Zinfandel

Sutter Home's marketing cleverness aside, Zinfandel or vitis vinifera is a red grape that's done exceedingly well in California. winepros.org/wine101/grape_profiles/zinfandel.htm">Genetic studies of Zinfandel by professor Carole Meredith at the University of California at Davis have traced Zinfandel back to "cognate" grapes Crljenak Kaštelanski, and to the Primitivo grape introduced to Sicilly in the early eighteenth century. Dr. Meredith eventually concluded that even the Primitivo clone was derived from Crljenak. The Primitivo variety was brought to the U.S. from Italy several times during the nineteenth century under a variety of names, most of them variations of Primitivo. I am at a loss to explain the use of Zinfandel as a name; no one seems to know, with any degree of certainty, what the derivation is. Primitivo tends to riper earlier, and to be less susceptible to certain varieties of fungus than Zinfandel. Italian wine makers are currently using Primitivo and Zinfandel interchangeably on their wine labels. US wine producers currently, however, do not.

Most Zinfandel is a lovely deep red. In flavor, Zinfandel, or "Zin," tends to be on the robust side. The grape is known for a high sugar content, and it is very much affected by the climate. Cooler areas, with a longer ripening period, tend to result in wines that are described as "fruity," and compared to raspberries, strawberries, and even cherries, while warmer areas tend to produce wines that are compared to pepper, blackberries and anise, of all things. Although Zinfandel is a sweet grape, the individuals grapes in a bunch do not always ripen at the same rate. In some cases, winemakers choose to harvest Zinfandel grapes by hand; it gives vintners better control over the final wine, but it costs more, and that is often reflected in the bottle price as well as the label.

The naturally high sugar content of Zinfandel grapes sometimes results in higher alcohol content; my first Zinfandel was a California Zin from Oak Hollow with an ABV of 15.9, which still seems startlingly high to me. I note that Zinfandel was planted exceedingly enthusiastically in California in the mid to late 1800s, and just before Prohibition, even in home gardens. Now, where the old vines weren't ripped up and replaced with Chardonay, the vines are much prized; you'll see bottles of wine with the phrase "old vine" proudly displayed on the label. I've been told by two winemakers that the popularity of the blush wine sold as White Zinfandel is in part responsible for saving those old vines—and allowing us to enjoy the amazing wine some wineries are still producing as a varietal, though there is a great deal of demand for Zinfandel for use in red table wine blends. Zinfandel, in part because of its natural high sugar levels, is generally best enjoyed within a few years of production.

There is enough interest in Zinfandel as a wine on its own terms that it has its own organization, ZAP: Zinfandel Advocates and Producers. There are fairly frequent "Zin fests" offered by a variety of wineries. California and Washington both boast about their Zinfandels. It's also increasingly common to see imported Primitivo wines on U.S. shelves, particularly in more robust red wine blends. Zinfandel is fairly readily available in a variety of price points, as well; I look forward to trying a variety.