The zin-fuly sweet fruits of summer

Steve McCarthy, whose Clear Creek Distillery has put Oregon on the map for its remarkable pear brandy, scotch whiskey and much more, has branched out again.

After years of experimentation, McCarthy is offering a lineup of fruit liqueurs, and they rise to his usual extraordinary quality standards. Lower in alcohol and sweeter than his eaux-de-vies, the new liqueurs are offered in cassis, cherry, loganberry, raspberry and pear flavors. Sold only in state liquor stores, they cost about $22 for a half-size (375 ml) bottle. One small bottle will do nicely for a dinner party of four.

These liqueurs are perfect after-dinner drinks. They can be sipped slowly and will put the flavor cherry on top of any dessert you care to name. McCarthy says, "pour the loganberry on vanilla ice cream; it's fantastic."

The cassis is being snapped up by savvy bartenders for kir and other delights, while the pear is already the best-seller (those who know Clear Creek know that their pear brandy is one of the best in the world). In short, these are versatile, sure-fire party drinks. Serve them at a cool but not cold temperature, much like a port wine, and once open, finish them within a week or so. Your local state liquor store can special order them for you.

Seven deadly zins

Zinfandel has been a favorite of mine for many years. Back in the day, long before the onslaught of Rhone Ranger varietals, when syrah seemed wild and woolly and was virtually unknown in Washington state, zinfandel was the wine I turned to for barbecues and picnics when I wanted something red and food-friendly with some zip to it.

Zin, sad to say, took a wrong turn along the way and fell in with a bad crowd when growers started shoot thinning, dropping crop, paying for high-priced fermentations with designer yeasts and trysts with toasty new oak.

Sure enough, the predictable happened. My once-favorite grape developed a bad alcohol habit, and pretty soon started charging higher prices to support it. Zins used to be stylish wines that maybe shot up as high as 13 or 13.5 percent alcohol; these days you can find them over 17 percent. They used to cost maybe twenty bucks for the good ones; now the sky is the limit.

Still, let's not write off zin entirely. There are old vine versions that cannot be duplicated anywhere in the world, and producers who still manage to find a way to offer balanced, elegant wines, even if the alcohol is rarely under 14 percent. Here are seven deadly (in a good way) zins — not all cheap, I know, but every one of them offers good value and the pricier ones are standouts.

Kendall-Jackson 2004 Vintner's Reserve Zinfandel; $12. A mix of grapes and diverse growing regions keeps this wine cool, juicy and sleek, with black cherry, black olive, blueberry and spice. (Young's-Columbia)

Artezin 2004 Zinfandel; $16. A nicely crafted, medium-octane effort, with round and forward fruit flavors laced with pepper, licorice and clove. Especially good value. (Noble)

Ridge 2004 Three Valleys; $21. This is Ridge's "declassified" blend, which means you get almost-perfect Ridge fruit at a much lower price. Two thirds zin, it's a lighter wine with gentle flavors of watermelon, strawberry and rhubarb. (Cavatappi)

Mariah 2003 Mendocino Ridge Zinfandel; $23. This has the exotic spicebox aromas that I love in the best Mendo zins. It's smooth and silky, full of surprises, grace notes and teasing whiffs of chocolate bon-bons. (Young's-Columbia)

Dashe 2003 Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel; $24. I love Dashe's Todd Brothers Ranch bottling ($28), but the regular Dry Creek is the better deal and almost as good. Thick, tannic and sensuously fruity with black raspberries and cherries. (Unique)

Cline 2003 "Bridgehead" Zinfandel; $25. These are really old vines — 19th century — and the flavors pile on with dried fruits, brown sugar and balsamic vinegar. Not a shy wine. (Alaska)

DeLoach 2004 "Gambogi Ranch" Zinfandel; $26. Old-vine, Russian River Valley grapes power this yummy wine along an explosion of berries, plums and chocolate, with finishing hints of rosemary and thyme. (Noble)

Don't miss

Summertime is wine-touring time, and the options here in Washington state continue to expand while yesterday's debuts become old favorites. Hard to believe, but we're already up to the fourth annual Summer Wine Gala at Ohme Gardens in Wenatchee.

Prepare your palate for July 29, pray for cool weather and let your designated driver stroll the gorgeous grounds and munch on the tidy bites while you swirl, swoozle and slurp wines from 20 Columbia Cascade wineries. $75 person; $125 couple. For tickets call 509-663-2787 (noon to 5 p.m. weekdays) or go online to www.columbiacascadewines.com.

Finding the wine:

Unless noted, all Wine Adviser recommendations are currently available, though vintages may sometimes differ. All wine shops and most groceries have a wine specialist. Show them this column, and if they do not have the wine in stock, they can order it for you from the local distributor (noted in parentheses).

Paul Gregutt: wine@seattletimes.com