What You Need to Know About Zinfandel
What You Need to Know About Zinfandel
Did you know that Zinfandel is the third most widely-planted grape varietal in California? It is grown in 45 of California’s 58 counties. According to the California Wine Institute, there were more than 44,400 acres planted and 416,615 tons crushed in 2016, as reported by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
While most of the Zin grapes come from the Central Valley, Sonoma County also produces a fair amount. Seghesio is a winery that is continually awarded medals for the best Zins in the state. However, they did get an early start perfecting the grape when founder Edoardo Seghesio planted his first fines in the Anderson Valley in Sonoma County in 1895.
Seghesio Family Vineyards is nearly synonymous with Zinfandel, and has been so ever since founder Edoardo Seghesio planted his first Zin vines in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley in 1895.
Origins of the Grape
DNA testing confirmed that Italy’s Primitivo and Crljenak Kastelanski, an ancient Croatian variety, are genetically identical to Zinfandel grapes. However, differences such as cluster size and vine vigor distinguish this wine from its genetic siblings. The differences in cultivation, terroir and winemaking combine to give California Zinfandel its own particular flavor profile with a truly American name, history and style. As required by United States regulations, Zinfandel and Primitivo are required to be identified separately on wine labels.
Historians believe that in the 1820s, a nursery owner brought Croatian Zinfandel cuttings to the United States from an Austrian collection. But there is no denying the Zinfandel name is American. The earliest and only documented use of the name is in America where a Boston nursery owner advertised Zinfandel for sale in 1832. The introduction of the grape in California dates back to the Gold Rush in the Sierra Foothills in the 1850’s.
