Zinfandel

Many Californian winemakers claim Zinfandel as their local grape, but this grape is in fact the same as Primitivo, from the south of Italy, as well as Crljenak Kastelanski from Croatia. However, more accurately it should be Tribidrag from Croatia, which has showed to be the oldest name of the variety.

Bob Trinchero of Sutter Home Winery is credited as the inventor of White Zinfandel, which is very popular in the US during 1980s and early 1990s, saving the vine from the trend of uprooting then, to make room for replanting of Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. However, Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards is the one making the world aware of the potential and quality of Zinfandel.

In US there are 14 states that grow the vine, with great diversity in which the wine can be pink or deepest black, sweet or dry. Earliest mention of the grape is in the 1820s, with its name probably came from the confusion with the Austrian vine Zierfandler, which also came to Vienna from Croatia. Central and South America also has some, as well as Australia and South Africa.

Zinfandel produces large crops on poor soils in dry conditions, but ripens unevenly, so one can find green, ripe and raisined grapes on the same cluster easily. There are insect and disease problems because of its tightly packed bunches, such as bunch rot if caught by autumn rains. It likes warmth and a long growing season, with ripeness important to bring the true fruit. It can go as high as 17% abv for that ripeness. In Italy the wine made from Primitivo can still hit 16%.

The grape performs best in Mediterranean climate with plenty of sun. But if too hot the wine becomes jammy and baked. Dry Creek Valley in California, because of its hot days and relatively cool nights, produces good ripeness but preserving the acidity. Central Valley is mainly for the sweetish blush Zinfandel, which is even hotter but without the cool nights.

With early picking the wine is of the strawberry, cranberry and raspberry range. Later picking gives black cherry, blackberry and plum, to even prune, dates and raisin flavors. Up to 23 Brix the strawberry flavors dominate, with cherry coming at 23-24 Brix, at 25 Brix it turns blackberry, ending with raisined grapes at 27 Brix. For White Zinfandel it is normally picked at 20 Brix, having a recognizable apple flesh and tobacco flavor, dappled with raisin.

Poor, well-drained but mineral-rich soils produce good results for Zinfandel, but the choice of soil is secondary to climate. Many vines in California are of 50 years or older, being bush-trained and head-pruned. The variety can produce up to 8 ton per acre even at a low density. The clusters need to be thinned, and second-crop clusters need to be removed also to control yield. More recent plantings are trained on wires, mechanically cultivated and harvested. But quality producers will achieve consistent ripeness through picking from successive tries.

University of California at Davis is launching a study on the diversity of Zinfandel and the relationship of site and circumstances on variables like cluster weight, berry size and cluster tightness. Petite Sirah is sometimes blended with Zinfandel, with Ridge Vineyards doing that to good effect. White Zinfandel is produced similar to a white wine, leaving a fair amount of sugar in it.

Whole cluster fermentation will give fruitier, strawberry flavors. Long maceration with skins will give more color and tannin, good for oak ageing, which now is mainly via small new barrels. American oak marries well with Zinfandel. Late harvest Zinfandels can make wines to over 17% alcohol, and sweet wine with botrytised grapes is also made, which can keep the dark color.

Zinfandel can be found all over California, with plantings still rising. Now it is California’s third most widely planted red grape, behind Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP) is a group formed in 1991 to promote the grape, now has more than 300 members. BATF forbids the Italian produced Primitivo to label as Zinfandel if sold in US.

Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma is associated above all with the grape, with Alexander Valley also doing well, despite being hotter. Russian River Valley will require warmer years to ripen the grape however. Flavors of the wine from Dry Creek are juicy blackberry and pepper, with good acidity. Santa Cruz has more complexity and depth but that may be the attributes from the skill of Paul Draper at Ridge Vineyards.

Paso Robles often has soft, round flavors without the acidity, with Napa Valley giving plummy and intense flavors. Contra Costa is dusty and dense, and Lodi gives fleshy, approachable wines, with many focusing on producing blush. There are distinct flavors when the vines are old, with denser, more compact intensity. Blush is nearly always a commodity wine, producing with high-yielding, wire-trained, mechanically harvested vines. Best producers are: Bedrock, Biale, Carlisle, Easton, Martinelli, A Rafanelli, Ravenswood, Ridge, Seghesio and Turley.

Other states in US also cultivate the grape, but they rarely achieve the ripeness of California. In Italy, the variety was a victim to EU vine pull scheme in 1990s, only stopping after the variety is better known as a varietal and being identified as the same as Zinfandel. It used to be popular with the producers in Piedmont and Tuscany to blend with the other varieties to provide the alcohol, flavors especially in poor years, including producers of Amarone.

With the discovery that Primitivo is the same as Zinfandel the popularity increases. Varietal DOC includes Primitivo di Manduria and Primitivo di Gioia, both in Puglia, with rustic and solid. Primitivo di Manduria DOC allows for sweet and fortified versions as well. There is also a boom since late 1990s for the IGT Salento. Best producers include Cannito, Morella, Paololeo and Petrera Fatalone.

South Africa is beginning to look at the variety, but planting still less than 1% of total vineyard, often blended with Carignan or Cinsault to bring down alcohol, with beefy and brawny style. Chile has a small quantity but rising, with Mexico, Brazil and Argentina having some.

Australia has a successful planting in Margaret River, with Adelaide Hills also good, but Yarra Vally is too cold for the grape. Best producer is Cape Mentelle. New Zealand is also too cold for the variety. In France, only Domaine de l’Arjolle is producing this variety as a varietal, known as Cuvee Z.

Ripe Zinfandel even when young can already have flavors like prune, dates and raisins, with pepper and blackberry also. Many Zinfandels are made to be drunk young, because of low tannin and burly fruit, and do not undergo big changes in flavor upon ageing, becoming tarry in time. If not too oaky it is good for barbecued meats, venison and roast chicken. Blush goes well with tomato-based dishes, like pizza and pasta, and hamburgers.