Zinfandel

2003 Murphy-Goode "Liar's Dice" Zinfandel, Sonoma County ($20). This lush, decadent, powerful California red wine is not for the faint of palate. If brawn and high alcohol offend you, avoid it. But if you like a wine with big shoulders and a complex mix of flavors -- blackberry, black raspberry, black pepper, herbs, smoked meat and barbecue sauce -- it could be right up your alley. The 14.5 percent alcohol is well-concealed by the wine's abundant fruit. Serve the zinfandel with food that can fight back: barbecue, grilled steak or lamb, or pasta with a rich tomato-based sauce.

February is a time of year for hearty, warming foods - stews, roasts, game and pasta dishes. That also makes it a time for zinfandel, California's own red wine. Its full-bodied, intense flavors complement such foods, and the high alcohol levels of the ripest zinfandels are an asset in winter that they wouldn't be in July. Wine enthusiasts have an especially strong motivation for sampling some zinfandels this month because the vintage dominating retail shelves, 2001, is one of the best of the past decade.

No wimpy wines" has been the proud boast of California's Ravenswood winery since it was a small independent operation known for its mind-blowing zinfandels. The Sonoma County winery founded by Joel Peterson plastered the slogan on bumper stickers, T-shirts and just about any other kind of souvenir you could think of. Along with what has to be the coolest logo in the California wine industry, it was a brilliant marketing decision - especially because it was true. But now Ravenswood is no longer independent but one in a string of wineries owned by the company that brought the world Richard's Wild Irish Rose.

Welcome to class, gentlemen. I'm glad to see you all have reported as Relationship Court has ordered. This is Remedial Romance for Wine Geeks. Ladies, feel free to audit. Now, guys, we have a holiday coming this month that has certain romantic overtones. Do any of you remember what it is? No, Bruno, not Presidents Day. That's right, it's Valentine's Day, Kenneth. Very good. Now class, it is customary at this holiday to sit down with your beloved over a nice dinner and exchange romantic thoughts.