Great Wine

For some people, wine is an acquired taste for others wine is an adventure in taste. One of the most popular and preferred wine varieties is Zinfandel. The Zinfandel grape is unique and is never planted in just one region of the New World. You can find these grapes grown in California, South Africa, and Argentina. This wine has the power to draw large crowds of fans.

In the U.S. the history of the Zinfandel grape dates way back to the mid 19th century. The grape arrived along with the California Gold Rush in the 1850s and was planted in California in both the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Through DNA profiling it has been discovered that Zinfandel is the self-same grape as the Primitive found in southern Italy. Therefore the idea is that Italian immigrants brought it with them to the New World. Then just recently the grape’s origins were traced back to the lovely Adriatic coast of Croatia. Finally, as more research was done it was determined that the Zinfandel from which wine is made today has its roots in an ancient variety known as Crljenak Kastelanski which can only be found on a small island close to Split.

The best places to discover the beginnings of Zinfandel grapes are in the Sierra foothills however they are also widely available throughout the Lodi area. Some of the most treasured old Zinfandel vineyards can be found in Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County in California. When it’s on the vine Zinfandel does well in warm, dry conditions maturing and producing rich, deeply colored wines. Zinfandel wine is one of the few wines which pair up well with turkey and all the trimmings. However, it can do equally well with roasted or BBQ meats or mature, hard cheeses as well as pizza, pasta dishes with a tomato base and grilled chicken or pork. This is the wine with taste and class which gathers more appreciative followers every year.