Zinfandel

Not too long ago, Zinfandel was a “mystery grape”; origins unknown, as it thrived in California’s early, burgeoning wine industry. After DNA fingerprinting analysis, Italy’s Primitivo and A Croatian grape varietal; Crljenak Kastelanski (say that 5 times fast), proved to be an identical match to the Californian Zinfandel grape, but differences in growing season, terroir, clonal variety, and wine making techniques between the three regions, proved to give each their own particular characteristics.

 For years, Zinfandel could be counted on as a “red-wine staple”, found on every menu, every bar and a full section dedicated to it at your local mega-mart. Zinfandel helped build the California wine market.

However, in the last 10 years, something has changed. Red-Blends became hot, transforming them from what was traditionally winemaker’s pet-wine projects, found only at your local winery, into consumer demanded wines. The consumer, taking the Verruca Salt, the nasty & snobby girl from Willy Wonka, approach to their Red-Blends, “I want it all, and I want it now!”

For many, like Bob Castella, who has owned three wine shops in Northern California’s Bay-area for over 30 years, he understands what the customers wanted, “They began demanding both complicated wines with acidity and elegance, but also one that was fruit forward, but also had earthiness, but also was under $13. They wanted it all and at a price point a single varietal couldn’t replicate to their liking. Red blends where an inevitability. There is no way to get all those flavor profiles and do it at that price point. The market had changed”

He was right, the most popular wine varietals in the U.S. market, based on volume, continue to be; Chardonnay and Cabernet. But, by 2010 Red Blends had outpaced Pinot Grigio and Pinot Noir to solidify itself in third place. Now, almost a decade later, not only are Red Blends ensconced firmly in third place, a varietal like Zinfandel does not even crack the top ten. While the average consumer’s early cravings of a sweet, fruit forward, red blend led to brands like Stella Rosa and Menage a Trois to flourish, the market (thankfully) self-corrected and the age of big, bold reds became the new norm among red blend winemakers.

As of February 2019, there are 10,043 wineries in the U.S. and 4,425 in Zinfandel’s home state, California. On a recent, albeit unscientific, survey conducted by calling three wineries, at random from; Paso Robles, Napa, Sonoma, and Lodi, only Lodi wineries even had a zinfandel offering at their tasting rooms. While zinfandel is still widely planted in the United States, most of grapes find themselves playing mostly smaller parts in Red Blends, the very Red Blends which helped to kick-start their downfall.

Besides the rush to create new and interesting Red Blends, I believe the other deciding factor in the overall consumer hesitance to “re-embrace” the Godfather of the California wine market, is in the many different and poor iterations that zinfandel producers have put the poor grape through over the years. Zinfandel has been made red, white, rose, sweet, dry, late-harvest, Beaujolais-style and sparkling.

I, however, stand with the zinfandel grape. I find it to be not only an important part of our wine industries history, but a grape that can be challenging, creative, elegant and still worthy of exploration and innovative winemaking.

Here are three zinfandel's I would recommend that will hopefully jump-start your love affair with our native grape. Just in time to save it from obscurity.

River Road Vineyards Boschetti Old Vine Zinfandel (Russian River Valley); $18.

This single vineyard zinfandel has a spicy aroma and dark, almost midnight black berry, with toffee and cedar flavors

Seghesio 2015 Cortina Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley); $38.

Bright aromas and a beautiful dark cherry color, white pepper spice followed by black raspberry and cocoa make this wine both complex and soft at the same time.

Predator 2017 Zinfandel (Lodi); $22.

Bacon, bacon, and more bacon. A smoldering campfire mixed with the smell of coffee in the mornings.