In praise of Zinfandel

In praise of Zinfandel

In praise of Zinfandel
By Sam Gugino
Special to MSN

Boutique Cabernet Sauvignons may command stratospheric prices but they are more coveted than enjoyed. Zinfandel, however, is embraced with the kind of enthusiasm afforded no other varietal.

One reason is that Zinfandel is almost exclusively an American wine, as opposed to Cabernets or Pinot Noirs, which are made the world over. Another is that unlike the red wines from Bordeaux or Burgundy, for example, Zinfandel is without pretense. There is no learning curve for Zinfandel and no need to lay it down for years before it becomes drinkable. It is immediately likeable for its juicy berry fruit and its friendly tannins. "Zinfandel is the anti-Cabernet wine. It’s generous and rich and goes great with food. That’s why it’s fun to make. Who wants to make a trophy wine?" says Eric Cinnamon, winemaker at Rancho Zabaco Winery in Healdsburg, Calif.

Last month, thousands of "Zinfanatics" descended upon San Francisco for a four-day Zinfandel festival capped by the 14th annual Zinfandel Tasting. Sponsored by Zinfandel Advocates & Producers or ZAP, a nonprofit trade group based in Rough & Ready, Calif., the tasting featured more than 275 producers, quite an increase from the first ZAP Tasting when only 22 wineries were involved.

Though devotees consider Zinfandel America’s heritage wine, it is not native to this country. The Italian Primitivo grape was long thought to be Zinfandel’s ancestor. But we now know it is the Crljenak Kastelanski from Croatia. That hasn’t stopped the Italians from taking advantage of Zinfandel’s popularity by increasing exports of Primitivo wine (mostly from Puglia) to the United States and even calling some of it Zinfandel.

Planted mostly by Italian immigrants beginning in the mid-19th century, California Zinfandel was, for most of its life, an everyday drinking wine, often as part of jug wine blends. In the 1970s, standalone Zinfandels were "totally cult," according to Jeff McBride, winemaker for Dry Creek Vineyard. "Back then you had high-alcohol zins, Port-like zins, claret-style zins, rosé-style zins. It was too complicated. So they went elsewhere," McBride says.

Ironically, one thing that saved Zinfandel from itself was white Zinfandel, the hugely popular blush wine made from the red Zinfandel grape. Though serious Zinfandel drinkers scoff at this pedestrian quaff, white Zinfandel helped to get rid of a lot of potentially mediocre red Zinfandel. And it also preserved many old and prized Zinfandel vines, which would have been ripped out to plant other grapes.

Better with age?
The quality of today’s Zinfandel is higher than ever, thanks to better site and clonal selections, better vineyard management and improved winemaking techniques. Those different styles of Zinfandel are still with us, but they are more controlled.

Sonoma County is the mecca for California Zinfandel. Within it there are several top regions. One is Dry Creek Valley, which produces ripe and lush wines with soft tannins, a core of black cherry fruit and peppery notes. The Russian River Valley is one of the cooler growing regions, which allows for long hang time for grapes, creating bright fruit flavors leaning toward plums and boysenberries. Sonoma Valley produces rich and spicy but well-structured and long-lived wines.

Mendocino and Lake Counties are cooler areas that produce richly colored wines with distinct raspberry-cherry flavors and surprising depth. Napa Valley Zins can be complex and ageworthy. Paso Robles or Central Coast Zinfandels offer a wide range of styles from lush, ripe and soft to leaner, lighter claret-styled wines. High temperatures in the Sierra Foothills (Amador County) push the envelope of ripeness in grapes creating high alcohol and often raisined or pruney flavors.

Within these regions you’ll see quite a few producers making up to a dozen single-vineyard Zinfandels. In some cases production is only a few hundred cases, which adds to the cult cache. Many of these vineyards have vines that go back to the early 20th century and beyond. Not only are they still producing but they are coveted for the intense flavors they provide. These old vineyards often contain other varieties, particularly Petite Sirah, Alicante and Carignan, which give Zinfandel some of the elements it lacks such as color. These so called "field blends" are common with Zinfandel.

While the 2000 Zinfandel vintage was rated "good" by Wine Spectator magazine, the 2001 and 2002 vintages are stellar.

When it comes to matching up with food, Zinfandel is far more versatile than most folks realize. Much depends on the style of Zinfandel. For example, winemaker McBride suggests that lighter Zins, below 14 percent alcohol, would be best for things like cioppino, roast turkey, pizza and tomato-based sauces. Bigger Zins are more appropriate for heavier dishes like osso buco, roast lamb or beef and game. I’ve even had coq au vin, the famous Burgundian chicken stew, made with Zinfandel¬ at a French restaurant, no less. Take that, Pinot Noir.

Sam Gugino is the Tastes columnist for Wine Spectator magazine and author of "Cooking to Beat the Clock." He can be reached through his Web site, www.samcooks.com.