Zinfandel

The origin of the zinfandel grape has been debated for decades. It was once believed that zinfandel was introduced to California in the 1860s by Count Agoston Haraszthy, a Hungarian nobleman who founded Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma County. Another early theory was that zinfandel originated in England as a table grape, was brought to New England in the 1830s, and made its way to the West Coast. More recently, some vine researchers claimed that zinfandel was identical to a southern Italian grape called primitivo. In 2002, DNA fingerprinting conducted at UC Davis purportedly established that zinfandel is, in fact, identical to a Croatian grape called Crljenak.

Zin Takes Root in the Foothills
Whatever its origins, zinfandel has long been considered California's indigenous red wine grape, and it is the variety most closely associated with Amador County.

Records indicate that zinfandel has been cultivated in Amador since at least 1868. Certainly, the rich, hearty, spicy red wine made from zinfandel would have appealed to the European fortune-seekers who flocked to the region after the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848.

Although the decline of gold mining, followed by Prohibition, devastated the Sierra foothill's frontier wine community, many zinfandel vines survived, because their fruit appealed to the home winemakers who were allowed, under the Volstead Act, to produce up to 200 gallons of wine annually. As recently as the late 1960s, most of the customers for Amador County zinfandel grapes were Italian, Slavic, and Portuguese home winemakers from Sacramento and San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood.

ERROR MSGA New Prestige
In 1968, Sutter Home Winery in Napa Valley produced its first Amador County zinfandel from 85 year-old vines grown at the Deaver Ranch Vineyard in Amador's Shenandoah Valley. This fragrant, opulent wine persuaded wine aficionados that zinfandel could produce red wines as flavorful and complex as the more heralded cabernet sauvignon.

For most of the 20th-century, zinfandel had been used primarily as a blender in jug wine blends or to produce simple, roughhewn table wines. Yet, during the latter part of the 19th century, a number of California wineries had promoted their zinfandels, under the name "claret," as a domestic alternative to the famous cabernet-based red wines produced in France's Bordeaux region, in the process winning many awards at prestigious international competitions.

accommodation in LeuvernThe success of Sutter Home's Amador County zinfandels, as well as those produced by Ridge and Mayacamas wineries, helped revive the historic Sierra foothill wine industry. During the 1970s, a new generation of vintners migrated to the foothills, dedicating themselves to the production of exceptional zinfandel.

Shifting Fortunes
During the 1980s, zinfandel endured a slump in sales, which wine pundits attributed to the chameleon-like personality of the grape. When consumers chose a zinfandel, these critics lamented, they didn't know whether they were getting a pink, slightly sweet wine, a light, beaujolais-style wine, an elegant, medium-bodied wine, a heavy, tannic wine, or a high alcohol, late-harvest style wine. The consumer confusion engendered by this plethora of styles, the argument went, doomed zinfandel to the fringes of the premium wine market.

How times have changed! Today, zinfandel has emerged as a contender for the title of California's finest red, and its many-sided personality is being celebrated as energetically as it was once decried. Fruity, accessible, and affordable, zinfandel is enjoying a surge of popularity once unimaginable, as evidenced by the 9,000 people who attend the annual ZAP (Zinfandel Advocates and Producers) tasting of zinfandel in San Francisco.

Regional Character
Austria Hoteles The character of a red wine made from the zinfandel grape is determined not only by the style in which it is vinified, but also by the region in which it is grown. While the finest zinfandels issue from warmer growing regions, such as Amador County, other factors, such as soil type, sun exposure, rootstock, clonal selection, pruning practices, and crop yield also play an important role in determining a zinfandel's quality and personality.

In Amador County, hillside vineyards, old vines, a warm climate, decomposed granite soils, and perennially low yields combine to produce weighty, concentrated zinfandels with ripe berry flavors and a pronounced earthy/spicy character. Amador zinfandels are wonderful accompaniments the heartiest of foods, such as tomato-based pastas, grilled lamb, and spicy sausages.

©2003 Amador Vintners' Association 209/267-2297 | 888/655-8614