Zinfandels may not sound like an inviting proposition if you are looking for mouth-watering drinkability, at least not in the adverse context of global warming, where the grape makes heady, jammy, high-octane wines with plenty of alcohol and oodles of sweet fruit but comes up short on acidity. The reputation of the sweet-toothed, commercially successful white zinfandel also turned many serious consumers away from this grape, in the same manner that Beaujolais Nouveau overtook Beaujolais.

However, the modern ethos of making drier, fresher and brighter wines has helped many old-school zinfandels turn the corner. At its best, the grape today makes flavorful yet fresh wine. It has toned up the racier side of its vibrant red fruit and has framed its sunny, hedonistic characters in a more rational, linear and smoothly presented package with fine, mealy tannins. They are still rich wines, but fresher and less heavy than ever before as winemakers turn away from porty, cooked fruit bombs.

Today, new California zinfandels are excellent choices for consumers who aren’t looking for demanding austerity in their reds, preferring greater clarity on the provenance and vintage of wine. Although the removal of alcohol by some zinfandel producers is a well-kept secret, some have pulled it off, leaving no trace of manipulation in the glass. Others have sacrificed the interests of agricultural attributes and further commercialized the wine as a modern, uniform commodity. But for winemakers who are willing to be authentic at a high level of 15% alcohol, the interplay between alcohol and other elements in wine is the ultimate factor in deciding whether the wine can retain balance.

One of the most fascinating attributes of zinfandel from California is that many are made from very old vines – some more than a century old. In addition, many are dry-farmed or grown with irrigation. In other words, you are often drinking history when you open a bottle.

Ridge Vineyards is one of the top producers to showcase how modern zinfandels in California have evolved and captured contemporary taste trends with the multiple high-quality bottles in their portfolio. Ridge Vineyards Sonoma County Dry Creek Valley East Bench 2019 was one of the best zinfandels we have tasted from the cool Dry Creek Valley, enlightening us with an ethereal elegance and purity of fruit – something almost as detailed and delicate as a pinot noir. The Santa Cruz Mountains-based producer is best known for its superb, age-worthy Monte Bello cabernet blend, but it is the Sonoma zinfandel that drives momentum for great value California reds.

Here are seven great value zinfandels that currently retail for under $30, with many available for much less. They are convincing examples of how zingy Zins are still relevant to your daily sipping routine.

– Zekun Shuai, associate editor