Californian Zinfandel

Drink a good Californian Zin before you die! Why?
Cabernet, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay might have more prestigious reputations in California, but Zinfandel is its signature grape and one the country can really call its own.

Zinfandel really is something else. All the most iconic varieties in the New World are French in origin. And most have a fairly clear origin story of how they got to their new homes. Not Zinfandel. For decades the origin of Zinfandel was a mystery.

Then came the Zinquest—extensive DNA research carried out between the early 1990s and 2000s. The conclusion was Zinfadel is identical to Italy’s Primativo. But, turns out Primativo is not originally from Italy. It’s originally from Croatia, where it’s called many things with Crljenak Kastelanski and Tribidrag being the most used. But, still no one knows if these America plantings came from Italy or Croatia or the etymology of the name Zinfandel.

Zinfandel took firm hold on the California wine business in the 1880s, when its ability to produce in quantity was prized above all else. Which was muy importante as a thirsty population rapidly swelled during the Californian gold rush—Zinfandel soon became the customary Californian drink. By the start of the 1900s Zinfandel was regarded as California's own claret and occupied some of the best vineyard sites.

Old Zinfandel vines in the Hayne vineyard, California, planted in 1902. Turley Wine Cellars. Best Zinfandel wine. Bucket list wines. Wines to try before you die
Old Zinfandel vines in the Hayne vineyard, California, planted in 1902 | turleywinecellars.com
Surprisingly, prohibition had a positive effect on Zinfandel plantings—they increased! Home winemaking was still permitted under the act and Zinfandel was a favourite amongst home winemakers.

After prohibition, it took America a while to find its wine feet again. With acres and acres of excess Zinfandel some producers used it to make a blush wine aimed at the white wine-drinkers that dominated US wine consumption in the 1970s. And thus, the famous White Zinfandel was born.The style was a huge hit and sold phenomenally well to thirsty unengaged consumers. It did little, however, to bolster the reputation of Zinfandel as quality variety to more aspirational drinkers. In the 1980s and 1990s varieties like Cabernet, Merlot and Pinot Noir fell into favor with consumers and winemakers while Zinfandel fell out.

Fortunately, some quality focused producers did produce quality Zinfandel as a full-bodied red wine. Consequently, strong advocates for top quality Zin among consumers started to grow and so did the number of quality producers. Their passion so strong they even formed a group aptly called Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (or ZAP for short—gotta love a good acronym!) you can check out their work here: www.zinfandel.org

Although technically a European grape, Zinfandel is often called America’s grape and rightly so. Zinfandel is ingrained into the history of America and no other country produces as much Zinfandel (Primativo or Tribidrag or whatever other moniker it might go by) as America. This video produced for the Paso Robles Zinfandel Festival sums it up well. Enjoy!