Zinfandel is seen as a hot ?new? grape, however, Zinfandel has been an American grape phenomenon for many years. New world Zinfandel is presently gracing our tables with its tough guy attitude, bold alcohol levels and full body. Lovingly termed as the new ?darling of the wine world? Zin has found its place among the big reds (Cab, Merlot & Syrah) it so rightly deserves. Yet the grape has had a rocky past, coming in and out of favor in tune with American political and social movements for the past two centuries. Presently, it?s on an upward tic, the past decade has proven a major recovery time for the grape. Fortunately for wine lovers, the results have been truly delicious.
About Zinfandel.
Though controversy exists in the wine world, it is generally believed that Zinfandel evolved from the Italian grape Primativo. Others tend to disagree, although it is widely accepted that Zinfandel is most likely of European origin, some say Croatian. Although genetically identical to Primativo, it seems our Zinfandel has taken on its own unique character. It?s a hot wine topic that can make your head reel if you get too involved. My advice is ignore the origins and focus on the present. California Zinfandel (the King of all Zin) is now a big player in the world of wine. You may soon see Zins coming from other regions and countries riding on the Zinfandel experience, but none can compare to the original.
History
The first mentions of Zinfandel as a grape varietal in the States was in the 1830?s, since then becoming a serious part of American wine history. It became a popular table grape in the 1850s and by the 1890?s was the most widely planted grape in what was known as California?s first ?wine boom?. During Prohibition Zinfandel found itself in the cellars of many a European immigrant who used it to make their legal-for-home-use wine. However, the later years of Prohibition, the Depression and the Second World War saw a steep decline in vine acreage. Wine had a resurgence of popularity in the 1970?s but Zin took second seat to the more ?noble? varieties like Cab and Merlot. Zinfandel had been around forever and was still widely planted, but was usually used in inferior bulk table wine. The grape may have disappeared entirely were it not ironically ?saved? by Bob Trinchero, owner of Sutter Home Winery, who invented the White Zinfandel ?varietal? 30 years ago. Noting that people loved fresh and fruity wine, he worked to create a successful market for the infamous pink wine. White Zin was interestingly enough America?s favorite varietal for years until it was surpassed only by Chardonnay.
So what is White Zin anyhow? (From Epicurious.com)
White Zinfandel is not a white wine but rather what's called a BLUSH WINE in the United States and a ROSÉ or BLANC DE NOIR in France. It's made from ZINFANDEL (a red-wine grape) and kept pale in color by quickly removing the skins from the juice after the grapes are pressed, which stops the transfer of color from the grape skin's dark pigments. The wine is then processed as for white wine. The resulting color generally varies from pale pink to apricot to salmon. Most White Zinfandels are slightly sweet, although some are quite DRY with just a whisper of RESIDUAL SUGAR. Introduced in the United States in the late 1970s, White Zinfandel wines found a niche in the early 1980s as the white-wine boom took off and producers searched for a channel for the red-grape surplus.
An interesting quote, date of origin unknown:
"One out of every ten bottles of table wine opened in America is White Zinfandel." -- Sutter Home
In the late 1990?s Zin vineyards exceeded 50,000 acres of planting, being the most widely planted grape in the country. But as with all things that tend to hit the market strong (remember discussing ?Survivor? at the water cooler?), it lost favor after a few years as the market became flooded with the pink stuff. Some White Zins were (and are) very good?and some were (and still are) very bad. Eventually people began to grow tired of the idea and Zinfandel?s future was again in question. But then a peculiar thing happened, Red Zins came into favor, primarily from a boost from Pro Zin clubs, proving a grand alternative to create demand for the grape.
Zin, agriculturally
Zin grows almost anywhere in California, from desert conditions to cool coastal locales, It grows easily, produces big crops, and proves to be extremely versatile in what can be made from it. From the sweet pink stuff to heady reds to Ports and even dessert wines.
Yet, Zin can be a troubling little grape to produce. If handled incorrectly it produces plonk. Plonk being my fancy wine word for bad wine. The old Zin vineyards are expensive to maintain, production is low and they are not set up for modern, mechanized farming. Massive gnarled vines like the one seen in this image signify ?Old Vine? Zin. Therefore Zin is often times not financially sensible to grow when the vines can be uprooted for a better received grape such as Chardonnay. Grape varieties are market driven, where there?s sale and income potential, there are plantings. Yet somehow Zins have kept themselves in a highly coveted and fickle market.
Zin, the Wine
Zinfandel has no specific model of flavor as would say a Cab or a Merlot, although it is slowly building a palate if typical flavors and style. Different producers focus on different characteristics of this Grape. Zins can be raisiny, sweetish, and thick on one end of the spectrum, lighter, amazingly elegant, and complex on the other. Somewhere in between we usually find big, bold fruity powerhouse reds with alcohol levels (alcohol = body) topping 15% - and that?s just what it says on the label! Oak holds nicely in the Zin structure as the toasted vanilla flavors blend well with Zins inherent fruitiness. Tannins exist in Zins but are lower and softer than your typical Cabernet, providing a nice luscious mouthfeel.
The most sought after Zins are those deemed ?Old Vine.? This is a term to signify that the vines used to make the wine are wrinkly Seniors that have been around longer than many of us have. Unlike Cabernet vines, which have a limited life of production (less than 50 years,) Zins can keep producing well past 100 years of age. As they age they produce less fruit, but the fruit that is produced is thought to be more intense and flavorful than its younger ?inexperienced? counterparts. Old Vine Zins tend to have a more pronounced spiciness and subtler flavors than younger vine versions, which tend to be more lush and fruitier. No one really knows how much old-vine Zinfandel exists, and vineyards are constantly ?rediscovering? these forgotten vines and bringing them back to productivity. However, there is no official definition of "old-vine," wineries can use the term on their labels as they see fit, but it is assumed that vines are at least 50 years old to be given that moniker.
Zin Value
Zins on the lower end of the spectrum (<$10) are often unbalanced and not altogether pleasant (exceptions exist of course) but I find Zins in the $15-20 range to be quite good. Once we hit the mid $20?s and up we see an exceptional wine that is often not forgotten. There is less ?value? to be found in Zins as compared to Cab or Shiraz but this is a result of the difficulty of the grape and the demand for limited ?old vines? character.
Serving Zin
I like to serve my Zin in a large crystal wine glass after a 15-20 minute bottle chilling period in the fridge ? this helps relieve the burning sensation caused by the higher alcohol content and brings the wine into balance. In no way does this mean I serve it cold, just slightly below the typical room temperature of 70 degrees. You will find many a Zin in a restaurant setting overwhelming and unpleasant on the palate due to the fact that it is served too warm. The large crystal glass really shows the deep rich color ? and looks cool ? big wine, big glass. I also put my car keys away for the day as the alcohol levels can really get to you. This, does, however, make it a great party wine! Although some Zins may open up with some exposure to oxygen (aka letting the wine ?breathe?) most are ready to drink straight away.
Zin and Food.
Whatever you throw at it, Zin can take it. Zin is known best for complementing serious red meat dishes from char broiled steaks to thick juicy burgers. Any dish rich with full bold flavors that would put a Merlot to shame is a perfect Zin pairing. Game meats and birds, beef stews, Chinese food, and serious Grilled fare all do well alongside Zin.
Experiment for yourself this summer when the Ocean breezes are cool enough for a nice outdoor grilling with a glass of one of these great Zins. Until next time!
Rich (and all your friends at Attrezzi)
Attrezzi Zinfandels:
Mariah ($30) Spicy, elegant, and huge (some may say over the top) this is one of our favorite high end Zins. Notably flamboyant with its aggressive power and hint of residual sugars, this one really stirs something primal. Seriously, try it for yourself!
Barefoot Reserve ($19) This is lovingly known as a ?fruit bomb? Zin. Cherries, strawberries, and raspberries explode on the palate, surrounded by a full bodied mouthfeel.
Carol Shelton Monga ($29) A perfect wine for zin-lovers who like bold fruit and fat, toasty flavors. Rich and yet well structured with notes of cherry, blackberry, cocoa, caramel and vanilla.
Gary Farrell Maple Vineyards ($29) Here we see Zin in its true elegance. Aromas of strawberry, raspberry and spice are further complimented by notes of clove, fresh pepper and a suggestion of citrus peel. As with most Gary Farrell offerings, this wine shows appropriate restraint by avoiding the over-ripe, over-extracted, high alcohol tendency found in so many Zinfandels today. This is truly a grand Zin that must be experienced to be appreciated.
Four Vines (aka ?The Biker?) ($20) One of my all time favorite Zins. Named the biker due to its ?rogue? character, this powerhouse Zin smacks of huge fruit and a lingering Oak finish.
7 Deadly Zins ($23) By far the Public favorite, this Zin is Bold, rich, and full bodied with an unstoppable Vanilla Cherry finish. I don?t need to mention the kitsch of the name either, it sells itself!
