Most of May I was on a road trip checking out California wines so this show aired on June 1 and what a surprise, California Zinfandel comes up next! We are also well within the grilling season and Zinfandel is always a good partner with that.
When does barbeque season officially begin? I can’t tell because I’ll grill in the winter time if I can get the snow off my Weber and don’t have to cook in the teeth of a blizzard. But I was grilling last Sunday and decided it was past time to talk about grilling and one of my favorite wines to have with steaks, burgers, spatchcock chicken and anything else that will fit on the grill. That would be Zinfandel.
A spatchcock chicken is split at the backbone and spread out flat for faster cooking. Since then I’ve just cut the chicken in half which is easier to maneuver and cooks more evenly and I don’t have to use that strange word anymore.
At one time I thought Zinfandel originated in California – and in a way it did – but later discovered Primitivo, the Italian version of this grape. As it happens, one of the two origins of Zinfandel was Italy, when cuttings of their native Primitivo from Puglia, Italy arrived in California. The other source arrived in California from England and New England grape enthusiasts. Unfortunately, since both versions share the same DNA, deciding the origin of each vineyard’s cuttings has to rely on careful notes of local grape growers. Yeah, right.
The other reason to cover this grape is because we haven’t covered it in years. Wow, how did that happen? And when did we last cover Lake County wines? Well this is the first time.
Zinfandel Origins
DNA testing is not just devoted to human DNA as many things benefit from DNA analysis including plants. In many cases the only way to know for sure a plants origin is via DNA testing. Such was the case with Zinfandel, which in the late 1990s was able to identify Croatia as the origin of both Zinfandel and Primitivo. Further refinements followed until the 2012 book Wine Grapes that lists 1,368 varieties included an entry detailing the search for Zinfandel’s origins.
After years of research and DNA testing a single 90-year-old grape vine from the garden of an elderly lady in Split, Croatia, provided the evidence to show that Zinfandel was a Croatian grape that has been known as Tribidrag since at least the 15th century. She might have called a friend and said “there were these strange men in my vineyard commenting about leaf shape and bunch distribution. I just left them alone.”
Cuttings of Zinfandel were brought to California during the 1850 Gold Rush and were soon making fine wines. It is possible J. W. Osborne made the first wine from Zinfandel in California. He planted Zinfandel at his Oak Knoll vineyard just north of Napa, and his wine was much praised in 1857. Planting of Zinfandel boomed later and as the 19th century ended was the most widespread variety in California.
Prohibition all but killed Zinfandel and many vines were ripped out. The grape was subject to rot when transported long distances and was replaced with Alicante Bouschet for the home market. In 1972 Bob Trinchero of Sutter Home Winery used the saignee technique to remove some of the first run juice to intensify his Deaver vineyard Zinfandel in Amador County. The dry, white juice was made into a Rose-style wine but generated little interest. That is until a stuck fermentation in 1975 produced a sweet runoff juice, which caught on and white Zinfandel now sells at six times the rate of red Zinfandel.
Whence cometh the grape
Currently both Zinfandel and the Primitivo clone grow well in many parts of California. The earlier-ripening Primitivo is also gaining fans. Castoro Cellars in Paso Robles quadrupled their Primitivo holdings alongside their highly-rated Zinfandel. Currently Zinfandel is the third most planted grape after Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The brix level determines the fruit flavors and ABV.
Zinfandel styles:
- White Zinfandel – no skin contact after crush, varying residual sugar
- Zinfandel Rose – minimal skin contact, finished dry
- Zinfandel Red – Normal extraction, dry, balanced, 13.5 to 14.5 % ABV
- Zinfandel Claret – Done like a Bordeaux claret, Grgich Hills and Milagro Vineyards
- Zinfandel Big – Jammy, heavy extraction, ripe or overripe grapes 15.0 to 17% ABV
- Late Harvest Zinfandel – Overripe grapes, residual sugar, under 15% Tobin James Liquid Love
California Zinfandel subregions
- Central Valley has heavy production, but used for jug wine, blends and white Zinfandel.
- Sierra Foothills: Amador has a reputation for big, full-bodied Zinfandel. These extra-ripe wines have been called jammy, briary, and brambly, having aromas of sweet berries.
- Within Amador County lies the Shenandoah Valley where Barbera, Sangiovese and Zinfandel reign supreme and home to the state’s oldest Zinfandel vines.
- Sierra Foothills: El Dorado one of the oldest wine-producing areas has 64 wineries and is located between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe at elevations of 1200 to 3500 feet. The region is warm and sunny, and El Dorado red wines are typically ripe and full-bodied.
- Santa Cruz Mountains AVA produces Zinfandel from just 9 acres that are known for their complexity and depth.
- Sonoma county has Zinfandel-plantings second only to the Central Valley.
- Dry Creek Valley is known for its juicy Zinfandel with bright fruit, balanced acidity and notes of blackberry, anise and pepper.
- Alexander Valley is the warmest region for Zin and home to Sin Zin of Alexander Valley Vineyards an iconic Zinfandel
- Sonoma Valley around the town of Sonoma can be earthy and complex; Kenwood and Ravenswood. The Kenwood Jack London Zinfandel is one of my faves.
- Russian River Valley does have a warm area where Zinfandel, often with intense Boysenberry is favored. There are a number of old vines making spicy, moderate alcohol wines.
- Paso Robles AVA with its hot days and cool maritime evenings and a long growing season produces Zinfandel known for being soft and round, but also big and jammy.
- Napa Valley AVA produces Zinfandel wines described as plum-like and intense, tasting of red berry fruits with cedar and vanilla. Some Zinfandel in Napa tends to be made in a claret style like red Bordeaux. Mike Grgich, a Croatian, helped popularize this style. The Napa mountain subregions are generally more complex.
- Mendocino County Zinfandel wines are less known than their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir counterparts, but offer rich fruit, high tannins and higher alcohol.
- Lodi has some of the oldest Zinfandel vines in California. While often used for White Zinfandel production, in the red style, Lodi Zinfandels have a reputation for being juicy and approachable. Michael David reserve Zinfandel is superb: Rapture, Lust, Rage, Sloth and Gluttony are about sixty bills, but you can knock off 5 of the seven deadly sins with them.
Lake County Wine Country
Lake County has over 8,400 acres under vine and continues to gain recognition for quality wines, friendly price-points, and fantastic wine country experiences. So begins www.lakecountywineries.org introduction to a California county becoming more recognized as a place to enjoy wine just east of Mendocino.
Lake County is above Napa and to the east of Sonoma for a third of its length and then east of Mendocino, which also surrounds the county’s northern end. I counted just under 30 winery tasting rooms; many around Clear Lake. That would make this a good wine destination while enjoying the lake and local culinary fare. Sign me up!
Although each area within Lake County has unique viticultural attributes, all are influenced by Clear Lake, the largest inland body of water in the state of California. The moderating influence of the lake results in a climate with less variation in temperature than surrounding areas and with the majority of the vineyards planted above 1,500 feet, this creates a higher and drier growing environment that reduces the threat of mildew and pests. Red volcanic soils can be found on the hillsides below Mount Konocti, while alluvial benches on the valley floor provide well-drained beds for the vines.
More detail and a list of AVAs in Lake County are listed below. LakeCountyWineries.org also provides lodging and restaurant information
Lakecountywinegrape.org provides more detailed information on AVAs, a more detailed wine map and other wine geeky details I just sucked up. Much of that detail is summarized below.
Lake County AVAs
- Clear Lake (est 1984) See below.
- Big Valley District: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Viogner, Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel and Merlot.
- Guenoc Valley: Cabernet Sauv, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Sauvignon Blanc
- High Valley (Est. 2013) : Cabernet Sauv, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petite Sirah, & Sauvignon Blanc
- Kelsey Bench (Est. 2013): Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauv, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel
- Red Hills: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Petit Verdot, & Petite Sirah
- Upper Lake Valley: Sauvignon Blanc
- Long Valley: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, and Syrah
Lake County AVA Wine Details (from Lakecountywinegrape.org)
Except for Guenoc AVA which is below the lake all the other AVAs are within the Clear Lake AVA. In 1888, the 19th-century actress and socialite Lillie Langtry purchased a 4,000 acre ranch and winery in Guenoc Valley. Her winery operated until Prohibition, at which time winemaking in Guenoc Valley was shutdown for some 50 years.
Vineyard elevations range from 1,300 to 3,000 feet. Higher elevations and Lake County’s pure air allow for greater levels of UV light, as much as 10% more than neighboring sea level valleys. This UV intensity triggers thicker skins, greater tannins and intense wines with high phenolic content.
Soil variation is the theme here. From the red, iron-rich volcanic soils of Red Hills to the cinder ash and silt blends of High Valley, the alluvial soils of Big Valley, and the mix of gravel, volcanic, and alluvial soils in Kelsey Bench, the terrain in Clear Lake offers growers and winemakers the opportunity to match grape variety to its ideal location.
Climate: Clear Lake is notable for differences among microclimates, from vineyards planted at lake level to those along volcanic ridges. But two common climate factors are elevation and lake influence. These two factors have a cooling effect on temperatures that can be quite warm during the day. Temperature differences from day to night—the diurnal swing—can be significant, up to 50 degrees or more. This combination of hot days and cool nights allows winegrapes to ripen at a slower rate while developing complexity and maintaining acidity and balance.
Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, and Zinfandel.
Clay Shannon Zinfandel: The Story (from wineaccess.com)
The $20, high-quality Napa Zinfandel is a nearly extinct species.
But that’s been obvious for a while now…so the smart money has been steadily moving north.
They’re headed to Lake County, directly above Napa, which boasts the rocky terroir and warm climate perfect for growing powerful red wine. Recent years have seen the arrival of luminaries like Andy Beckstoffer—the same Beckstoffer who farms a score of waiting-list-only vineyards for $500 Cabernet in Napa—but Clay Shannon got there first.
Shannon realized the potential for the region early on—despite the area’s remoteness and challenging terrain—so in 1996 he bought over 2,000 acres on a series of wild, rocky slopes at an extreme 2,500+ feet of elevation, overlooking California’s largest natural lake.
This is a big wine, befitting a big estate and the big vision of its owner, Clay Shannon. It’s that ambition—to be one of the greatest, grandest wineries of the next generation—that has attracted folks like Master Sommelier, Sur Lucero, who had to visit Lake County to see the remarkable property for himself.
Shannon’s vision of growth is not rooted in branding or marketing, but in the land itself. He’s working to create a self-sustaining farm that requires little in the way of agricultural inputs from outside his property. No herbicides are used, and a herd of sheep, complete with 13 rams, graze through the carbon-trapping cover crops that intersperse the rows of vines and also enrich the soil with manure.
High Valley AVA: courtesy www.lakecountywinegrape.org
For your consideration: Clay Shannon 2020 Zinfandel, 14.5% ABV, $25 to $45
I ordered 4 bottles of this Zinfandel from Jon Thoresen, the Reverse Wine Snob, one of my most reliable online wine sites; www.reversewinesnob.com , which also has low shipping rates.
With a full-bodied profile, intense flavors, and a refreshing palate, this wine achieves a harmonious balance. Crafted from grapes grown in high-elevation vineyards in Lake County’s High Valley, it exemplifies the region’s signature bright fruit, spice, and textured richness. Aged 10 months in oak, including 25% French oak, this award-winning, estate-grown Zinfandel is a testament to sustainable farming practices and commitment to quality. Wine Enthusiasts: 91 points.
So Lake County will be my next wine destination, and judging from the picture above there will be a mix of wild beauty to experience as well.
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