This is the story of an immigrant who came to America from humble origins, how America welcomed that immigrant and today that immigrant has become an American original.
No one knows for sure how this dark skinned immigrant got into the country. Maybe it was Hungarian Count Agoston Haraszthy who is known to have brought many European grape vine cuttings here in the mid-1800s. The records, as with many immigrants of the time, are scarce and unclear.
And while the zinfandel grape, like so many others grown in California, actually has a European origin (Croatia and southern Italy!), it is the only one that makes indisputably better wine in California than anywhere else. California Zinfandel wine captures the essence of exuberance and zest in a glass. Although it can be made in different styles, it typically is big and bold, with lively raspberry, cherry and blackberry fruit accented with spice and a brash, even a little wild character often described as “briar” or “bramble.” It also represents great value, as most of even the best wines are under $50.
One of the first places the grape arrived in the state was the Sierra Foothills where it was brought from northeastern states during the time of the California Gold Rush. Many of those descending upon the region were European immigrants and brought with them a taste for wine. Soon zinfandel was the most widely planted grape. Many of these settlers found more fortune growing grapes than mining gold.
Building on that heritage, Renwood has become known for its mountain grown Zinfandels since its founding in 1993. I have always enjoyed the brawny, rustic style of the Fiddletown bottling (2012, $25) balanced with deep fruit and pepper. A real treat is the 2012 Grandpère ($40), from Renwood’s estate vineyard. It is bold and full-bodied with tons of berry fruit, yet polished.
Many of those “49ers” eventually made their way about 150 miles west, to places like the Redwood Valley in Mendocino County and the Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma County where again they planted grapes, most of which was zinfandel. They were joined by many Italian immigrants in the later half of the century, a development that further increased interest in zinfandel.
While Edmeades Winery wasn’t established in Mendocino until 1972, the winery quickly built a reputation as a Zinfandel specialist. It produces several single vineyard wines that harken to the area’s Italian immigrant heritage – Perli and Gianoli from Mendocino Ridge, and Piffero from Redwood Valley. The current releases (all 2013 vintage and $31) come from high elevation vineyards and share a deep ripeness of fruit. The Perli is especially complex and enticing.
A few decades later, in 1927, the Pendroncelli family purchased a winery in the Dry Creek Valley, just in time for Prohibition. The Pedroncellis survived, though, and wine consumers are all the better for it. The family still produces trustworthy Zins and maintains a humble pricing philosophy. The 2012 Bushnell Vineyard ($20), which I think is the winery’s most expensive Zin, displays cinnamon and dusty soil notes. If you appreciate a more rustic style, it is a great value.
In 1972, ex-engineer David Stare helped start a revival in the valley when he established Dry Creek Vineyard as the first winery built there since Prohibition. The 2013 “Old Vine” ($32) takes the term seriously, not as a marketing ploy. The average 95+ year-old vines yield a firm and concentrated wine with suggestions of sweetness and spice. The 2013 “Heritage Vines” ($20) is the winery’s successful attempt to combine old vine character (rustic, concentrated) with young vine qualities (fresh, elegant). “Heritage” refers to young vines grafted from 100-year-old budwood.
Ironically, I found a wine that blends grapes from all three regions (plus fruit from Napa and Contra Costa). The 2013 Saldo ($30) – the name refers to that multiple sourcing – by the Prisoner Wine Company leans to the big and bold jammy style but also displays toasty oak and strong black pepper with savory notes.
No conversation about Zinfandel would be complete without mention of Ridge Vineyards. An Italian immigrant doctor made the original plantings on the site known as Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains in 1885. From this home estate near San Jose, Paul Draper (who has been at Ridge over fifty years and is recognized as one of the world’s great winemakers) oversees the production of one of the most impressive portfolios anywhere.
While the Monte Bello estate is world famous for it Bordeaux-style wine, for me and many wine aficionados, it is the vineyard designated Zinfandels from Sonoma, Napa and Paso Robles that are Ridge’s main attraction. Most notably the Lytton Springs Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley and Geyserville Vineyard in Alexander Valley are widely considered two of the best vineyards of any kind in California. Grapes have been grown on both sites for at least 140 years.
The Lytton Springs and Geyservile wines (both 2013 and $38) are beacons of what zinfandel can achieve when grown in the right place and crafted by the right hands. Lytton Springs generally shows great structure and power with a seamless texture, while Geyserville is more elegant and focused. Both are great, just different. It is worth noting both vineyards have been planted all these years as a “field blend” including petite sirah, carignane, and mataro. So, the resulting wines are only about three-fourths zinfandel.
It’s also worth noting both wines, technically are not labeled “Zinfandel.” They are labeled with the vineyard name. From a winemaking perspective, this reflects Draper’s respect for tradition and the site. From my perspective, it also is a metaphor for how all these immigrant grapes (in the field blend) support each other to assimilate in their new homes and achieve success.
Founded 30 years ago, Murphy-Goode is another winery that has continued the Alexander Valley tradition with zinfandel. The winery is notable for its whimsical gaming related product names as well as consistent quality. The three Zins recommended from my tasting begin with the 2012 “Liar’s Dice” ($21), a welcoming blend of Dry Creek and Alexander valley fruit offering jammy raspberry and black cherry with just a touch of spice. The 2012 “Snake Eyes” ($35), actually a single vineyard wine from Trusendi Vineyard in Alexander Valley is plush and appealingly ripe, with dark berries and zesty and spicy cocoa. The 2012 Reserve Alexander Valley ($40) combines the best lots from all their vineyard sources to achieve a jammy and intense wine with vanilla accents and silky tannins.
Nowadays, Zinfandel produces distinctive wines in many regions of the state. I especially like Zins from Paso Robles and Lodi. Unfortunately, there were no Paso wines available for this report but I had a good Lodi Zin in the tasting. The Federalist “1776” (2013, $22) is the latest release for a label that honors our founding fathers (featuring a different one on the label each vintage) and zinfandel’s distinctly American character. This one features George Washington and offers fresh, sweet berries with rich oak balanced with firm tannins.
Zinfandel, the humble immigrant from Europe has overcome many obstacles over the last 160 years or so to establish its own tradition and identity and is now known to many as “America’s Heritage Wine,” truly an American success story.
NOTE: Featured image is courtesy of Historic Vineyard Society