Wine And Beer

Growing Zinfandel Grapes

Zinfandel is an amazing grape because it can produce so many different types of wine. From a tawny zin port to the fruity white zinfandel and everything in between, it is known as the chameleon of grapes. Zinfandel is often called "Americas Grape" since until recently it was thought the grape originated in the US, but the latest research shows it came from Croatia and was brought to the US in the early 1800's.During prohibition most vineyards were ploughed under and this strain almost disappeared, but it is now the second most planted red grape just behind Cabernet Sauvignon. Much of the volume is due to the introduction of White Zinfandel by Sutter Home in 1972. This blush wine became all the rage and accounts for over 10% of total wine sales by volume. The best zins are full bodied with lots of tannins, complex and spicy, with flavors of cherry, blackberry, and pepper.Zinfandel vines will produce wine for up to 100 years. These old vines will produce smaller yields with more intense flavor and old vine zin will command a premium price. They grow best in warm climates with some of the best Zinfandel wines coming out of the Sierra Foothills of California. The grapes grow in tight bunches so the individual grapes ripen at different times, and it is difficult to determine exactly when to harvest. Some growers actually pick the individual grapes over several weeks so each grape is at the correct level of ripeness. Zinfandel grapes have a very high sugar level and have been known to produce wines with up to 15% alcohol.Because the grapes grow in such tight bunches, bunch rot and black rot can be a real problem and you must constantly monitor for this or you can lose your entire crop. Training the vines along the trellis so the bunches don't touch will help this problem as well as help the uneven ripening. Water management is very important for these vines since without sufficient water you may be growing raisins.Since these grapes produce so much sugar, the time of harvest has a big impact on the flavor of the wine. If you are making White Zinfandel you should pick when the Brix is at 20 degrees (20% sugar by weight). At 23 degrees you get light berry flavors like strawberry, at 24 degrees you get cherry and at 25 degrees blackberry and currant. Of all the grapes you could grow, Zinfandel can be the most fun and challenging because of the many different wines you can make.