Wine Grape Cheat Sheets: Zinfandel

August 29, 2022 2 Comments

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. It is now known that Zinfandel traveled from Croatia to Vienna during the Habsburg Monarchy’s rule over Croatia, when some cuttings ended up in the Imperial Nursery in Vienna. From there, they were sent to a horticulturist in Long Island who sent some vines out to California. In California, 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.  Those vineyards—and their (Zinfandel) mystery grapes—were rediscovered years later when California experienced a new wave of post-Prohibition winemakers. Quite a story, right?

DNA fingerprinting has revealed that today’s Zinfandel is identical (or near identical) to a grape known as Tribidrag or Crljenak Kaštelanski and native to the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. Zinfandel is also either identical to—or very closely related to—a grape known as Primitivo, as grown in Puglia in Southern Italy.

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 and often intensely fruity…the aromas and flavors of blackberry, cherry and plum are quite recognizable.
    • In my wine tastings I generally introduce Zin as having aromas of blackberry, black pepper, and black licorice.  It’s a pretty good Zin cliché.
    • Medium to high alcohol…sometimes 15% or more
    • Medium to full body; more likely towards the fuller side
    • Medium to high tannin combined with refreshing acidity.  Zinfandel grown in warm climates/warm vintages can show velvety (rather than grippy) tannins, but the medium to high tannin levels abide.
    • Yes…. the Zinfandel grape can be made into White Zinfandel (rosé).  This style of wine is produced by allowing the juice to ferment in contact with the intensely colored red grape skins for a day or two—just until the juice turns a light pink color.  At this point, the juice is pressed off the grape skins and fermentation is allowed to complete using just the (now pink-hued) juice. 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. (which makes a great pairing for chocolate).

Typical Aromas of a Zinfandel-based Wine:

  • Black Fruit:
    • Blackberry (Blackberry Jam), Boysenberry, Plum, Raisin, Prune
  • Red Fruit:
    • Raspberry, Ripe Cherry, Pomegranate
  • Savory Spice:
    • Black Pepper, White Pepper
  • Baking Spice:
    • Cinnamon, Clove, Nutmeg, Allspice, Anise (Black Licorice)
  • Cocoa/Chocolate
  • Wood-derived:
    • Oak, Vanilla
  • Sometimes:
    • Maple, Mushroom, Mint, Mineral

Where the Best Zinfandel is Grown:

  • California—it grows all over the state; good choices include Sonoma County, Amador County/the Sierra Foothills, Paso Robles, Napa County, and Lodi
  • The south of Italy—where it is known as Primitivo
  • Croatia—the native home, where it is sometimes called Tribidrag or Crljenak Kaštelanski
  • In smaller amounts—South Africa, South America, and Australia

Food Affinities – Base Ingredients:

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

Food Affinities – Bridge Ingredients:

  • Any type of burgers (even turkey burgers)
    • Blue Cheese Bacon Cheeseburgers
    • Burgers with Caramelized Onions
  • Sausage and Peppers
  • Eggplant, Mushrooms, Black Beans
  • Tomatoes, Sun-dried Tomatoes
  • Mint, Rosemary, Oregano
  • Grilled Flavors, Smoky Flavors
  • Onions, Shallots
  • Walnuts, Pecans, Hazelnuts
  • Chocolate—which many people love, but most folks will recommend that you stick to the sweet versions of Zin for dessert.

Note: When it comes to food pairings, by all means—drink what you like!

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Wine Grape Cheat Sheets: Carmenère

July 21, 2022 9 Comments

CarmenereThe Soundbyte: Carmenère is often called “the lost grape of Bordeaux” and was widely planted in Bordeaux in the years before phylloxera. However, in the 1880s as phylloxera ravaged the vineyards of Europe and all the vines needed to be re-planted, Carmenère resisted grafting and was essentially forgotten.

On the other side of the world, many of the original vinifera vines planted in Chile were brought from Bordeaux during the mid-1800s, as phylloxera was ravaging the vineyards of France. Carmenère—along with its better-known cousins such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot—arrived in Chile at about this same time.

Carmenère thrived in Chile, where it was often mistaken for Merlot in the vineyard. In fact, much of what was bottled as a particularly spicy style of Chilean Merlot—Merlot Chileno—before 1994 quite possibly contained quite a bit of Carmenère. The mystery of the spicy Chilean Merlot was solved in 1994 when Professor John-Michel Boursiquot of the Montpellier School of Oenology noticed the distinctive character of the wine and confirmed that much of what was considered to be Chilean Merlot was actually Carmenère.

In the vineyard, Carmenère is often the last grape to be picked, and it requires a lengthy season to reach full maturity. Therefore, it is not well suited to many parts of Bordeaux—but in the right areas it can produce great wines. Chilean Carmenère is rich in color, redolent of red fruits, spice, and berries, and has softer tannins than Cabernet Sauvignon. While Cabernet Sauvignon occupies more Chilean vineyards (by acreage), many consider Carmenère to be the signature grape of Chile.

Typical Attributes of a Carmenère-based Wine:

  • Rich with dark fruit flavors (including ripe berries and plum)
  • grilled steak for carmenre with tomatoesFirm structure, full body and heavy tannins; lush, velvety texture
  • Deep, dark color—this is a big red wine!
  • Carmenère is distinguished by fruitiness accompanied by the flavors of “spice and smok.e”
  • Underripe Carmenère, or grapes from a cool growing season, can have a vegetative “green bell pepper” aroma or flavor. Carmenère  takes longer to ripen than other red grapes, so be on the look-out for these flavors.

Typical Aromas of a Carmenère-based Wine:

  • Fruity: Blackberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, Currant, Dark Plum, Cherry
  • Spicy: Black Pepper, White Pepper, Dried Herb, Cinnamon, Anise, Vanilla, Licorice
  • Earthy:  Smoke, Wet Earth, Leather, Tobacco, Coffee
  • Oak-Derived:  Oak, Chocolate, Mocha, Cocoa
  • Vegetative:  Green Bell Pepper, Green Olive, Herbal, Lavender

Where The Best Carmenère is Grown:

  • Chile, where it is one of the leading red grapes (although Cabernet Sauvignon occupies more acreage)
  • A few wineries in California and Washington State grow Carmenère; it is often used in Meritage-style blends but can also be found as a varietal.
  • The Guenoc Winery in Lake Country brought the grape—which had to withstand a three-year quarantine before being planted—to the United States from Chile
  • The grape is grown a bit in Italy’s Eastern Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia regions. This includes the Piave DOC allows for varietally-labeled Carmenère.
  • Bordeaux, France; where the grape is grown on a very limited basis but is still considered part of the Bordeaux Blend. Grande Vidure is a historical synonym sometimes used in Bordeaux. Château Clerc Milon has the largest plantings of Carmenère in the region, but there are still less than ten acres in all of Bordeaux
  • China, which grows a great deal of Carmenère, often under the name Cabernet Gernischt

Grilled spicy steakFood Affinities – Base Ingredients:

  • Beef, Lamb, Veal, Venison, Pork
  • Poultry when prepared in a rich, hearty manner such as grilled, smoked, or braised…
  • Grilled Foods, Smoked Foods

Food Affinities – Bridge Ingredients:

  • Garlic, Onions, Mushrooms
  • Walnuts, Pecans
  • Rosemary, Oregano, Basil, fresh Herbs of all kinds
  • Tomatoes, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Eggplant, Bell Peppers
  • Black Pepper, White Pepper, Green Peppercorns, Spicy flavors
  • Barbeque Flavors, Hearty, highly seasoned foods

Note: When it comes to food pairings, by all means—drink what you like!

The Bubbly Professor is “Miss Jane” Nickles of Austin, Texas   missjane@prodigy.net

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