Zinfandel for many years was considered to be a native American grape. Many other people credited Agoston Haraszthy with bringing the Zinfandel grape to America in the 1850's. However it has been recently discovered to have already been grown in Massachusetts as early as 1834. With the application of DNA fingerprinting it has been linked directly to the Primativo of Southern Italy. According to Dr. Carole Meredith from the department of Viticulture and Enology at U.C. Davis, the records show Italy is not the home of Zinfandel (Primativo). They began to search nearby countries, with the trail leading across the Adriatic Sea to Croatia. A grape called Plavic Mali of Dalmatia is thought by Dr. Meredith to be a close relative, not a parent but perhaps an offspring. Her research has just concluded that the parent grape is one called Crjenak, an ancient indigeonous Croatian variety. (See the web site www.winespectator.com and search archives for Researchers Solve Mystery of Zinfandel's Origins, Jan. 23, 2002.

While Zinfandel has been prized for its thick black skin and high sugar levels, many times it is grown in poor sites and often yields are too high, making for thin diluted examples. The disadvantages of this grape are that the bunches can ripen unevenly. Often some berries are green and harsh while others have ripened. Usually growers wait until all the berries have ripened, leading some berries to become overripe with prune like flavors. It performs best in warm but not hot conditions. The best examples come from areas such as Dry Creek and Alexander Valley in Sonoma as well as the Sierra Nevada Foothills area in Amador county, while the Napa Valley has also produced some stellar wines. Classic flavors include ripe berries, blueberries, brambleberries, prunes, raisins, leather and tar. Higher than normal alcohol levels are also common. The best examples are rich, warm and full bodied.

While some distain White Zinfandel wines, the popularity of these semi sweet blush wines cannot be denied. In fact, many growers credit the popularity of these wines with sustaining many of the Old-Vine vineyards some dating back to the late 1800's. For many years growers contemplated pulling out Zinfandel vines to plant more lucrative varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. These old vineyards are prized today for their low yields and concentrated grapes. Often planted on resistant rootstocks these older vineyards have thus avoided the affects of Phyloxera. Many producers harvest the grapes along with other varieties making a "field blend". Other grapes included in these blends are Syrah, Petite Sirah, Carignan and Alicante Bouchet. Most producers also age the wines in American Oak barrels yielding a unique spicy quality more easily detected in blind tastings.