Kendall-Jackson Zin pleasing with any full-bodied meal

The aromas jump out of the glass on the 2005 Kendall-Jackson Zinfandel (California, $18), an old favorite: cranberries and cinnamon, and then there was a load of raspberry, black cherry and chocolate.

Full bodied and supple, this is an intensely flavored wine, with hints of oak in each sip. It tastes of plum, blackberry jam, cedar and slight hints of white pepper and cocoa powder. The finish keeps flowing over the tongue with each sip.

We enjoyed our bottle with grilled flank steak and garlic bacon mashed potatoes. I love the different flavors in the potatoes and how they mix so well with the beef. This wine drew out the bacon flavors and softened the meat, making a great dining experience.

I also love to use Zinfandel with barbecue, the tanginess of the sauce and smokiness of the meat really lets Zin shine. You also can think about beef stew or any other full-bodied meal.

In 1974, Jackson and his family bought an 80-acre pear and walnut orchard in Lakeport. Jackson had a long-standing interest in wine, so the family went to work converting the orchards to vineyards. For seven years, they sold the ranch's grapes to local wineries.

Jackson's commitment to quality and his "can-do" attitude are legendary. When he realized that the quality of the French oak barrels used to age his wine was inconsistent, he bought his own mill in France to provide the barrel-staves, and became a partner in a cooperage located in Missouri.

This still is a family-owned winery and makes great wines year after year.