Great wine values: Joel Gott zinfandel
Where did the name zinfandel come from? It appears to be a case of simple 19th century mislabeling.
In the 1850s, zinfandel was the first grape to prove truly successful for California’s early winemakers, adapting well to the terrain and yielding bumper crops. Within 40 years, it had become California’s most-planted wine grape and remained so for a century more. Because it is grown nowhere else in the world under the zinfandel name, many people assume it to be an American grape. However, it is — like all fine wine grapes — of European origin, and recent genetic studies have finally traced its complex heritage. Zinfandel turns out to be an ancient grape from Croatia’s Dalmatian coast known as tribidrag. It is no longer cultivated there but is a minor crop in nearby southern Italy, where it is called primitivo. So where did the name zinfandel come from? Boston nurseries were selling “black zinfandel” in the early 19th century, in what appears to be a case of simple mislabeling. An unrelated Austrian red grape now known as blaufränkisch has historically had a number of Czech synonyms, including zierfandler and cinifadl. It seems likely that cuttings of Croatian tribidrag were mistakenly tagged with a different grape’s Czech nickname: — zinfandel. Today, zinfandel makes richly textured reds like this one that are loaded with flavors of ripe figs and blueberry compote. As a rule, they tend to be aged in American oak barrels, which contribute distinctive aromas of brown sugar and coconut.
Joel Gott zinfandel, California. $14.99 (regularly $17.99; sale price through Feb. 24). PLCB Item #6604.
Also available at Gloucester City Bottlestop in Gloucester City ($13.96); Total Wine & More in Cherry Hill ($13.97); Wine Warehouse in Voorhees and Mantua ($13.98); Williamstown Super Buy Rite in Williamstown ($13.99); Canal’s Bottlestop in Marlton ($14.09); Total Wine & More in Wilmington and Claymont, Del. ($15.99); and Kreston Wine & Spirits in Wilmington ($16.99).