Zinfandel is a great wine to have at your Tuesday night barbecues, Saturday afternoon French bread, salami, and cheese conversations, and the Friday night dinners with old friends.  Nearly as stylistically versatile as Chardonnay it has only achieved popularity in America since 1980, as a pink, slightly sweet wine.  However, the wines we introduce here are dry and provide big bold flavor yet are still very approachable.   Consumer whims have tested Zinfandel’s ability to play the chameleon.  It has delivered zesty berry-fruity reds, spicy tannic beasts, vin nouveau, and tart, intriguing roses, unusual sparklers, dessert styled fortified wines, and nearly combustible versions.

Zinfandel is a grape variety with an elusive ancient history and present day misunderstandings.  Until recently Zinfandel was thought to have originated in southern Italy, where the genetically related Primitivo is grown.  Further research suggested a possible link with the Plavic Mali grape from Croatia. What is now generally agreed upon is that Zinfandel & Primitivo have DNA matches with a Yugoslavian variety known by the name of Crljenak.

California Zinfandel is fortunate that it has no historical stylistic context elsewhere in the world that restricts a winemaker’s creativity.  With other varieties, U. S. wines are constantly compared to European standards.  Winemakers highlight the reputation of old Zinfandel vineyards, especially since the middle and late 1980’s.  Numerous old Zinfandel vineyards survived Prohibition and many date back to the late 1890’s.     

If you are not familiar with Zinfandel or only have tried White Zinfandel, I recommend you try a new Zinfandel and enjoy sharing a glass with your friends and family as much as I do.

Marietta “Old Vine Red Lot #46″ ~ $12.99

Old Vine Red is a proprietary red wine that is round, smooth, “Zinfandel-like,” and noted for its balance, approachability, and consistency.  It is primarily comprised of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah and Carignane as well as smaller amounts of Cabernet and Syrah.  Various Italian varietals round out the blend.

Cline 2006 “Ancient Vines” Zinfandel ~ $18.99

The 2006 Ancient Vines Zinfandel draws primarily from a wide selection of their oldest, most historic and shyest-bearing Zinfandel blocks in Contra Costa County which make up 43% of this blend. Grapes were planted by Italian and Portuguese immigrants in the sandy, phylloxera-resistant soils of Oakley, California more than 100 years ago.  These ancient, dry-farmed vineyards consistently produce fruit of stunning concentration.

Peachy Canyon 2005 “Westside” Zinfandel ~ $19.99

This vintage of their flagship wine has all the components of an elegant and exotic Zinfandel. It shows nice earth tones with black pepper and spice along with notes of cherries, strawberries and blueberries. This wine has a velvety texture on the palate with a bit of minerality on the finish.

Wild Oak 2005 “Old Vines” Zinfandel ~ $30.99  

A fairly new project of St. Francis winery, for years St Francis has sought out some of the most unique Zinfandel vineyards in Sonoma County. The requirements for inclusion in their Zinfandel program are that vines are head-trained and dry farmed, planted at least 50 years ago, and grafted onto the old “St George” rootstock. Many vineyards are “field blends” of Zinfandel interplanted with Petite Sirah, Grenache, Carignane, Grand Noir, Lenoir, Alicante Bouschet and many other obscure varietals, each contributing a distinctive flavor to the final cuvee. With the release of Wild Oak Zinfandel, they decided to select some of the very best vineyards traditionally used in their “Old Vines” blend, to create a new wine that represents the very best of Sonoma County Zinfandel.  This wine is a virtual powerhouse, not for the faint of heart.

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