E
very wine name makes us think
of a place. Riesling? Germany.
Albarino? Spain. Chianti?
Tuscany. Zinfandel? California.
In fact, Zinfandel has been
called America’s grape, because it
was long assumed that it was found
only in the United States. Although
DNA tests have confirmed that it
is actually crljenak kastelanski, a
Croatian grape, Zinfandel, that has
thrived in the U.S. and is now one of
California’s best known wines.
Despite any association with the
sweet white zins made popular in
the late 1970s, Zinfandel grapes
can create complex wines that any
wine lover should take note of. In
California, Zinfandel thrives in the
warm, dry climate of most of the
state’s wine regions; California’s
long, dry summers mean plenty of sun
yet cool nights, a great combination
for ripening wine grapes.
California’s ideal growing conditions
mean that Zinfandel has been
successful here for many years,
which now means that old vine
Zinfandel dominates. These old
vines, some more than 100 years
o a o
or a ri hn
in a or
and more uniqueness between
vineyards to develop.
From Sonoma County
Sonoma County, especially the
hillside vineyards of the Dry Creek
area, produces some of California’s
textbook Zinfandels--balanced
wines that exude bold aromas and
Zinfandel fruitiness.
An elegant zin from 80-year-old
vines. Berry and mild spice aromas,
r it or ar a or ith o t
tannin an an
ant ni h
this is a classic Sonoma County
Zinfandel. The 2011 is sold out,
but the 2012 is available at
www.garyfarrellwinery.com.
Harvest Moon 2012 RandyZin
Harvest Moon Winery specializes
in lower alcohol Zinfandels
from Sonoma County’s Russian
River Valley. Besides a couple
of 100% Zinfandels and a late
harvest dessert zin, the
winery also makes the
RandyZin blend. A bit of
Sangiovese is added to the
Zinfandel to lower its acidity,
making it a wine to enjoy now;
$28 available at
harvestmoonwinery.com.
Other notable Zinfandels
from Sonoma County include
Quivira, Ridge Vineyards,
and Ravenswood.
102
From the Lodi AVA
Zinfandel reigns in Lodi, where
old vines have been carefully
tended by families for
decades. The hot summer
days and cool nights help
this grape thrive, and
th iff r n
t
n
micro-regions in the Lodi
AVA give distinctiveness to
the many zins made here.
When visiting Lodi wine
country, look for small
boutique wineries that are
producing high-quality,
hand-crafted wines at
a good price point.
Fields Family Wines 2012
Sherman Family Vineyards
Old Vine Zinfandel
The aim at Fields Family Wines is
to a
in that r
t th
vineyard that they come from. Their
minimalistic approach to winemaking
allows the grapes to shine, which has
made their wines some of the highest
regarded coming out of Lodi. The
Old Vine Zinfandel is an elegantly
balanced wine, displaying classic
old vine zin characteristics with
a
an ni h
a ai a
at
fieldsfamilywines.com.
St. Amant 2012 Old Vine Zinfandel,
Marian’s Vineyard
From just 8.3 acres of 100-year-old
in
ro n in th n an y oi o
Lodi, this distinctive Zinfandel is a
classic old vine zin; rich berry and
ho o at aro a
rry a or
ith
a an
i
an a on r it ni h
This 100% Zinfandel sells for $24,
available at www.stam