Wine Grape Cheat Sheets: Zinfandel

Zinfandel—The Soundbyte: Zinfandel used to be known as “California’s Mystery Grape,” as an old-timey legend says that Zinfandel vines of the vitis vinifera species were growing happily in California before European settlement of the New World.

This was fun to believe for a while, but today we know better, and it is believed that today’s Zinfandel traveled from Croatia to Vienna during the Habsburg Monarchy’s rule over Croatia.  Some cuttings ended up in the Imperial Nursery in Vienna, and from there were sent to a horticulturist in Long Island, who sent some vines out to California, where Italian immigrants working the gold rush appreciated the grape’s sturdy, robust style and planted them with enthusiasm, only to abandon their vineyards when the gold rush fizzled out.  These vineyards, and their mystery grapes, were then rediscovered years later with the post-prohibition wave of California winemakers. Quite a story, right?

DNA fingerprinting has revealed that today’s Zinfandel is genetically equivalent to the Crljenak Kaštelanski grape of Croatia  and either identical to or very-very-very closely related to the well-known Croatian grape known as Plavac Mali. Zinfandel is also either identical to—or very closely related to—Primitivo, as grown in Puglia.

Wherever it came from and whatever you call it, Zinfandel has proved itself as a hardworking, heat-seeking, robust grape.

 Typical Attributes of a Zinfandel-based Wine:

• • Fruit-forward, intense fruit flavors…the aromas and flavors of blackberry, cherry and plum are quite recognizable.
  • In my wine tastings I generally introduce Zin as “Blackberry/Black Pepper/Black Licorice.”  It’s a pretty good Zin cliché.
  • Medium to high alcohol…sometimes 15% or more.
  • Medium to full body; more likley towards the full.
  • Medium to high tannin combined with lively acidity.  Warm weather growing areas can mellow the tannins to the velvety type, but they remain quite high.
  • Red Zinfandel’s spice, fruit, and acidity make it a very food friendly wine.
  • Yes…. the Zinfandel grape can be made in the “White Zinfandel” style.  To make white zinfandel, the wine is allowed to ferment on the intensely colored red grape skins for a day or two, just until the juice turns a light pink color.  At this time, the juice is pressed off the grape skins while the fermentation process finishes.  While it is true that your Mama’s White Zinfandel most likely had a touch of residual sugar and this style remains popular today, Zinfandel is also made into crisp, dry, serious rosé.
  • Late harvest Zinfandel is often made into a luscious, complex dessert wine; one of my favorites is “Zinnie de Potelle” by Chateau Potelle.
  • Some winemakers freeze their late harvest (or regular harvest) Zinfandel grapes to make to make “ice wine-style” dessert wines, often with cute-cute-cute names such as “Fro-Zin”.

Typical Aromas of a Zinfandel-based Wine:

• Fruity
  • Blackberry, Blackberry Jam, Boysenberry, Boysenberry Jam, Raspberry, Raspberry Jam, Plum, Ripe Cherry, Pomegranate, Raisin, Prune
• Spicy
  • Black Pepper, Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg, Allspice, Anise, Licorice, Chocolate
• Wood-derived:
  • Oak, Vanilla
• Sometimes:
  • Maple, Mushroom, Mint, Mineral

Where the Best Zinfandel is Grown:

• California, especially Sonoma Valley, Amador County, the Sierra Foothills, Paso Robles, and Lodi
• The south of Italy—as Primitivo
• Croatia, where it is sometimes called “plavac—as Plavac Mali or Crljenak Kaštelanski
• Texas – including the Texas High Plains AVA
• While California remains Zinfandel’s favorite adopted home, it is having some success in South Africa, South America, and Australia

Food Affinities – Base Ingredients:

• Beef, Lamb, Venison, Pork, Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Sausage