Is White Zinfandel Sweet? (Full Guide)

You wouldn't think with the word white at the start of its name, White Zinfandel would be a Rosé wine (and a delicious one at that!) but it is!

White Zinfandel, in its pink Rosé form, has tasting notes of gorgeous watermelon, big fruity flavours and its frivolous sweetness.

Listen to this post here:

Is White Zinfandel Sweet or Dry?

White Zinfandel is a Rosé wine that has a sweetness that sits between off-dry and sweet.

This wine has a sweet style and is well known for its delicious fruit flavours.

A wine ideally served very cold, to help balance the sweet flavours, white zinfandel is perfectly refreshing on a hot summers days.

This style of wine originated in California and is renowned for being the perfect drink for a hot summer's day.

Perfect for picnics and barbeques, wine doesn’t get more refreshing than this Rosé variety.

Why is White Zinfandel Sweet?

To answer the question of “why is White Zinfandel sweet” we need to travel back to California in the 1970s.

White Zinfandel is sweet because the fermentation process is stopped before the yeast has eaten all of the available sugar.

This results in a wine that is both higher in sweetness and lower in alcohol, making it perfect for day drinking, or aperitifs.

White Zinfandel was actually invented by accident - a winemaker was looking at ways to produce a more intense red wine with the Zinfandel grape, but ended up producing a sweeter, Rosé style wine instead.

What Does White Zinfandel Taste Like?

White Zinfandel ranges from semi-dry to sweet and tastes like:

• punnets of ripe strawberries
• juicy segments of watermelon
• and glistening pomegranate seeds

You'll also find tasting notes like white peaches and honeysuckle melon with a zippy, raspberry acidity.

Should White Zinfandel Be Chilled?

Yes, just like other Rosé wines, you should chill White Zinfandel to the right temperature before serving and a fridge is a good way to do this.

The recommended serving temperature for White Zinfandel is “fridge cold”, which we recommend as 44–55°F or 7-12°C.

To chill your White Zinfandel to the ideal serving temperature you can place it in a kitchen fridge for 1-3 hours before serving.

Alternatively you can store white zinfandel in a wine fridge which is especially designed to store your wine safely for longer periods of time.

What are the Characteristics of a White Zinfandel?

White Zinfandel is commonly grown and produced in the Californian wine making regions of the USA.

Although the wines vary from winery to winery they all share similar characteristics due to the hot climate they're produced in:

• Alcohol Levels - White Zinfandels can have an alcohol level varying between 9-12% ABV
• Sweetness Levels - White Zinfandel is a sweet wine, ranging between off-dry and sweet on the palate
• Acidity Levels - Not overly acidic, a well made White Zinfandel will have enough acidity to balance out its sweetness, with lots of ripe citrus notes

White Zinfandel Vs Rosé

White Zinfandel is actually a Rosé style wine rather than heavier bodied red wines with a similar name made from the Zinfandel grapes.

Rosé wines are very light in style and dry in flavour, while White Zinfandels tend to have more sweetness, a darker ruby hue and bolder, fruitier flavours.

Before You Go...

We hope this article answers any questions you may have on Is Moscato Sweet?

Make sure you take a look at our full guide on Zinfandel wine.

And find out all about how to store this sweet wine correctly.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments, or email us at info@expertwinestorage.co.uk

You can browse more posts on Wine Types here

Expert Wine Storage can help you find a luxury wine fridge to store your precious wine collection.