Crljenak kaštelanski. Nah, that’s not a typo or even a Hungarian curse - it’s the name of a grape originating in Croatia that was imported into California in the 1830s, where it became known as Zinfandel. Don’t ask me how to pronounce it. Until the 1990s, Zinfandel was considered California's mystery grape, since no could figure out its origin (DNA testing solved the riddle). The same grape is called Primovito in Italy's Puglia region.
Most Zinfandel is produced in California, where it’s the second most widely grown red grape. California’s older Zinfandel vines are prized (some are 80 – 100+ years old), although there’s no regulation of what “old vines” means on a label.
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- Particularly good Zinfandels are produced in Sonoma’s Dry Creek Valley and Russian River Valley, Mendocino and Napa. Other good production areas include Paso Robles and Amador County.
- High quality Zinfandel is typically soft-textured and full bodied, with intense, jammy black fruits, spices and high alcohol. Zinfandels feature moderate tannins and high acidity.
- There’s also a slightly sweet white, or “blush,” Zinfandel that’s typically inexpensive and accounts for the majority of Zinfandel sales.
Zinfandel is a food friendly wine. The good acidity and flavor intensity makes it great match for many foods.
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- Zin is a great match for BBQ red meats, lamb, turkey, pork, sausage and grilled beef. It also goes great with pizza and pastas with spicy red sauces.
- Because it’s so intense, this isn’t a wine that you’ll sip on a lazy afternoon on the deck. It needs a suitable food match.
- If you like a big, jammy, intense wine, Zin may be for you. If not, grab a Cab or Merlot.
Zinfandel can last for an extended period, but why bother? It may improve in the bottle for five years or so, and you can drink a well-made Zinfandel up to 20 years. But, this is not a wine to cellar - the fruit begins to fade after five years.
Our wine of the week is a 2013 Grigch Hills Estate Napa Valley Zinfandel (about $28 retail), produced from their 34 acre Calistoga vineyard. It’s 97% Zinfandel and 3% Petit Sirah, aged for 16 months in oak.
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- Grigch Hills consistently produces Zinfandel that is rated good to excellent. And, there’s some interesting history here: the winery was founded in 1977 by Mike Grigch, who crafted the Château Montelana Chardonnay that beat the best French White Burgundies in the 1976 “Judgment of Paris” tasting. Not a bad pedigree. Mike Grigch, like the grape, immigrated from Croatia. So, you're drinking a Grigch Crljenak kaštelanski. Try explaining that to someone.
- Grigch Hills focuses on sustainability, and each of its five estate vineyards is certified organic.
- The 2013 Napa Valley Zinfandel is a very good wine. That said, not everyone likes an intense full-bodied wine such as this. It has jammy black fruit, with notes of strawberry, plum, spice and a hint of blueberry. The finish was interesting and medium length. Typical of a Zin, this is a high alcohol wine, clocking in at 15 percent.
- Note that you’ll want to serve this wine at 62 degrees, serving it warmer will make it seem more jammy and alcoholic. This wine has a moderate amount of sediment, so decanting was helpful.
Some other good Zin producers include: A. Rafinelli, Paradux, Ravenswood Ridge, Seghesio, Turkey and Vineyard 29.
Cheers!
We plan to visit Croatia next year – when in an unknown region how should we go about purchasing local wine? Is it as simple as buying several bottles and sampling?
A great question!
First, the generic answer about regions that you’re not familiar with. A great source of information is typically the local restaurants, particularly if there is a trained sommelier or wine steward. They’ll be familiar with the local wine scene, and can guide you concerning wines to try and where to buy them. A good concierge can also be helpful. If you’re planning on visiting a winery, bear in mind that (a) it may not have English speakers, and (b) often appointments are necessary. You might want to bring along several wine skins (plastic sleeves that cushion the bottle and seal it in case of leakage), in case you find some bottles that you want to bring back in your luggage.
Second, about Croatia. Most of the grapes are indigenous, although there’s an increasing amount of wine being produced with international varieties such as Chardonnay, Merlot, etc. That means that reading, much less pronouncing, the names on the labels can be a challenge. The most common grapes: Graševina – a medium bodied white with notes of apple, it can be found in dry or sweet styles. Plavac Mali – a red grape sometimes called the “son of Zinfandel” because it has a similar taste profile. You’ll also find an indication of wine quality on the label: “Vrhunsko Vino” is premium quality, “Kvalitetno Vino” is quality, and Stolno Vino is common table wine.
A good resource for information on food and wine: http://tasteofcroatia.org/en/
Enjoy!
thank you – this is great information – in the future, we will look for your input before travel
As a person with Croatian heritage I appreciate your article
Now I know why I have always liked Zinfandel wines.
In a future blog, for a change of pace, I’ll discuss some central and eastern European wines. There’s some pretty interesting stuff out there!