Phew! I just completed reading all of the posts.
I wanted to mention that my favorite red wine is an Old Vine Zinfandel. When not in Italy (this is a Primitivo wine), I enjoy an inexpensive wine called "OZV: and this is from Lodi, California. We live on the West Coast so it is easily obtained at our grocery stores, Trader Joes, etc.
"In general, California winemakers allow Zinfandel to ripen with higher sugar levels and alcohol content giving the wine a more smooth and sweet style. On the other hand, Primitivo ripens under the hot Italian sun, creating the heartier, less fruity and less sweet version of its California counterpart.
Although basically formed from the same grape, the names Primitivo and Zinfandel are not to be used interchangeably. Despite US labeling laws, Italian winemakers often still use the name Zinfandel on their Italian Primitivo wines that are sold in the US."