Zinfandel

Zinfandel is a grape that thrives in the heat and sunshine, so it is equally at home in southern Italy and northern California. All red Zinfandel have a ripe-berry fruitiness, but the best Zinfandel is a spicy, heart-warming dry red wine, with rich, almost jammy, black fruit flavours and aromas. All red Zinfandel tends to be relatively high in alcohol.

Zinfandel as a red wine can be made fruity and light, like French Beaujolais, or complex and age worthy, like Cabernet or claret. It can also be made into big, high alcohol style wines that resemble Port. Other styles range from off-white, sweetish 'blush' wines (known as White Zinfandel) to high-intensity sweet wine.

Zinfandel is best enjoyed in its youth, within three to five years of the vintage. With maturity, the luscious fruit that distinguishes Zinfandel decreases and it can begin to show a pronounced 'hot' taste of higher alcohol levels.

Flavours and Bouquet:
Jammy, raspberries, blackberries, liquorice, cinnamon, black pepper, dark cherries and plums.

Main Growing Regions:
California, Italy

Zinfandel and Food

The full-bodied, rich flavours of Zinfandel will work well with anything from sausages and barbecue ribs to robust meat and poultry dishes. Zinfandel can also be made like a claret - try this with classic foods like steak, roast beef and blue cheese. White Zinfandel is simple and often a little sweet, making it a good choice for foods that are spicy or sweet, such as like ribs or chicken with barbecue sauce, or hamburgers with ketchup.

Trying it Out

Cheap examples of Zinfandel are usually lightweight juicy, fruity reds. The top-quality wines are much sturdier, and much more expensive. Napa produces a Zinfandel that is dark, rich and ripe; Mendocino County produces a wine full of blackberry fruit, spice and tannin; and Sonoma's version is round and spicy. Seghesio Sonoma County Zinfandel offers a full, fruity and chocolately wine, although is a touch on the expensive side at around £15.

Zinfandel from outside the USA is an economical alternative. It's grown in Australia, South Africa and Chile, and for a lot less money than a Californian equivalent, you'll have a sumptuous, rich, almost overripe wine. Try an Aussie Zinfandel from Kangarilla Road, or from Western Australia's Peel Estate.

Researchers have shown that Zinfandel is the same variety as the southern Italian grape Primitivo - a wine that will give you great value for your money. Some Primitivo is even being labelled as Zinfandel to make it seem more fashionable. Try Piccolo Demonio Primitivo, from Southern Italy, which you should be able to find for around £7-8.

Zinfandel is also known as Primitivo in its native southern Italy and Plavac Mali in Croatia.

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