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The Zinfandel wine grape has what
can only be described as a split personality -
there can hardly be two more different styles
of wine than White Zinfandel (light,
sweet) and Red Zinfandel (spicy, intense).
Many people are first introduced to wine
through White Zin so it serves a laudable
purpose - but its innocuous character
seems to bear no resemblance to the complex,
bold flavors of a fine Red Zin.
The
History of Zinfandel
Zinfandel is predominantly
grown in America, although it's now been
discovered that the grape has European
origins in Croatia. A very popular wine grape
pre-Prohibition (as well as during Prohibition
since it shipped well for home winemaking
around the country), this grape came back into
vogue in the 1970s when Sutter Home
accidentally made their first batch of "White
Zin", a slightly sweet blush version. This
style is still ubiquitous but many finer red
Zinfandels are celebrated today as
well.
Qualities of
the Zinfandel Grape
Zinfandel vines are
prolific, and can produce a fair crop into ripe
old age - from 30 to even more than 100 years!
For better quality wines, vineyards should be
managed to set a smaller crop by thinning
bunches or planting in an area that will curb
its productivity. Grape bunches are large with
large berries and thin skins. Berries on the
same cluster often don't ripen at the same
rate, so you'll often see small green unripe
berries, ripe berries and overripe raisins
intermixed on the same bunch.
Zinfandel Wine
Characteristics
Body: medium to
heavy
Tannins: light to medium
Acidity: medium
Flavors: wild berries and plum with
generous peppery notes - sometimes fruit
flavors border on overripe with prune and
raisin
Regions Where Zinfandel is
Grown
- Throughout
California in the U.S., with bulk wine
production focused on the hot Central
Valley, and finer versions from Sonoma and
Napa, particularly old vine plantings in
the Russian River Valley
- Italy's Puglia region
- Croatia's Dalmatian Coast
Zinfandel Fast
Facts
- Bottled
by varietal name in U.S.
- Bottled by local varietal name in Italy
('Primitivo')
-
Bottled by local varietal name in Croatia
('Crljenak Kaštelanski')
- Famous Producers: Rosenblum Cellars, Cline,
Ridge Vineyards
- Generally best drunk young for its vibrant
fruity character, although some more
exceptional wines can be aged 10 years or
more
Zinfandel Wine
& Food Pairing
- Delicious paired
with full-flavored sauces such as marina
or BBQ, as well as with grilled meats
- Easy Food and Wine pairings with
Zinfandel:
Smoked Turkey
Chili
Here are some of our
favorites:
2004 Gloria's "Old
Vines" Zinfandel,
Mendocino
Exotically spicy,
with hints of cinnamon and baking spices on the
nose. Rich, slightly
raisiny. ($18)
2005 Renwood
Zinfandel, Sierra
Foothills
Effusive and
cheery, this is a crowdpleaser. More
balanced than your average
Zin. ($12)
Next
Variety: Chardonnay Wine
Grape
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