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 For
many years a case was made that Zinfandel was an American grape
but clearly it is a vinifera grape which after a lot of research
has finally be pinned down to have originated in
Croatia.
Despite its' actual origin
Zinfandel is today truly an American specialty with great red
zinfandels being produced all along the west coast from
California to Washington. Many vines on the U.S.
west coast are today more then 100 years old and
"old vine Zinfandel" is a special treat to many fans
of Zin, as it is affectionately known by many. Recently
some excellent inexpensive Zinfandels have started to come out
of less known areas like Texas and Arkansas.
I have to admit when it
comes to Zinfandel I am a true hedonist! To me no
other red lives up to the rich dark wines with awesome aromas
and tastes of blackberry and raspberry that is produced by
quality Zinfandel grapes. (Dancing Bull is among the best under
10 dollars).
Of course when the word
Zinfandel is mentioned most folks tend to think of the light and
often delicious "White Zinfandel" which became popular
in the 70s (due in large part to Sutter Home!)
"In the 1970s Sutter Home was a producer of premium Zinfandel in the Napa Valley. One technique they utilized to increase concentration in their wines was called saignée, by which some juice is bled off to increase the impact of compounds in the skins on the remaining wine. The excess juice is light pink. In 1975, this excess juice experienced a "stuck" fermentation, which left some sugar unfermented. The result, a sweet pink wine, by then called White Zinfandel, became a smash
hit". ( credit
to Wikipedia for this fact on White Zinfandel
)
Be it red or "white"
wines from the Zinfandel grape are excellent. While many
of the white varieties are a bit sweet some are a bit more balanced
and excellent for lighter foods or just a casual glass. It
is in the truly red form though that Zinfandel lives up to its
full potential. Rest assured there will be many Zinfandels
of both types reviewed by our willing staff. Very seldom
is Zinfandel blended in the US with other grapes and that alone
speaks to its' excellent potential to produce amazing wines.
Complete
Wine Grape Directory
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