin fan. It's my favorite wine varietal. And there are moments of glowing happiness at this tasting that cannot be matched... as you stand there with a glass of Zin in one hand, a plateful of cheeses from their huge displays in your other hand, and a heady Zin-buzz that makes you care less about the throngs of folks around you. I'm just suggesting that for anybody who really wants to get the most for their money... who really wants to take advantage of the fact that there are hundreds and hundreds of Zins in one place available for tasting (what an opportunity!!) -- that if you work it a little, and utilize those spit-buckets, you'll be able to taste a much bigger selection of the wines, which will be really helpful to you in the future as you're standing there in front of your favorite wine shop's Zin shelf! It's scary to spend $20-$40 on a bottle of wine... not knowing if when you get it home, it's going to live up to your expectations. So my suggestion is to take advantage of this opportunity to try as many Zins as your heart desires! read more

If you love Zins and want to broaden your palate with new and interesting choices, then this is the event for you! The mac daddy of Zinfandel tastings is big, zany, a bit overwhelming and a whole lot of fun! There are over 200 wineries split between two giant warehouses loosely organized in alphabetical order. Within you'll find water, loaves of bread to tote around, and cheese stations to help cleanse your palate. Step outside to get some air and watch the sailboats play around Alcatraz Island. My tips: Members get in about an hour before the public which in my opinion is so worth it given that by 3pm, it gets crowded, loud and lines form at popular wineries. Experiment and try some you've never heard of, talk to the winemakers (many of whom are doing the pouring), make sure to eat a good b'fast, take notes, drink lots of water, and pace yourself - have a taste or two and pour out the rest - you'll last longer. It's a wine festival on the water - grab a friend and have a great time! Salud! read more

ZAP Zinfandel Experience - 2010 ZAP Grand Tasting - Festivals Near Me - San Francisco, California

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ZAP! BING! BANG! BOOM! I'm in love with the ZAP fest. I get around to a lot of food events, but this one really takes the cake. The moment I walked into Fort Mason, I was handed a tray and a glass, and told to go to town, partaking of pairings from over 100 wineries and restaurants, mostly from the North Bay. Slow cooked porks and homemade sausages were all the rage this year. Limerick Lane was pouring their zin with a Italian sausage with cannellini beans, Murphy-Goode was paired with lamb keftas with pomegranate molasses glaze. Food is Art was serving up a wild rice griddlecake topped with goat cheese & smoked duck sausage with a dried cherry zinfandel marmalade. Delish! With no pretense and no crowding, this fest is like a dream come true for foodies and vinophiles looking for a casual place to sample some of the best of the Bay. The highlights? 1) I stuffed myself full with strawberry cupcakes from Sift Cupcakery in Sonoma (my new fave and even better than Sibby's, I swear!). 2) I discovered the Murphy-Goode Liar's Dice Zinfandel 2005, which retails pretty cheaply at around $20 a bottle (yay for BevMo!). 3) I got to see Jessica put a cupcake in her mouth whole. Yeah, it was worth it just for that alone. read more

Zin, brie and baguettes on a foggy SF afternoon- what more could a girl ask for? It's like heaven read my mind and brought everything I love and put it in one spot this past weekend at the ZAP Zinfandel Festival. Upon entering the Fort Mason Center, my friend and I were greeted by smiling volunteers who handed us a glass and told us to get drinking. No problemo here! All of the wineries were organized alphabetically, so if you had one in particular that you were seeking out or just wanted to stay on a steady path to drunkeness, you were set :) Even though I LOVE red wine (particularly Zin and Syrah blends), the best part of the ZAP festival was the crowd. They were the most unpretentious group of wine drinkers I've ever met. And that's a good thing! When someone dropped a glass, the entire crowd made the universal party foul noise (aka "Heyoooo"), no one butted in line too badly and it seemed like people were there to *drink*. C'est magnifique! Can't wait for more wonderful wine festivals in the Bay Area! read more

I've been a fan of Zinfandel grapes and the drink produced from them for some time now. While other varietals have become more of a mainstay for me, I always have a place in my heart for a good Zin. So it was with pleasure that I looked forward to my first ZAP tasting. The Zinfandel Advocates and Producers take over both pavilions at Fort Mason once a year in order to showcase 200-300 zinfandel producers for the public and the trade. Taking over both the Festival and Herbst Pavilions gives ZAP approximately 80,000 square feet in which to stage their wine tasting event. It wasn't enough space. Not even close. I'm a social creature, but that was just a bit too much togetherness --- especially in the smaller Herbst Pavilion. I will give ZAP their kudos --- the volunteers kept the various lines under control leading up to letting us all in, there was food available for all and somebody finally had the bright idea of supplementing the too-small restroom facilities with portable toilets. However...too many bodies. ZAP is also one of the more expensive of the wine tasting festivals hosted at Fort Mason. I plunked down $55 for three hours of tasting. I am glad I did it --- now I can say I've had the experience. But between the insane number of people, the high alcohol content of most zins (oh my head) and the high ticket price, I think I've had my first, last and only ZAP experience. read more

I love that there's an organization called Zinfandel Advocates and Producers. I'm definitely in the "advocates" category. The zin tasting event on the last day of this annual festival is a great way to taste zins from well over 200 wineries. The event also does not skimp on the wine, cheese, bread, chocolates, water, etc. so it really makes for an enjoyable experience. But........................................ .... then there are the ones that go to this zin tasting who I want to strangle with all of the power I have in my borderline drunk hands. Here's how NOT to be a dick at the Zin tasting event: -When you're in line getting a tasting, DON'T stand in front of the table swirling your wine for 10 minutes... there are 193028430 other people behind you! -PLEASE use a fork when getting food, I don't want your nasty hands all over the cheese. -Don't be an ass to the wait staff. -Yelling your friend's name in the Fort Mason pavilions will not work; there are too many people, so they won't be able to hear you. -Sticking multiple loaves of bread in your purse is weird. I was going to give the festival 4 stars because of these people, but I don't want to punish ZAP for the stupidity of others. So 5 stars for the festival, 1 star for the losers. read more

What a great way to spend a rainy afternoon in the city. Our good friend Holly M suggested we go to the Zin Fest as she was going with a date--we always like to scope out her men, so it was a win win in my book. I went ahead and joined ZAP as I thought it was a worthy organization and they would keep me posted on upcoming events. By doing that we got in an hour earlier and that was great. I had a few wineries in my head that I wanted to visit, but mainly we just bopped around going table to table haphazardly. The pours were generous and the hard working winery folks were very informative. I especially enjoyed the Dancing Lady, Brown Estate, Frank Family, and ah...ah...all the other 100 million tables I visited. Also, my suggestion for cheese lover: hallow out a good portion of your bread and then load up the inside (using a fork--you little piggies) with any kind of blue cheese. It is a blue cheese snow cone, and it rocks my Zin tasting world. We had a great time with thousands of other people, and we will definitely be there again next year. read more

I LOVE the ZAP Zinfandel Festival! It is extremely overwhelming, exciting and almost exhausting all at the same time!! As soon as you walk through the door, you are armed with an empty wine glass and a baguette of your own! There are SO many booths, and wineries, it is almost too much to digest all in one day--but I'm not sure how many people would actually get up and do it all over again if there was a day two. This was my first tasting event like this and I can definitely see how one could become a wine tasting festival addict. There is certainly not one dull moment at these types of affairs! A few suggestions if you decide to attend: ~Have a plan-- (Don't just try all of them.. lol) ~Don't Drive (There's Caltrain, Bart and it looked like shuttles directly to the Event Center) ~Bring a pen/paper or someway to keep track of everything you like/want ;-) ~Stop when your tongue is the color purple and/or is completely swollen! read more

Imagine MacWorld without Steve Jobs, without I-anything; add two filled halls with Zin producers from A-Z, wine glass armed Zin geeks, all the cheese you can shake a baguette at and you get ZAP. The first year I attended this festival with a wine aficionado buddy who made the mistake of saying "Let's taste in alphabetical order." Really bad idea. I don't even think we made it through the F's before we abandoned the strategy, slurring our words through our choice favorites. That year we also learned a very important lesson: DO NOT RIDE YOUR BICYCLE TO ZAP! Yeah.... Some good ZAP strategy hints: identify favorite vineyards on must try list before tasting; taste from different appellations; seek out new favorites that you wouldn't otherwise have known about, try Reserves, ask other Zin Geeks what their favorites were and try them. ZAP is one of the best wine events in the Bay Area, as long as one doesn't make the mistake of treating the occasion like a pie eating contest. read more

I love Zinfindel. I love wine tastings. It was really nice to meet and talk (for two seconds at least) to the makers of many of the wines that I just adore. It is so great to have all of these really excellent wineries gathered under one roof...what a tremendous opportunity. But, the whole thing kind of sucked. It was a lost opportunity. Yea, there are lots of wineries, but if you can't get around the wino moshpit and if you can't get a pour because of the lines--what is the point? I will never go back to ZAP--not as "general public" anyway. I had a general admission ticket, which cost $63. General tasting is from 2-5. That is $20 an hour. By the time I got in (about 2:30), no more bread and the wineries started to run out of wine. It was impossible to move through the pavilions because they were so crowded. It was so noisy that could hardly hear what anyone was saying, nor could I learn about the wines or even write down what it was that I was drinking for the people pushing me out of the way. It was warm outside and the whole building reeked of sweaty cheese and sweaty bodies. If you really love zin and if you really want appreciate it, save your money and take a trip up to Dry Creek Valley or make an appointment in Napa. Or go to your friendly local merchant and ask for a nice bottle and enjoy it on your couch. Then the only funky body you will have to smell is your own. read more

Now that I've had a day to de-drunk and get the cotton out of my brain, I sit here to write that this was a fabulous event. I tasted so many Zins, from so many vendors that I'd never heard of before. Then there were my perennial faves, like Rombauer, Cakebread, Easton...who didn't in the least disappoint. There were a couple who was also providing tastes of their barrel wines, and I wished they would just bottle them as they were, they were just delicious. Some new finds that I will be sure to look for online for purchase: * 2006 Acorn Heritage Vines, Russian River * 2003 Dashe Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley * 2008 Ancient Peaks, Barrel tasting, not final product * 2007 Deep Purple Zinfandel, Lodi We ran into many friends, and made talk with strangers galore. It was a blast. They made cheese, bread, crackers, and grapes (whole) available to enjoy with all the drink, and it was a great way to spend an afternoon. It got hot in there, though, damn! And the din was crazy. You could barely hear yourself think. Not that that mattered, any, because an hour in we were wasted. I also had El Tonayense for the first time at this event (separate review). We thought it was hilarious that they had taco trucks at a wine tasting...maybe the Mission is marketing itself very well. Glad we were that there was something more substantial to eat than the cheese and stuff because in the space of three hours, we estimate that we effectively drank a bottle + of wine each. I can't wait to be drunk again in the middle of the day next year. read more

Lot's of reviews - but I think there are a couple things omitted worth knowing @ this festival. first, it get's really crowded & it sells out. if you buy a ga ticket - you will wait in line for a bit before you get in. so do a bit of planning to get there early. next, if you are into zins - join the zap club for $40 bucks. entitles you to buy a discounted ticket to zap ($49 bucks) that get's you in @ 1PM instead of 2PM & you get invites to other functions year round. additionally, members can opt to volunteer in the morning & then their entrance fee is waived. always a good option. sweat equity. Also - if you are out of the city you may want to go to lafayette wine thieves for ZITS instead. great zins - less crowd. worth doing. need to ba a member of the wine thieves club tho. reasonably important reminder - don't wear white. just don't. finally - this is a pickup festival event-type thing. seriously. if you are into young urban sophisticates with discretionary spending. you will find them here. it is really fun to watch the groups of guys & girls move in and amongst each other. btw. the peju zinfandel last year - blew me away. try it fo sho. edit: stand out's this year - charter oak; hartford, handley, bartholomew park; guess i'm a little burnt out on the big chocolate mouthful and am starting to prefer the velvet pepper cherry cloud grown zinfandels. b. park 2005 estate in particular had a nicely acid structured, dusty cocoa vanilla offering. freakishly good. read more

Great presentation of Zinfandels from over 200 vintners. Each station had at least three or four offerings. . . Yeah, you do the math. They give you a fresh loaf of sourdough when you enter, as well as your signature ZAP wine glass. Lots of cheese tables, and other items to eat while you work your way through the sample tables. It was really important to keep picking at my loaf of bread as I went along. Not only to keep "something in my stomach" but also to cleans the palette between tastings. We really enjoyed this venue and the event. Be sure to bring a pen with you, and take notes. There is no way you can remember all the details of the incredible number of samplings. read more

How could this not be five stars? Every form of zintastic excess and delight. I have tasted the range of the jammiest, the spiciest, and sadly, the sleepiest zins. OH! And don't forget about the late harvest or port zins. Blow my socks off, batman! There will be the traditional vintners that you will be happy to see - Ravenswood, Rosenblum, Ridge. Don't forget to try a few new ones - some great surprises and great finds! Has gotten better each year - ZAP does a great job in presenting a responsible event - lots of baguettes, cheeses, waters, and the taco trucks are even right outside now! Tips for the zap- neophytes.... eat a big breakfast or lunch, grab a baguette on your way in, and drink lots of water. OH - and you don't NEED to drink everything. You know those big red party cups you see on your way in?.... Your own personal spit bucket! (I know, I had a hard time with the concept, but seriously, it does make the day much more enjoyable!!) What was with the palm tree decor this year though? Seriously, peeps. It is a wine tasting! I think there was some auction prize to Hawaii, but still..... it is a wine tasting. Saving the money from the decor and do a shuttle bus or something more relevant! read more

"It's the mo-ost wonderful ti-ime of the ye-ear!" We look forward to the end of the January every year because of this incredible event. This is our 4th year attending the ZAP Grand Tasting event and we've watched ZAP evolve to showcase over 200 wineries with better crowd control each year. The catering is always fabulous: baguettes from Acme bakery, artisan cheeses from Whole Foods, bottled water. ZAP is very dedicated to educating people about Zinfandels, its production and how to appreciate zins. The program guide is filled with helpful information and references. The reps for each winery are generally very friendly and informative. While we are always delighted to see our favorite wineries with well-established zins showcased at ZAP such as Alderbrook and Rosenblum, we were thrilled to add some new favorites to our list. Our favorites this year: Stephen & Walker Sbragia Family Vineyards Meeker Vineyards Gregory Graham Wines Accademia dei Racemi (from Italy) Wilson Winery & Vineyards Another awesome treat: we got to meet Nadia G of the Cooking Channels "Bitchin' Kitchen." She was looking fabulous in stilettos and was gracious enough to take a couple of pictures with us and sign a copy of her cookbook. We highly recommend becoming members of ZAP because you get early access to the Grand Tasting before they let the general public in. read more

I won't lie. I'm a wine lover and there ain't no bigger zin fan than I am. I am here to say, as long as I know that there is a whole hanger-like structure filled with unlimited wine, water(for sure), all you can eat fresh-baked baguettes, delicious cheese, fruit, and wine shwag, you can always count me in! I got to jive with all the wine makers, wine pourers, any and all affiliated company at this event, because that day, "zin" was definitely the word. This was such a fun event this year. Actually, this was my first time and I vow not to miss it ever! Zinfandel, mi amor, is by far one of my favorite !!!!! I got to taste almost all my top picks such as: Rockwall( my latest crush) and I couldn't believe that Rombauer (the mother to all sacred zins showed face!!!!!) Pezzi King, Mozacco, Matrix, Rosemblum, Ridge, DeLormier, Sobon, Dry Creek Vineyards, and DeLoach to name a few. These were some that I may have missed at the Family Winemakers event held at Fort Mason last year, however, that event is a whole other level of wine appreciation. That event show cases not only reds, but whites, sweet wines, and bubbles as well. Highly recommended too! I tell you, every year for my birthday I spend a couple days in the wine country visiting all the wineries that I can etch in my schedule, but having the pleasure of all of them in a couple of the huge Fort Mason halls ? Damn....can they make it ever more convenient? Another plus is you don't have to worry about driving all over the place until, of course, the event is done. Just make sure you prearrange your DD, because you'll sure need one after an event such as this one. Here's a brief synopsis of how I would describe this event: I was in heaven, possibly ecstacy, and was in complete surrender to this red libation all day. Magnificent, mouth-watering, peppery, jammy, fruitful, bold, smooth, viscous, velvety, chocolaty, and sweet! I could have been doing yoga , sipping wine, and going through a vinyasa, sipping some more, chanting Om, taking yet another sip all simultaneously !!!! Blasphemous? I say not. If you love wine, and can't make it up to the wine country, which I still highly suggest regardless, this is your next best bet. You won't be disappointed because the Zap Fest will bring the wine country to you ! Sante' read more

So looking forward to ZAP 2008...only 2 weeks away! You check in at 2pm....handed a wine glass and a HUGE baguette...and then the pouring begins. Heaven. How else would you want to spend a Sat in SF?! There is a bit of strategy to the multiple hanger set up...hit up your favorite wineries first - b/c come 4:00 (or 2:30 for some) all the Zin tastes the same. Always a good time :) read more

If you think that all wine events are for wine snobs, think again. The Zinfandel Festival is a down-home, fun event that any wine drinker should love. On Saturday, January 28th, 2012, we attended the ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) Grand Tasting event during the 21st Annual Zinfandel Festival at The Concourse in San Francisco. This was the last of four events, prior ones being the Epicuria food and zin pairing on the 26th, the Flights Tasting on the 27th and the Winemakers Dinner the evening of the 27th. The morning session of the Grand Tasting was open to the Press and Trade and there was a special section where press representatives and wine critics could escape from the crowd and do some serious wine tasting by pouring their own wines from the many bottles that were arranged alphabetically on tables. We tasted only about thirty of the two hundred plus wineries that were represented. Much of our time was spent down on the floors talking with winemakers and representatives of the wineries. Although we could taste only a small portion of the available wines, we did find a few favorites, including Ridge, Mike and Molly Hendry, Highlands Winery, Biale Winery, Charter Oak Winery, Hendry (George), Ravenswood and Saddleback. I also had a Turley Wine Cellars barrel sample that was quite good. If you like wine and would like to taste wine while having an educational experience that is fun, down to earth, friendly and unpretentious, you really should consider attending next year's Zinfandel Festival. There is really nothing else quite like it. Whether it is the Flights Tasting, Epicuria food and zin pairings, Winemaker Dinner, or Grand Tasting, there is something for everybody and you are sure to have a good time. The Concourse was easy to find and there was plenty of parking. Glasses are provided at the tasting with enough food that you will not need a lunch afterward. Much thanks to Julie Ann Kodmur, ZAP's Publicist, for inviting us to this event. Here is the ZAP web page. Check it out. http://zinfandel.org/default.asp?n1=26&n2=905 read more

This is my 4th year at ZAP, but the first year I did the Thursday night food and wine pairing. That event is great! Each winery is paired up w/a restaurant that creates a bite of food to go along w/their wines. We had pulled pork, buratta w/prosciutto, corn cakes w/chipotle aoli, lamb burger sliders...great food, great wine. The Thursday night event is not as crowded as the Saturday tasting and you get a chance to chat w/the wineries a little more about their offerings. Friday night's Dinner w/the Wine makers is always a nice affair. It is much more intimate than the Fort Mason events. The event is now being held at the St. Francis which is a much better venue than they've had in the past. If you really want a chance to meet w/your favorite wine maker, this is the event you want to do. There is zin tasting and a live auction before dinner. And at the actual dinner you'll get a chance to taste some more exclusive library wines at the table while hearing all of the in's and out's of the wine biz. We've eaten w/Ridge, Ravenswood and Biali the past few years and have never been disappointed. The Saturday event is a huge event and a great way to taste a lot of zins, but if you aren't into the big crowds, then check out some of the events earlier in the week. They're a lot of fun, too! read more

ZAP. What a festival. Zinfandel, the worlds strongest and most tannic wine, named an American Classic, mostly because the Italians down in Bari and Croatians in Istria don't want that kind of recognition. I'm a Zinfandel producer. I hope that my Zin is a little more approachable, a little more Zinful and drinkable than the others, but alas, we all start with a grape that has an insane amount of alcohol potential (read Brix) and that has been named recently in California with an equally questionable amount of new oak. Scary indeed. I missed the days of those foolish lads who used to dress up as Cardinals, Priests, and Nuns and hawk their wares at ZAP. Today, it's a much less interesting affair. Theirs the serious Zin makers like Ridge, and the less serious like , but in between you'll find everything from the undrinkable to the sublime (mostly the former). This years crowd was pretty innocuous. Nothing really stood out except for the fact that there were thousands of people and more wine, cheese and bread than is human possible to consume. I got there around two and stayed till closing. The crowed was convivial and didn't get too unruly (unfortunately). The wines ranged from interesting to deranged, and the whole thing was very well organized. In all a snoozer. I hope things liven up in the future. This show used to be the highlight of my year. Here's to a banner vintage in `08. read more

Upon entry you get a baguette. Pour after pour, glass after glass, one Sammy Hagar, one lonesome pup, one wayward hippie, and a number of drunk winos later, you're at zin fest. If mardi gras happened in SF, this would be it. read more

Another super fun ZAP!! So many excellent wines, and sadly a lot of really bad ones too.

I attended ZAP back in 2005 and 2006 when it was at Fort Mason and had a *ton* of fun. It was casual, there were mountains of cheese, fun people walking around, talking, hilarity was had, all for $40-60 bucks for 4 hours. Just attended the 2014 event and was severely disappointed in comparison. The wineries themselves are awesome and the people pouring were well informed, the crowds were still fun, but the event itself is overpriced at $70. for a 2 hour track. The Sensory track that touted tastings had tables on each end of the room with a half dozen bite sized tastings in paper cups guarded by cooking school students. Some of the tastings were just spoonfuls of sauce. The Terrior tasting was supposed to be educational about regions, but it was the same wines grouped by area. One table had samples of the soil, a few others had topographic maps, the same information about what made a region unique that was given in the Sensory track, just generalized to the region instead of a winery. Definitely not worth $70. There is no info for designated drivers on the website, so I paid for our group before finding out how to register our DDs. We had a designated driver who had to pay $40. for each tasting track, so he essentially spent $80. to eat baguettes, watch us get tipsy, and make sure we got home safely. Our other DD bowed out, not wanting to pay. I'm sad the event is so money driven now and highly irritated they don't manage designated drivers better. I won't be going back again. Will just attend the Chronicle Wine Festival from here on out. read more

Everyone who loves wine needs to experience this event at least once. In the wine world this is one of SFs biggest events and is a great introduction to Zinfandel wines. read more

Went to ZAP for the first time this year, and even though I had a drunken fun time, I prefer some of the other wine events held at Fort Mason just a tad bit more - notably the SF Chronicle Wine Competition and Family Winemakers. ZAP was a little more crowded than the other events, and even though the organizers did a relatively good job of crowd control, it did get a bit tight at times. All in all, a fun time and a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon with friends. read more

my hub & i checked out the grand zinfandel tasting event on saturday. we love big reds, particularly cabs. we're continually exploring other big reds like zinfandels, so this event was our intro to zinfandel 101. we were overwhelmed with the hundreds of california wineries that were listed in the little guide book which filled both the herbst & festival pavilion. we were also overwhelmed by the hundreds (or thousands?) more people that lined up the various wine & food vendors & tables. there were times people were elbow to elbow but not to the point where people got rude & cut lines relative to that silver oaks release event a couple of weekends ago. wtf w/ people breaking glasses on purpose? annoying & that got old real quick! and long bathroom lines to the ladies room sucked. since its our 101 zin event in fort mason.....we didn't know where to start or have a strategy. we checked out some wineries we've tried before & we simply explored. tried about 8 wineries & discovered a couple that i liked: pezzi king ('05 zin, '05 old vine, riley's) & papapietro perry ('05 elsbree & '06 pauline's). overall it was cool & we had fun! next time: we'll try the good eats & zinfandel pairing (sounds mellow, laidback & lots of yummee food) & if we do go back to the grand tasting event, perhaps try having a strategy. read more

Where else can you drunkenly stumble around with a large loaf of bread and revel in the fact that you aren't the drunkest one in the room? Great festival this year! The top zin producers were pouring heavy and offered some of their best wines. Loved the barrel samples this year. I think I may still be drunk. read more

I attended the food and wine pairing, a few days before the grande tasting. I loved being able to taste all of the local food, which matched the local wine. However, it was difficult to relax, as there was no seating, it was very crowded, and there were plenty of people aggressively cutting in front of people to eat and drink all they could. I would rather spend my money on a indulgent meal or going to Napa and Sonoma to taste different wines. read more

Wow, what an experience! The grand tasting really was quite a festival of California's premiere varietal. I am most appreciative of the effort all the organizers and volunteers put into the event, but its not one I would pay for (I received tix as a gift), its just too much to try in a day, and too crowded to take any serious notes. I love Zinfandel, and particularly sought out new wineries to try, there is no way one could taste even a majority of the offerings in the time allowed. And speaking of tasting, I had some difficulty finding the spit buckets to pour out some of the very generous pours. I found a couple new places to visit and enjoyed meeting up with winemakers whom I already know or have enjoyed their wines (pleasure meeting Scott Harvey!). Sure people got drunk, it was festive! I didn't see any crazy behavior, save hearing a lot of glass breaking at the end. I'd go again as it made a great day in the City, but wouldn't pay for it. I would pay again for the Good Eats food and pairing which I did attend last year and also enjoyed immensely! read more

Want to enjoy new zinfandels? This tasting event is annual and not to be missed. There's over 250 wineries present this year. Take your time on the tour of the place, meet winemakers, make notes, or get involved by volunteering. Events are pricey but worth it for the ZinFan/ Wine Enthusiast. Check out their website for details on events that weekend, and don't miss out! Members enjoy spring, summer and fall events. But this is the Biggie! See you on Saturday and Cheers~ amanda read more

LOVELOVE LOVE havent missed it in 4 years! I go with new people every year so they know about it. ITs great fun and great time. I would give 5 stars but I didint like the venue this year as much as at Fort mason and years before. SO... 4 stars it is read more