Zinfandel /
Primitivo
Zinfandel
was for many years somewhat of a mystery grape, as far as
its origins are concerned. Recent research in Croatia and
at the University of California at Davis, using DNA profiling,
has proved Zinfandel is a clone of the Croatian variety Crljenak.
While it had been theorized that Zinfandel's genetic twin,
the Italian Primitivo, was the source, this grape also
originally mutated from Crljenak. Further research
may indicate the very first plantings migrated from Albania
or Greece.
In April, 2002, the TTB
announced they are considering ruling Zinfandel and Primitivo
synonymous for use on wine labels. Producers of California
Zinfandel will probably object, anticipating that Italian
producers with a bountiful supply would then be able to undercut
the market with inexpensive Primitivo wine labeled "Zinfandel".
Zinfandel came to the United
States in 1820, when New York nurseryman George Gibbs carried
back various cuttings from the Imperial Austrian plant species
collection. Over the next two decades, Zinfandel became a
popular table grape in the Northeast U.S. Although there are
some commercial claims that Agoston Harazsthy brought Zinfandel
to California, records show that Massachusetts nurseryman Frederick Macondray1
introduced it here prior to 1845. In either case, Zinfandel is now considered
indigenous to California, where it has thrived since the mid-1850's.
Nearly as versatile as Chardonnay
in the number of different styles of wine produced from it,
Zinfandel only achieved widespread popularity in America, starting about
1980, as a pink, slightly sweet wine. In fact, this popularity
so outstripped all other forms, that many fans think that
there is actually a grape called "White Zinfandel" (there
isn't)!
Zinfandel as a red wine can
be made light and fruity, much like French Beaujolais,
or lively, complex and age worthy, like Cabernet or claret.
It can also be made into big, ripe, high alcohol style wines
that resemble Port. Zinfandel is also a component of
most California "jug" wines, since it is the most widely planted
red wine grape.
This vineyard proliferation
can be attributed to zinfandel's hardy nature. Adaptable to
a wide range of soils and climates, its vines tend to be vigorous
and productive. Zinfandel also has a frequent tendency to
set a second crop.
The clusters are compact and
full and the berry stems (peduncles) somewhat short.
These factors make Zinfandel somewhat susceptible to bunch
rot and some types of mildew. Water management is particularly
critical to raising Zinfandel. Under stress from lack of moisture,
it is prone to raisining. It also ripens more unevenly than
most other varieties and it is not uncommon for green and
raisined berries to occur within the same cluster. This tendency
to can be aggravated by poorly-timed irrigation. Uneven ripening
also means that machine-picking is impractical and a Zinfandel
vineyard may often require a few passes, days apart, to harvest
all the fruit with the same level of maturity.
Because of its vigor, generosity
and resistance to vine disease, many zinfandel vineyards exist
that are 75 to 100 or more years old. Zinfandel aficionados
believe these "old vines" produce the best wines, because
the older vineyards set smaller crops and the grapes tend
to ripen more evenly.
|
At
its best, Zinfandel (red) has a very fruity, raspberry-like
aroma and flavor and a "jammy" quality. The most common
aroma and flavor descriptors used with Zinfandel are:
>>>
Zinfandel is one red
varietal that is probably best enjoyed in its youth,
within three to five years of the vintage. With more
bottle age than this, the luscious fruit that distinguishes
Zinfandel drops markedly and the wine can show a pronounced
"hot" taste of higher alcohol levels and become more
neutrally vinous. It is sometimes hard even for
experienced tasters to pick an older Zinfandel from
among similar-aged Cabernet Sauvignon, for instance
(not that there's anything wrong with that).
When paired with outdoor-grilled
steaks or chops or meat that has been stewed with or
stuffed with fruit, Zinfandel becomes a prime motivation
for people to become wine-lovers. |
Typical
Zinfandel Smell
and/or Flavor Descriptors |
| Varietal
Aromas/Flavors: |
Processing
Bouquets/Flavors: |
| Fruit:
raspberry, blackberry, boysenberry, cranberry, black
cherry, (jammy can be used with all) |
Carbonic
Maceration: tutti-frutti, candy, bubblegum |
| Herbal:
briar, licorice, nettle |
Oak (light):
vanilla, coconut, sweet wood |
| Spice:
cinnamon, black pepper |
Oak (heavy):
oak, smoke, toast, tar |
ZAP
has an extensive
Zinfandel Aroma Wheel |
Bottle
Age: musk, mushroom, earth, leather cedar, cigar
box |
by Jim
LaMar
NOTES
1page 4, Resource Guide to Zinfandel, (pub 2008, by Zinfandel Adviocates & Producers, Rough & Ready, CA) RETURN TO TEXT
Related Links
Zinfandel
Advocates and Producers, better
known as ZAP, promotes Zinfandel Appreciation with educational
articles and links on their web site. They also sponsor and
conduct public tastings, such as ZAP
2000, in selected cities throughout the wine world.
Jasenka
Piljac has written Zinfandel:
A Croatian-American Wine Story, chronicling her fascinating
and picturesque experiences as a key researcher and translator
for Dr. Carole Meredith in the search for the varietal's origins
in the author's ancestral homeland.
