This is California`s most
distinctive black grape and is one of the few that is considered one of their
"own", even though it originated in Europe.
Although it has been grown in California for well over a century, it took the
popularity of white ("blush") Zinfandel in the mid 1980s to persuade
growers to retain their Zinfandel vines and indeed to plant more. Within 10
years, plantings had doubled and Red Zinfandel had become a Californian
icon.
It is grown all across California though seems to perform best in
meso-climates, which combine hot days and cool nights. It has a worrying
tendency to ripen unevenly, leaving the producer with a sort of viticultural
catch-22 - if he harvests too soon then he has green,unripe grapes, too late
and he has dried out raisiny grapes.
After vinification, Zinfandel wines are often matured in American oak, which
gives them a vanilla dimension. There is no single flavour character that can
be associated with the grape - it can produce light, jammy, almost Beaujolais-type
wines, redolent of freshly crushed berries, through to full-bodied, robust, oak
aged wines brimming with ripe, peppery, cassis-like fruits. The best can age
marvellously.